MG Motor India is all set for a product onslaught in their newest market and here’s everything you need to know about the Maxus D90 SUV
2019 is going to be an exciting year for the Indian Automobile industry. A lot of manufacturers have announced their entry to one of the most toughest auto markets, that’s largely dominated by two companies. From the South Korean Kia Motors to British brand MG Motor, India will witness a slew of new product launches, never seen before on the Indian roads.
Among these, the excitement around the MG brand is particularly high. The almost 100 year old iconic Morris Garages brand, now owned by China’s largest auto conglomerate SAIC group will set its foot in India in the coming few days. The reason for excitement around this brand is the reason that MG promises to bring a lot of technology onboard.
Starting their innings with the already revealed India specific Hector premium SUV, MG has already announced to bring one new product every six months till they have a total of five SUVs in India. The next product in the line is the all-electric e-ZS SUV. Other products are a seven-seater Hector (only the five-seater version will be launched for now), a full-size SUV challenging Toyota Fortuner and a compact SUV.
We will talk about the full-size SUV that is expected to be the MG Maxus D90, which is expected to hit Indian roads by 2020. Here’e verything we know about the SUV –
1. Design
The new MG SUV will be based on the SAIC’s exsiting products like Hector was developed from the Baojun 530 SUV. SAIC sells the SUV as Maxus D90 in international markets and can rename it for India.
The Maxus is built on a light truck platform and will sport a bulky looking design for the road presence just like the Toyota Fortuner and the Ford Endeavour. Expect a lot of chrome throughout the exterior, squarish design, large wheel arches and more.
The Maxus D90 is expected to match Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour in terms of dimensions. For reference, the international spec Maxus has dimensions bigger than most of the rivals – 5,005 mm length, 1,932 mm width, 1,875 mm height, 2,950 mm wheelbase and a ground clearance of 210 mm.
2. Cabin
Large size on the outside means a large cabin space inside the Maxus D90. As for the design, since MG is offering a large touchscreen in the central console that acts as a command centre of the Hector, expect a similar offering in the Maxus.
Also, the MG Hector is highly featured rich and full of connectivity features, that are enabled through an e-SIM. The same features are expected to be replicated in the Maxus D90. Other features may include cooled/heated seats, sunroof, a 360-degree camera and more.
3. Engine
The China-spec Maxus D90 is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine producing 224 hp and 360 Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. When arriving in India, a diesel-powered variant will be offered too. Also, like Hector, the petrol engine can get a mild hybrid version. Since it is a big SUV, a four-drive system, various drive modes and terrain response system can be on the cards.
4. Safety
India bound Maxus D90 SUV is expected to get the same safety tech as the international spec model – six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP among others. However, there’s also the advanced safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and automatic parking and we are not sure if MG will bring them to the India bound model.
Price and Competition
As mentioned earlier, the MG Maxus D90 will compete against the full-grown seven-seater SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Endeavour. That being the case, expect a price tag of Rs 27-32 Lakh (ex-showroom). Also, the car is expected to hit the Indian roads by Diwali next year.