Joining the rest of the Maxus line-up with their giant octagonal front grille treatment, the T60 Max (as the T60 is now known) also sports more muscular wheel arches and a tailgate that spells out, “T60 MAX” in large, bold lettering.

While the verdict is still out as to the T60 Max’s re-design, under the hood, it receives a new 2.0-liter bi-turbo diesel engine. Designed and built in-house by parent company SAIC, the small-block design and Bosch-equipped CRDi engine puts out 217 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque—among the highest in the pickup truck segment. If the engine’s familiar, it’s shared with the brand’s 7-seater D90 SUV. The sole gearbox is an 8-speed automatic sourced from ZF. All in all, payload capacity is rated up to 935 kilograms, while it can tow up to three tons.

The T60 Max also comes with an Intelligent Real-Time Torque on Demand system from BorgWarner which takes the guesswork out of road conditions by delivering maximum traction automatically. Drivers though can still manually select between a high-speed 2WD, high-speed 4WD, and low-speed 4WD for tough off-road conditions. It also has a rear locking differential as standard.

Inside, the Maxus truck has also received a refresh and now boasts a 10.25-inch central touchscreen with built-in Apple CarPlay. Other features include leather seats, a power adjustable driver’s seat, and automatic climate control.

For safety, the T60 Max is equipped with 6 SRS airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control with hill start assist and hill descent control, a 360-degree panoramic camera, and lane departure warning.

According to Maxus, the T60 Max’s main competitors are the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. However, its main selling point remains value. Compared to similarly-equipped variants from its competitors, the T60 Max is roughly 50 percent cheaper.

This is enough to make you consider the Maxus T60 Pro over a Hilux or Ranger?