Mikano International’s Motors division has added another brand into its automobile offering with the launch of the Maxus Auto brand joining the ZNA (Rich6) and Geely brands which have an existing partnership with Mikano.
The Maxus Brand is not new in the market as it dates back to 1896 and a product of Maxus Autos which started in the UK under the ‘Leyland’ marque with the production of commercial vehicles.
Subsequently, the company expanded its line-up to include passenger vehicles and a wider array of commercial vehicles such as buses, delivery vans, etc. By then, the name had evolved to Leyland Daf Vans (LDV)’, through mergers.
With the powerful global support from SAIC, the Maxus brand is a success story across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and many others. The brand retains the LDV-Maxus name for the UK, Australian and New Zealand markets where it remains the top selling Chinese automotive brand.
In Africa, the Maxus brand is already making waves, most especially in Ivory Coast where it has gained vast popularity.
The technology, the ruggedness and the durability in the mid- size pickup truck is now being replicated in Nigeria as car enthusiasts would now begin to enjoy the brand courtesy of Mikano.
The Maxus T60 comes in 3 gasoline variations; Comfort, Elite and Luxury with Manual and Automatic options.
The 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 global companies.
At the launch event at Mikano Motors flagship showroom in VI, GM- Mikano Motors, Ralph Haidar, disclosed that that, like the other brands under Mikano Motors, the Maxus T60 – will be assembled locally at Mikano Motors’ auto- assembly plant located in their Karameh Industrial City in Ogun State, expressing optimism about the acceptance of the brand.
He said the goal of Mikano is to see as many made-in-Nigeria vehicles as possible on the roads and reduce the used car market.
He said, “We at Mikano Motors are excited about welcoming the Maxus Brand into our fold”, describing Maxus Autos as “a brand with great potential to become a market leader.”
Interestingly, Mr. Haidar shared that the Maxus T60 is the only Chinese pick- up vehicle permitted to be sold in European markets like Spain and Italy and also is the first Chinese-manufactured utility pick-up truck to score 5 stars on the Australian ANCAP rating.
He extolled the tried and tested strength, durability and quality of the T60 and announced that they would be on sale for the yuletide season from 15.9million naira, till DEC, 31ST 2022.
Speaking on other features of the brand, the National Sales Manager for Mikano Motors; Chijioke Mbonu added that “from Mikano Motors, theT60 offers a 5-year/ 130,000km warranty- the highest warranty offer for any pick-up brand in the Nigerian auto industry”. He added that this warranty and the Maxus brand legacy has led to impressive pre- launch sales figures, stating that “over 150 units had already been sold to state governments and private sector fleet purchases”.
Mbonu said the T-60 is the first of many remarkable vehicles to expect from the Maxus brand, going further to state that the Maxus brand embodies “technology, innovation and transformation, continually working to provide top- of- the line auto products and mobility services”.
