The Maxus Autos brand has become the latest addition to one of Nigeria’s fastest growing automotive companies – the Mikano International Motors division.
Maxus joins the ZNA and Geely brands in an exclusive partnership with Mikano International, according to a company statement.
LDV-Maxus has become one of Europe’s most recognized and trusted brands for commercial vehicles, and in 2010, the brand was acquired by China’s largest car manufacturer, SAIC Motors.
According to the company, the Maxus T60 comes in three petrol variants; Comfort, Elite and Luxury with manual and automatic options. Mitsubishi-powered engines are available in 2.4L or 2.0T, with a Borg-Warner 4WD system and other parts supplied by international Fortune 500 companies.
At the launch event at Mikano Motors flagship showroom in Victoria Island, Lagos, Mikano Motors Managing Director Ralph Haidar described Maxus Autos as “a brand with great potential to become a market leader”.
Haidar at the launch event disclosed that like the other brands under Mikano Motors, the Maxus T60 will be assembled locally at Mikano Motors’ auto assembly plant located in Karameh Industrial Town in Ogun State.
Haidar said the Maxus T60 is the only Chinese pick-up vehicle that can be sold in European markets such as Spain and Italy, and is also the first Chinese-made utility pick-up to achieve five stars in Australia’s ANCAP rating.
Country Sales Manager for Mikano Motors, Chijioke Mbonu, added: “From Mikano Motors, the T60 comes with a five-year/130,000km warranty – the highest warranty offer of any pick-up brand in the Nigerian automotive industry.”
He added that this warranty and the heritage of the Maxus brand has led to impressive pre-launch sales figures, stating that “over 150 units have already been sold to state governments and private sector fleet procurement”.
Following the official unveiling at the Mikano Motors showroom, guests including Nollywood stars, Jemima Osunde and Akah Nnanni; and car enthusiasts, Ladi Okunola of Super Cars of Nigeria, Akpovire Okugbere of Car Continent and Dionette Ezimorah of RideWithMiee were chauffeured to the site of the test activity at the shores of the prestigious Eko Atlantic City.
The T60 was put to the test on the sand dunes, where it showed the power of its McPherson suspension system and Bosch electronic stability control system.
Born in 1896, Maxus Autos epitomizes the positive benefits of British heritage, having started in the UK in 1896 under the brand name ‘Leyland’ with the production of commercial vehicles.
The company later expanded its range to include passenger vehicles and a wider range of commercial vehicles such as buses, delivery vans, etc. By then the name had evolved into Leyland Daf Vans through mergers.
Drive to the max.