MG Motor’s Toyota Fortuner-rivaling SUV – the Maxus D90 – spotted testing in India

MG Motors, which entered the Indian market officially this year with the launch of the Hector is planning to bring in more new products to the market. The MG Hector has already announced that their next vehicle that will be launched in the Indian market is the MG eZS, which is an electric mid-size SUV. MG Motors will continue to focus on the SUVs post the launch of the eZS since the popularity of this kind of vehicles are on a rise in the Indian market.

The MG Motors will launch the Toyota Fortuner-rivalling SUV in the Indian market and it has been caught testing under camouflage in India already. The picture was posted on T-BHP and was taken in the dark. The vehicle, which is known as the Maxus D90 in the Chinese market will be launched in India in 2020. The Maxus D90 is likely to be renamed for the Indian market and the official name has not been revealed by the manufacturer yet.

The upcoming SUV will directly compete with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, and Mahindra Alturas G4 in the segment. The Toyota Fortuner is the leading the segment by a big number since its launch in the Indian market but the launch of the Maxus D90 in the segment may change a few things. The vehicle is 5,005m long, 1,875mm tall and 1,932mm wide. It gets a wheelbase of 2,950mm that translates into large cabin space. Also, with the dimensions, the upcoming MG SUV will be larger than the Toyota Fortuner. It should be noted that the MG Hector is the longest vehicle in the segment.

The Maxus is likely to be powered by the Fiat-sourced engine that also powers the MG Hector in the Indian market. The 2.0-litre Multijet diesel engine will produce around 170 PS and 350 Nm in the upcoming vehicle. The MG Maxus D90 will also get the petrol engine in the Indian market. It will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that generates a maximum power of 225 PS and peak torque of 350 Nm. The diesel engine will get both six-speed manual and a six-speed torque converter automatic transmission. The petrol engine may get a dual-clutch automatic transmission along with the regular manual transmission.

Since all the vehicles in this segment offer 4X4 drive option, the MG Maxus will offer the same. There will be 4X4 option but a low-range gearbox may not be present. Instead, the vehicle will get various modes like off-road and other modes.

Also, MG Motors currently offers a range of first-in-segment features in the Hector including a panoramic sunroof and 360-degree camera. The upcoming vehicle is also expected to get similar, never-seen-before features including a 12-inch infotainment screen with AI. The vehicle is also expected to get an attractive price tag, which has been the gameplan of MG Motors in the Indian market till now.