Maxus takes on the Andies

SAIC Maxus: seeking commercial vehicle market penetration

April 23, SAIC ( 600,104 shares ) of its birth of only a year of commercial vehicle brand SAIC MAXUS brand and the dealers Chile signed an agreement to enter the South American market. At the same time, the Shanghai Commercial Vehicles Co., Ltd. (referred to as "SAIC Commercial Vehicle Company"), in cooperation with China Telecom Shanghai, the world premiere of "OK InteCare WINGS" intelligent network-value solutions, not only in its MAXUS brand fully applied, but also declared that "to lead the commercial vehicle industry into the new era of network-wide intelligent" vehicle networking technology breakthrough commercial vehicles.

This in sharp contrast with the overall situation of the domestic commercial vehicle, the latest research report in 2011 remains in the doldrums on the basis of the commercial automobile market of China field will enter a five-year industry downturn cycle, fuel consumption and environmental pressure may allow domestic commercial further decline in the profits of car prices.

SAIC MAXUS opened up for commercial vehicles in a cold, wet, blue ocean peer eyebrows.

Overseas layout

Chile Kaufmann Group Mo-tores de Los Andes car sales (Andes Motor) is one of the most important car dealers in Chile, with the company signed a distribution agreement, indicating that SAIC MAXUS was about to begin in Central and South America prelude to the market. The following into ASEAN, Africa and the Asia-Pacific market, SAIC commercial vehicle practice another coordinate international strategy.

In 2009, SAIC acquired LDV, the British commercial vehicle company in the shutdown state, and to have the basis for the development of high-end commercial vehicles - the MAXUS brand of intellectual property and technology platform, SAIC will MAXUS introduced to China and named for the MAXUS , in March 2011, the Shanghai Commercial Vehicles Co., Ltd. officially established.

SAIC acquired the MAXUS the technology, as well as its complete global sales network. "began to put into operation the left rudder, right rudder while the production, domestic and Southeast Asian simultaneous listing strategy, as of the end of 2011, SAIC MAXUS brands covering the global marketing network system has shown signs of scale in Asia, Africa Oceania and other places has made a real breakthrough.

Signed with Chile will be a strong impetus to the formation of the SAIC MAXUS in Latin America territory. In addition, cooperation between SAIC commercial vehicles in Latin America, Colombia and Peru also carried out according to plan, negotiations are also underway with partners in Brazil, Russia , the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and other places.

February 2011 release of "Maxus" brand, SAIC proposed mode to build passenger cars and commercial vehicles "ideas. Clearly, the international route of its own brand of SAIC passenger cars Roewe MG has been successfully copied to the commercial vehicle body.

Domestic marketing network, a year down has nearly 40 dealers in the country, there is another nearly 70 service providers specialize in after-sales service. Blue pine, general manager of SAIC Commercial Vehicle Company, said the network will be built this year to 120, after-sales service will be increased simultaneously.

Another market

The end of April, "InteCare line wing pass the value of intelligent network solutions world debut at the same time, SAIC Commercial Vehicle Company as a co-developer signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Telecom Shanghai, the two sides will carry" InteCare line wing pass. " telematics services to the school bus as the starting point, the Internet of Things technology, cloud computing, integrated 3G technology used in school buses and other commercial vehicles.

Market efficiency under the guidance of passenger cars car networking technology show, SAIC commercial vehicles apparently saw an untapped new blue ocean.

In this cooperation, SAIC Maxus Commercial Vehicle Series car will be preset to the CDMA chip, use everywhere of China Telecom 3G wireless networks, real-time management and monitoring the condition of the vehicle. But even more noteworthy is that, the "InteCare line wing links" is not just a car networking technology, but SAIC commercial vehicles a new "business".

The mode of this cooperation is: China Telecom to take advantage of cloud computing technology build vehicles networking platform, SAIC Commercial Vehicle development and operation of automotive information products. In other words, the two industry leading companies to jointly develop a jointly owned brand, the next step is operated jointly to achieve common business benefits.

The "InteCare OK WINGS business prospects, according to the understanding of blue pine," In the past vehicle information system services in the face of private clients, whether it is speaking from the maturity of the technology or business needs, with the development of IT technology, commercial vehicle customer needs should be more urgent. "

Promote the objectives laid down in the blue pine for InteCare line wing through the school bus and logistics two is the rapid expansion of market segments, in his view, the commercial vehicle networking will soon. "Wait until after this critical point, the market is a very big market."

