The new MG Extender pick-up truck has been launched in Thailand, it is basically a rebadged Maxus T70 and comes with the same 161 hp, 2.0-litre engine
The recently launched MG Hector has successfully garnered a huge response from the Indian SUV buyers, who seem to have been impressed with the British badge, bold front-end looks, high-end features like portrait touchscreen and electric sunroof, and powerful engine options. MG Motor India will even launch the eZS, its all-electric Hyundai Kona rival, in the coming months.
Back in Thailand, the Chinese-owned British brand has now launched the MG Extender, a pick-up truck that aims to get the better of its Japanese rivals to please the huge number of pick-up truck-buyers in the country. Here are 5 things you should know about the new model –
1. Based on Maxus T70
SAIC, the parent company of MG, has been capitalizing on the MG badge by slapping it onto its products. For instance, the MG Hector is nothing but a rebadged Baojun 530. Similarly, the MG Extender is a rebadged Maxus T70, a Chinese offering that is based on the Maxus T60 but comes with a new engine and some styling updates.
2. Rivals Established Brands like Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max
In the Land of Smiles, the MG Extender will be locking horns with some established rivals, such as the Toyota Hilux, Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50 and Chevrolet Colorado. What this means is that it won’t be an easy job for the Maxus T70-based model to grab a huge pair of sales pie in the market.
In fact, the Hilux and D-Max alone enjoy a 70 per cent market share, which means the Chinese SUV with a British badge needs some real tricks up its sleeves to find many buyers.
3. Available with 2.0-litre Diesel Engine
As it’s based on the Maxus T70, the MG Extender gets the 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that has been jointly developed by SAIC and General Motors. This engine produces a maximum power of 161 h p and a peak torque of 375 Nm for the Thai-spec MG Extender.
In other markets, where it’s available on the Maxus T70, power outputs can range over 200 hp due to a twin-turbo setup. The Thai-spec Extender complies with the Euro 4 emission standards. The Maxus T60, on the other hand, gets its juice from a VM Motori 2.8 litre turbodiesel with 150 hp/360 Nm.
4. Automatic Transmission and 4WD Options
The MG Extender will be available with both manual and automatic transmissions. Buyers can choose between a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic gearbox. One can even choose between Giant Cab or Double Cab layouts, with or without 4WD hardware. The base model, which comes with a 6-speed manual transmission and 2WD, costs 549,000 baht.
5. Long List of Features
The fully-loaded MG Extender pickup, in a manner similar to the MG Hector, comes with a long-range of goodies, including stylish 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps with DRL, auto lights and wipers, leather upholstery, electrically-adjustable front seats, cruise control, auto-dimming rear view mirror, automatic aircon with rear vents, 10-inch touchscreen and i-SMART connected apps package.
The MG Extender is even high on safety equipment and comes with a long-range of features that make it one of the safest options in the segment.
The safety kit on offer includes disc brakes on all wheels, ABS with EBD, Brake Assist, Stability Control, Hill Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring System and Lane Departure Warning. The pick-up truck even gets six airbags, a 360-degree parking camera and a tyre pressure monitoring system.