MG is one company that is riding high on its success. The MG Hector has been well received and if the bookings are an indication, even the ZS EV is completely sold out. However, the company isn’t resting on its laurels. At least not that we think it is. The Auto Expo 2020, a source says, is going to be very exciting. The company has just sent us a teaser image of what’s going to be shown at the Expo. It is an SUV silhouette and we have also got our hands on the table (see below) that tells us what this will be. It is indeed the Maxus D90 SUV that was spotted testing on Indian soil sometime ago. If that price is an indicator, this SUV will be priced close to Rs 40 lakh. The amount of luxury it will bring at that price is going to even knock off established players like the Toyota LC Prado as well as Jeep Grand Cherokee. The latter two are priced around Rs 1 crore.
The Maxus D90 is built on a ladder frame chassis and with 70 per cent high strength steel. Nine per cent of the car body is made from thermoformed steel in addition to high tensile steel in other areas. It looks mean and imposing too. It measures 5,005mm in length, 1,9332mm in width and 1,875mm in height. The wheelbase is 2,950mm. This is a 7-seater and MG will offer a 6-seat version too. A BS-VI diesel engine that produces 218hp of power and 480Nm will be used as will an 8-speed automatic transmission. There could also be a petrol engine, however, we will have to wait till the expo to see if MG announces this one. The Maxus D90 will have a four-wheel-drive option. This and the 210mm ground clearance should ensure rock-climbing capabilities. If that’s not enough, MG also provides different drive modes – Economy, Automatic, Motion,Sandy, Snow, Mud and Rock. The suspension components include dual helix independent springs in the front and 5-link integral at the rear. The SUV will be tuned more towards comfort.
Speaking of which, the D90 SUV will have lots of features. These include a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system complete with the MG voice assistant and other features. MG will have heated as well as cooled front seats, panoramic sunroof, 3-zone climate control, and a digital instrument cluster. There is also autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and many more. In short, this is going to be a fully-loaded model. Safety-wise, the Maxus D90 scored a full five stars in crash tests conducted by Australian NCAP.