Insiders pointed out that the traditional domestic commercial vehicle market downturn in the commercial vehicle vehicle information technology to seize the initiative, after expanding the market share of creative writing, and this mode will be SAIC's commercial vehicle industry chain further expansion. Blue pine, "from the Blue Ocean, Red Sea, the angle of view, in the future from the car companies to participate in the operations of the commercial vehicles market services for operators to provide value, then we will get additional value."

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Chinese SAIC Maxus van.

Maxus will have about nine models of the V80 here in October.


China is turning up the quality and performance wick, judging by the Maxus van. SAIC's Maxus brand - barely a year in production at a brand new factory at Wuxi about 180km out of Shanghai - hits the nail with quality and performance.

On expectations, the price of about $32,000 could wound its immediate rival, the Hyundai iLoad and iMax duo and dent more expensive players.

"It's a bigger van than the iLoad so the price will be a bit above Hyundai,'' says Maxus spokesman Jon Thomson on behalf of Australian importers WMC. "But it will be below Volkswagen and Mercedes Benz.''

Maxus will have about nine models of the V80 here in October, ranging from delivery vans and nine to 16-seater passenger versions in short, medium or long wheelbases and with low, medium or high rooflines. An expected 15-20 per cent of Maxus sales will be the passenger versions.

The Maxus V80 is a UK-developed vehicle from the now deceased Leyland-DAF venture (LDV). It was one of the assets grouped within collapsed vehicle marques including Rover and MG that were onsold to Chinese interests.

Most have been revised under ownership of China's biggest car company, SAIC (Shanghai Automotive), which has huge joint venture factories with companies including Volkswagen and General Motors, and a string of its domestic vehicle makers each with their own factories in China.

The Maxus retains the UK-designed and developed 100kW/330Nm 2.5-litre common-rail turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine, now driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. Thomson says Australian demand for automatic transmissions will see a five-speed Aisin gearbox added "soon''.

SAIC testing claims 9 l/100km average for the van but Thomson says he won't confirm that figure until tests have been done in Australia and to the Australian standard. The monocoque chassis is conventional with MacPherson strut suspension at the front and a solid axle arrangement with leaf springs at the rear.

The brakes are four-wheel discs with standard ABS, EBD and brake assist. There is no electronic stability control, even as an option. The van version has cargo space ranging from 6.9 cubic metres (3100mm short wheelbase, low roof) to 11.6cu.m for the 3850mm long wheelbase high roof version.

Payload can go up to 1.8 tonnes - depending on the van variant - with a maximum interior ceiling height of 1.925m. It gets barn doors - which open to 180-degrees - and either double or single side sliding doors. The van will be joined by a cab-chassis single-cab model - using a ladder-frame subframe for the rear - later this year, and a smaller van in early 2015.

DRIVING

Two passenger vans were offered for a brief drive around the factory block. The LHD model was new, reflected in its engine tardiness. The 3000km-plus RHD tester was one destined for South Africa or Malaysia and typifies what Australia will get.

The good news is that the van is taut with a body that didn't creak or feel flimsy. The engine was surprisingly responsive - potentially belying the lethargic 22-second 0-100km/h acceleration claim - and the short-through gear shift was accurate and light. The basic rear suspension surprised everyone because it was compliant and didn't jar or thump over damaged bitumen. The steering, however, was vague and the brakes felt like a sponge.

It's a basic, yet honest van. The materials and fit and finish were good - certainly up to the Ford Transit that's built in Turkey - and the colours chosen for the plastics were creams and browns which hinted more at a European vehicle that one from China.

A third Maxus van - this time a deluxe, leather-trimmed model - was used for the 180km road trip to the Shanghai airport and proved as quiet, comfort able and as neatly-fitted as any of its rivals. The airport chauffeur also didn't spare the van, sitting on 120km/h-plus at less than 3000rpm and with very little drivetrain noise intrusion.

Chinese SAIC Maxus van

Price: $32,000
Engine: 2.5-litre common-rail turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine
Transmission: five-speed manual transmission
Outputs: 100kW/330Nm
Thirst: 9L/100km

The Chinese-made Maxus V80 blurb MPV is headed to Australia in a third entertain of this year with large ambitions. CarAdvice paid a revisit to a internal bureau for a discerning exam drive.

The Chinese acquired Maxus, that has a low story in a form of British Leyland DAF Vans, in 2010. The outpost was creatively launched in 2004 as an LVD Maxus and built in Poland, it was once changed to Birmingham, and now, following a takeover by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC Motor), to Wuxi in China’s Jiangsu province.

