Written by Eric Tipan

Maxus may be a wholly Chinese brand but carries somewhat of a European pedigree as the brand name itself takes after a van nameplate that was made by the now defunct British van maker, LDV Limited.

This could explain why it has such a flair to it – from its looks, to the amenities, and even its performance.

While it has only been months since it was officially launched (and in the midst of a pandemic), it picked up great reviews and has been received very well by the market from as far down south as Cebu and Lapu-Lapu City.

If you’re wondering what it is about the G50 that has turned some heads and made people change their minds, I sum it up with these five features.

1. Design

This is a no-brainer, it’s big and beautiful. Even at first glance you can tell it’s more than just an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle). While it may look like one – it’s actually classified as a minivan in its country of origin – it makes good use of all that sheet metal to put on an expressive body.

I love how the hood is largely flat as it trails down to the large chrome grille all the way to the highly-contoured front bumper. It has ridges on strategic areas of the body, which makes it sexier than your typical MPV, and immediately adds points to the brand for style.

Its best feature yet? This is probably the most effective implementation of the ‘floating roof’ design I’ve seen so far with simple daylight opening lines and the blacked-out B, C, and D pillars.

2. Engine

I was skeptical about the 1.5L four-cylinder turbocharged engine considering it has to move a 1.5-ton body around, but that’s because I’ve had my fair share of 1.5L turbo engines (mostly from Chinese brands) on crossover bodies that struggle just to reverse up a slope. I’m glad to be proven wrong.

Output of 169 PS and 250 Nm of torque doesn’t seem like much on a brochure, but it delivers quite the performance on the G50.

Launch is quick, vigorous and isn’t feeble for a small displacement engine. It sometimes stays too long on first gear if I put a little too much pressure on the throttle, but it shifts smoothly and almost imperceptibly onwards.

It has plenty of grunt to give with its seven-speed dual clutch gearbox, which makes overtaking quite easy. Some engine noise snuck in the cabin as it roared past 2,000 rpm but at least the burst of speed matched all the ruckus that it made.

3. Ease-of-use features

For an MPV that starts at just PhP 1.088 million, it has included some pretty solid set of amenities.

Keyless ‘smart’ entry is standard. Just have the keyfob in your pocket or bag and a button on the door handle will let you lock and unlock the doors.

All trims also come with a Push-to-Start button, two USB ports (all located in the pocket right in front of the gear shifter) and even Bluetooth, a multi-function steering wheel, cruise control, and rear aircon vents.

That’s pretty loaded considering the price and it even gets better as you go up the trims i.e. automatic climate control, mobile wireless charging (Premium), power tailgate (Premium), and even seatback tables (Premium).

4. Seating comfort and capacity

Compared to other MPVs, the G50 is an eight-seater. The seats are cushy enough, including the second and third rows but a little bit more bolstering wouldn’t hurt.

The third row accommodates three (but whoever sits in the middle ought to weigh less than 100 pounds) and comes with a 60:40 fold-flat configuration while the second row has a 60:40 split, reclines and slides, and has an Easy Entry Function to make ingress into the third row easier.

5. Safety features

Even if you’re just getting the entry-level trim, it comes with pretty comprehensive coverage as well.

Aside from the usual driver and front passenger airbags, it has electronic parking brake with Auto-Hold feature (which will always come in handy when stuck in traffic in one of the many flyovers on EDSA), Electric Stabilization Program, Emergency Brake Assist, and rear parking sensors and a reverse camera.

A tire pressure monitoring system, an immobilizer also comes standard but if you decide to go for the higher trims, you’ll even get front parking sensors and a 360-degree panoramic view monitor.

That’s quite a lot from a brand that’s still relatively young in this market, proving they’ve done their homework and are prepared to take on the establishment.