[TusharK]

Thanks to Anil Nair for sending this image in. Heartfelt gratitude for sharing it with other enthusiasts via this Team-BHP page!

The MG Maxus D90 has been spotted in India. Rumours suggest that it could be launched sometime in 2020 as a rival to the Toyota Fortuner & Ford Endeavour.



The Maxus D90 measures 5,005 mm length, 1,932 mm width, 1,875 mm height and has a wheelbase of 2,950 mm. It has a black octagonal grille with wraparound headlamps and a dual-tone front bumper with red inserts. The SUV has blacked-out B and C-pillars, black roof rails, sunroof and black ORVMs with red inserts.

In China, the Maxus D90 is powered by a 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine that produces 221 BHP and 360 Nm of torque. It is available with either a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Link to Team-BHP News

[GTO]

Wow, that is a big SUV! Nice scoop . I expect MG to follow the Hector formula here too = VFM price, loaded with equipment and lots of bling.

Originally Posted by TusharK

In China, the Maxus D90 is powered by a 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol engine that produces 221 BHP and 360 Nm of torque.

Hmmm. What diesel will they choose? Don't think they can simply borrow from Fiat as that 2.0L might be too small for this class of car. Or is it?

[ankur_fox]

I really hope this comes in time to compete with the upcoming Tata Buzzard, still can't believe the lack of options in the 7-seater SUV segment.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by ankur_fox

I really hope this comes in time to compete with the upcoming Tata Buzzard, still can't believe the lack of options in the 7-seater SUV segment.

Hector 7 seater will be competing with the Buzzard.

This one is a huge SUV and should go directly against the likes of Alturas G4, if not the mighty Fortuner and Endeavour directly.

It is larger than the Fortuner in every dimension - length, width, height and wheelbase.

Originally Posted by GTO

What diesel will they choose? Don't think they can simply borrow from Fiat as that 2.0L might be too small for this class of car. Or is it?

And which diesel automatic? They can probably get away with the 2.0 multijet under the hood as long as the pricing is competitive - but there won't be any sales without an automatic transmission.

[Reinhard]

Now that's a true good looking SUV. Proportionate & large. Something that the Hector got wrong somehow. Wow MG really is going full-broadside.

Interesting to see how this segment reacts. Hector had it pretty easy. It won't be so simple to fight with Fortuner, Endy. Especially with the MG brand in this segment. Ask Kodiaq/Tiguan! They are much smaller yes - but are exceptionally well engineered and with the VW pedigree. That counts!

MG will have to get their house well in order in Tier2 & semi-urban areas before launching this car. That's where a lot of market for this segment really is.

[srishiva]

Its huge and looks really good. Hope the wheels will match the body this time.

Not withstanding the bigger proportions, what they will surely hit Toyota, Ford out of the park will be in interiors. Looks really good with photos on the internet. This is where our Indian makers failed.

Will be interesting to see if anyone can dent Toyota in this segment.

[GrammarNazi]

Do they have the production capacity ?

They're already struggling with long waiting periods for MG Hector. They're going to launch the electric version of Hector. Then we heard rumours of a Creta rival & now an Endeavour/Fortuner rival.

In any case, the design & dimensions seem proportionate. People will finally get the competitive options that this segment lacks.

[nsbhagwat]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

And which diesel automatic?

How about a diesel electric hybrid combination paired with an automatic?
They can use the same 2 litre engine and maybe electric motor from ZS.
Wishful thinking.

[vishy76]

Interestingly, Maxus is actually a SAIC sub brand in China much like the Acura series luxury line for Honda and infiniti for Hyundai. Here are some pics of the one being sold in China for reference:

Front and side profile look substantial enough and has quite likable proportions too. I can see a bit of BMW in the headlamps and front fascia for sure:



Rear end is bland. Just doesn't do justice to the butch SUV theme. Have observed this with the Endeavour too. Crossoverish vibes are a given with both of these cars when it comes to the rear. A tailgate mounted spare would really help:


A pic of the interiors. BMW inspiration is more than obvious with the low set AC vents and the floating touch screen and overall dash design:


Will be a hit with the masses for sure. I also expect MG to make a few India specific changes like they did with the Hector. Some serious competition for the Endeavour and Fortuner. No two ways about that.

If they can price it in a competitive manner, Indians surely won't mind lapping it up. If there's anything the Hector has proved, it is that a mouth watering price tag will easily take precedence over things like brand image even in a 20L car. Haven't seen a well priced SUV in the 20-30L space for a very long time now (quite the opposite with the Compass, Alturas 4G, Tucson) and this might just be what is needed.

[desiaztec]

@Vishy76

A quick correction, Infinity is a Nissan company and not Hyundai.
And why does this look similar to MnM Alturas to me?

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by GTO

Don't think they can simply borrow from Fiat as that 2.0L might be too small for this class of car. Or is it?

Well..the diesel engine on the Fortuner makes 174 BHP while the Fiat Multijet can make 170 odd BHP as well. It's just the torque that'll be less, 420nm vs 350 on the Multijet. They could still pull it off if the pricing is right.

[StarrySky]

I think so far in India, no SUV has taken on the Fortuner and lived to tell the tale I think the MG SUV can take sales away from other manufacturers, but I am sceptical about it taking significant sales away from the Fortuner.

[ram87pune]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Well..the diesel engine on the Fortuner makes 174 BHP while the Fiat Multijet can make 170 odd BHP as well. It's just the torque that'll be less, 420nm vs 350 on the Multijet. They could still pull it off if the pricing is right.

Yes they can use the 2.0 Multijet. But the problem is that the Hector also gets the 170 hp tune. So it won't bode well for MG to sell an SUV costing almost twice than the Hector having the same power output. The customers will feel shortchanged for sure. Another and bigger issue is that the Hector diesel weighs around 1.6 tonnes while the D90 weighs a whopping 2.1 tonnes. That's a full 500 kg more to lug around. The power to weight and especially the torque to weight ratios will be badly affected IMO.

But looks like MG doesn't have any other credible diesel alternative so they may be forced to use the same engine as the Hector. And as pointed out by fellow bhpian Nikhil Bhagwat, they can use a mild hybrid system to boost the power and torque and differentiate it from the Hector.

But still with the Fortuner getting more expensive by around 5-6 lakh rupees post BS6, this could be a great deal if priced around 30 lakh ex showroom.

[grimmreaper_gtr]

This looks like a direct rival to the Alturas. Similar dimensions, engine capacity (2.2L in Mahindra). Fortuner is bulletproof in this segment. Considering the storm that has been cooked up by MG in the 5 seater SUV segment, this one might lead to a spike in the 30L SUV segment (below Fortuner and Endy)

[Nitrous Power]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Interestingly, Maxus is actually a SAIC sub brand in China much like the Acura series luxury line for Honda and infiniti for Hyundai.

Small correction: Infiniti is Nissan’s luxurious brand and not Hyundai’s. Genesis is Hyundai’s luxurious arm.

Back to topic, this looks much better compared to Hector and will directly compete with big boys T-Fortuner and Ford Endy. But I think first casualty will be Alturas.