Over an 18-month duration a Chinese packaged adult roughly a whole Birmingham bureau and reassembled it in China. Following a 2012 Beijing engine uncover we headed south to revisit Maxus’ Wuxi plant and gathering a right-hand-drive Maxus V80 van, one really matching to what we will see in Australian dealerships after this year.

SAIC Motor, that final year constructed some-more than 4 million vehicles (or usually under, depending on who we ask), is one of China’s biggest automobile manufacturers. It has a hands in all from corner partnerships with general brands such as Buick, Chevrolet, Iveco, Skoda and Volkswagen to tenure of MG and Maxus. For a many partial a association is simply doing all it can to accommodate a huge direct of a internal market, though there’s good aspiration for enlargement into general markets.

The initial Australian launch of a Maxus V80 will see 7 variants in dealerships comprising of 4 newcomer models and 3 load variants. Although a Chinese make a V80 to flattering many any need (including restrained transport, propagandize train and even super-luxury VIP models), Australian delivered V80s will primarily embody twin 11-seaters – a brief wheelbase chronicle (4950mm sum automobile length) and a luxury-spec long-wheelbase (5700mm). In addition, twin 15-seaters – customary roof (2345mm tall) and high roof (2552mm) versions, both on a long-wheelbase will also be available.

Prices are nonetheless to be reliable though CarAdvice believes they will start good next likewise specified competitors with a entry-level load outpost and newcomer variants entrance in around $30,000 to $35,000.

Technicalities and cost aside, a indicate of a revisit was to see usually how these Maxus V80 vans are made. After all, notwithstanding a relations success of Great Wall (and Chery to a obtuse extent) in a Australia market, Chinese cars are still a new judgment to many buyers. Although it will launch here as a code new vehicle, a V80’s investigate and growth was finished a while ago, that means a prolongation routine has been excellent tuned over a years both in Europe and now in China.

The Maxus plant in Wuxi has so far constructed around 5,000 V80s with some-more than 60 percent exported to other parts of Asia and even South Africa. Australian placement will be probided by WMC organisation in Sydney, that also brings in Higer buses (and might even result with new MG vehicles in a few years time).



Given a European roots, a prolongation of right-hand models is a non-issue with both right and left palm expostulate V80s entrance down a same prolongation line. All are powered by a 2.5-litre diesel engine designed by Italy’s VM Motori though fabricated locally by Shanghai diesel. With 100kW of energy and 330Nm of torque, a V80s yield sufficient energy to get going and are comparatively pacific inside (at slightest in a newcomer indication we tested). At a time of a revisit usually primer V80s were being constructed though we are told that an involuntary delivery will be accessible in a Australian marketplace for launch.

Around a scarcely purify Wuxi bureau an army of Chinese workers now work one change per day to arrange a V80s. Maxus says it can furnish adult to 50,000 vans a year on twin shifts and that array can be serve tripled if there is high demand. In assign of a Wuxi plant operation is a male who’s spent some-more than a decade inside Volkswagen’s newcomer automobile operations and a few years with General Motors. His aim is to furnish blurb vehicles with newcomer automobile standards, a eminent idea for a association still in a infancy.



Given a bureau is a nearby matching reproduction of a Birmingham operation, it looks flattering many like any other automobile prolongation plant we’ve been to, solely we didn’t see many automisation. The association skeleton to enhance a V80 operation with a long-wheelbase framework and dropside cab in a nearby future.

Behind a circle a initial thing we beheld was a miss of steering adjustment, though were agreeably astounded by a well-spoken primer gearbox and comparatively efficient steering. Around a cabin a build peculiarity is not accurately Ford Transit customary though it’s not distant off. Maxus will chuck in amalgamate wheels, retreat parking sensors, twin shifting side doors, back stable doors on load models and electric entrance step for newcomer models, LED daytime using lights and dual-zone air-conditioning as customary apparatus opposite a range. A reverse-view camera and tyre vigour monitoring complement are accessible on a higher-spec models.



With somewhat fewer restrictions on blurb vehicles, Maxus will not supply V80s with electronic fortitude control. Nonetheless, four-wheel front brakes with ABS, EBD and BA as good as twin front airbags will be available.

The success of a Maxus V80 array will count on a array of things though many importantly on marketplace notice of Chinese vehicles. With Higer buses carrying achieved improved than many would’ve expected, there’s a possibility a V80’s singular offered indicate might not be usually a price.