Maxus is bringing in a limited number of its D90 7-seater SUV that it decided to launch it quietly. So quietly in fact that it’s not listed on their website, and you probably need a secret password to purchase one through their dealers. It is a weird turn of events for Maxus who is targeting a landmark 1,000-unit sales figure this year. It is also weird because this is big news. Big because they managed to beat MG to the punch given that its platform twin, the RX8 is still nowhere to be found a full year after being shown at their dealer conference.
So, the chances of you scoring a D90 are pretty slim, but if you’re curious enough to check it out, you will get a 2.0-liter direct injected turbocharged diesel engine mated to an 8-speed automatic. For the 4x4, bit-turbo has impressive outputs—216 horsepower and 480 Nm of torque, while the single-turbo 4x2 does 161 horsepower and 375 Nm of torque. Not bad.
It’s weird why Maxus Philippines isn’t gung-ho with the D90 given that this could be their ticket to mainstream stardom. It’s not for its lack of features, mind you. It’s packed with features such as a 12-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, 8 speakers, keyless entry and push start, cruise control, leather seats, 12-way power seats for the driver, 60/40 recline-and-slide with center armrest and easy entry function for the 2nd row, as well as 50/50 recline and fold-flat function for the 3rd row. The front and rear dual zone automatic climate air-conditioning system distributes comfortable, cool interior climate more evenly. Heck, the only addition on the D90 4x4 variant would be an 8-way power seat for the front passenger, a power tailgate, and an All-Terrain system with differential lock. It’s fully loaded.
The exterior is nothing to be ashamed of either. Outside, it comes standard with a sunroof, auto LED headlights, taillights, and DRLs, and 19-inch alloy wheels. Again, fully loaded.
It’s also loaded with safety features too. This consists of the front and rear parking distance control, front, side, and curtain airbags, and a reverse camera. It also has rain-sensing wipers, electronic parking brake with auto hold, stability control, traction control system, roll movement intervention, hill-start assist and hill-descent control, driver fatigue monitor, and tire pressure monitoring system.
Holy shit. The D90 is the whole shebang. It’s a feature-packed vehicle, it comes with 7 seats, it’s powered by a diesel engine, and it comes with a 5-year / 100,000-kilometer warranty. PMS is once a year or every 15,000 kilometers too. Oh, and 24/7 Emergency Roadside Assistance is standard. In short it is everything that Filipino buyers want, or at least would make them seriously consider a Maxus.
Now, we get to the price. With such a long list of standard features, you would think that the Maxus D90 would turn out expensive. It is not. It starts at just P 1.918 million for the 4x2 Premium AT, while the top-of-the-line 4x4 Premium AT tops out at P 2.268 million. Again, not bad.
It comes in three colors across the line-up: Blanc White, Obsidian Black, and Lava Ash. Two colors are exclusive to the 4x4: Water Blue and Amber Gold, while Agate Red is exclusive to the 4x2.
With all of the checkmarks in the D90’s pros column, it is surprising why Maxus Philippines doesn’t want to make more noise about this SUV. They cannot keep on selling pickups and vans forever. It is almost like they are sabotaging themselves to fail.
The 2022 Maxus D90 seems like a dark horse in the mid-sized 7-seater SUV segment. Just remember, you might need hurry to your Maxus dealer and probably need to utter a secret password to score one.
It's not being touted because there's a huge chance that at its price point, this one's gonna bomb. Big.
ReplyDelete1.9m? That's steep for Filipinos who are fond of the under spec'ed and pre-historic Fortuner. It's cheaper I might add so don't wonder why they kept quiet about it.
ReplyDeleteIm watching MG (sister brand of Maxus) on how it is to do battle using the RX8 vs D90. If they do it correctly, they may still have the upper hand. At P1.918 there is still a lot room to "play" with.
ReplyDeleteas long as it's feature packed at that starting price point, it should be okay? :/
ReplyDeleteMaxus is probably testing the waters, since that segment......very hot with alot of nameplates already beloved by many....
ReplyDeleteI remember a similar scheme, when Honda was first starting here, they don't have any dealership yet, and RCBC or Yuchengco if I remember correctly, imported the first 100 ED Civic Hatchbacks, very bare bones civic :P, and my dad was one of the first 100 customers :D
Back in Peoples Car days, Honda was unknown, so they tested the waters with the outgoing 238K Civic Hatch and a 525K Sedan then eventually the incoming (barer than bones) Civic Hatch. Forward to 21st century. Japanese PPVs are no longer mainstream vehicles. Maxus is a fairly new Euro brand. A 2M PPV just may work. It is the first Chinese car at that price point. Expensive China made products are no long new. Made in China iPhone is >$800 per upgrade. Many buddies of mine does not seen to care to invest this much per year. Me I never bought or are excited for one. But I do have a China branded car in my garage! Market preference change too often.
DeleteWho would have risk their 2M to buy a China made SUV?? Nobody. Still Japanese or Korean Cars are the only choices because of reliability and brand name plus Hi Resale value. The Maxus D90 might have the value for money because of full packaged features but after one year of used the Resale value will lose half of it's Brand New price and hard to sell. As to the unofficial Launched, Maxus Phil is trying to test the market if it's going to click but I don't think it can manage to sell some. Fortuner and Montero Sport still controlled this PPV category plus the arrival of new facelifted Terra closed the door for the D90 to get noticed.
ReplyDeleteMontero Sport isn't that popular anymore due to its ghastly exterior design,cramped interior space and its SUA image hasn't been removed.
Deletesablay talaga magpresyo ayala group, for sure ito maglalagay nanaman sila malaking discount after a few months na walang sales...di na sila nadala!
ReplyDeletePricing of it is okay as it doesn't have tariff exemptions that Thailand and Indonesian made PPVs have.
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