Mobility for the Pinoys

MANILA, Philippines — AC Industrials, an Ayala company, launched Maxus Philippines with the introduction of Maxus flagship models the G10 multipurpose vehicle (MPV) as well as the V80 Comfort, Flex and Transport vans, recently.

Maxus Philippines is the sixth automotive brand partner under AC Industrials, which includes other car brands such as Honda, Isuzu, Volkswagen, Kia and KTM motorcycles.

“As we celebrate the 185th year of Ayala Corporation in the Philippines, we see the  company building and pioneering the future for the Filipino,” said Arthur Tan, AC Industrials and Maxus Philippines CEO. “Ayala has been involved in different facets of our lives through banking, land development to parts of our communications and utilities. AC Industrials is among the services of Ayala where we enable everything. There is no country with an industrial state that does not go through a motorization age. We are looking forward to developing the next mode of transport, vehicle and mobility space for the country.”  

“Last January 30, AC Industrials, through its automotive distribution and retail group AC Motors, re-introduced Kia in the Philippines,” said Felipe Estrella, president, Automobile Central Enterprise Inc. (ACEI).  “In less than six months, the Ayala group has launched two automotive brands to the Philippine market. We envision Maxus to be very competitive in the commercial vehicle category, particularly in the passenger van and MPV segments.”

Felipe Estrella, president of Automobile Central Enterprise Inc., with Reginald See, general manager, flank the Maxus G10.

The Maxus vehicles strength lies not only in it as a family vehicle but it also adds a  proposition to cargo transport and shuttle services, offering Pinoy small and medium-sized entrepreneurs the opportunity to equip themselves with a shuttle and cargo business in style, comfort and power.

Maxus traces its roots to 1896 when the Leyland Steam Van was built. This vehicle would eventually lead to the creation of Leyland Motors in 1907, and become the great predecessor of many British-made vehicles such as Maxus.

 The Leyland DAF Vans (LDV) Group launched the Maxus brand in 2004, and in 2010, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) acquired the assets of the LDV Group, and continued the Maxus brand. It now has distributorships in Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Africa, among others.

Two great brands unite

The storied history of the Maxus brand — over 123 years — brings to mind the longevity of the Ayala group itself, which marks its 185th year of existence in 2019. Both Ayala and Maxus, through multiple product generations and iterations of management, have stood the test of time to remain relevant and competitive.

“The Maxus brand continues AC Industrials’ strategy of providing automobiles and motorcycles that not only speak of the rich heritage of their countries of origin, but are also the best examples of a global collaboration in vehicle engineering, design, assembly, and distribution,” added Tan.

Arthur Tan, AC Industrials and Maxus Philippines CEO

The four vehicles unveiled that evening to much fanfare were the Maxus G10 that offers “Max Design” in a nine-seater MPV configuration that offers spacious interior amenities, highlighted by adjustable seating for all seats, flexible and spacious luggage room, a seven-inch touchscreen radio with USB and Bluetooth and six-speaker system, a 220-volt power supply, and front and rear air-conditioning system; the Maxus V80 is a 13-seat capacity makes it ideal as a family van, as a school bus or passenger shuttle service. Being the widest in its class, the V80 Comfort offers “Max Capacity” as it can be loaded to up to 1.1 tons, and is sufficiently powered by a 2.5-liter CRDI diesel engine with VGT; the three-seater V80 Flex is the ideal van for Filipino small-and-medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) who require flexibility  for the powerful and efficient transport of their cargo and the V80 Transport variant offers an 18-seat passenger capacity which is ideal for the shuttle service business. It is equipped with the same engine and safety features of the other V80 variants.

“All of our automotive brands offer unique value propositions to particular segments of the motoring market, and we envision Maxus to be very competitive in the commercial vehicle category, particularly in the passenger van and MPV segments,” added Estrella. “Not only does its strength lie in transporting families, Maxus also adds a distinct proposition to cargo transport and shuttle services, offering our multitude of Pinoy small and medium-sized entrepreneurs the opportunity to get their shuttle and cargo businesses going in style, comfort and power.”