MG Motor’s next BIG thing for India will be a Toyota Fortuner rival: Launch timeline REVEALED

Just a couple of days back we reported that MG is planning to bring 4 more SUVs to India apart from the Hector. This includes the e-ZS electric SUV, seven seater Hector, a Toyota Fortuner challenging full-size SUV and a compact SUV. Now, the details about the Fortuner rivalling MG SUV are out and it will be the Maxus D90 SUV. According to an Autocar India report, the MG Maxus D90 will be launched in India by the Diwali festive season of 2020. The brand is focusing on SUVs for India seeing the rising popularity of SUVs in the country.

Maxus D90

Talking about the new MG SUV, it again comes from its parent company SAIC’s product portfolio like the Hector (Baojun 530). Known as the Maxus D90 in several international markets and LDV D90 in Australia, it is built on a light truck platform just like the Toyota Fortuner (Hilux) and the Ford Endeavour (Ranger). It gets a proper bulky SUV design and sports a chunky SUV design which consists of a big chrome studded front grille and square body proportions. On the outside, the Maxus D90 features adaptive LED headlamps and large dual-tone alloy wheels.

The ladder frame SUV is quite large in dimensions, much bigger than the Hector for comparison. It has a length of 5,005 mm length, a width of 1,932mm, height of 1,875 mm, a ground clearance of 210 mm and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm wheelbase. This dwarfs the Toyota Fortuner and even the Mahindra Alturas G4 on all grounds (not in ground clearance perhaps). This translates into excellent cabin space with enough comfort for the third-row passengers as well. When launched in India next year during Diwali, MG might give it a different name as is the usual norm.

Mg Maxus D90

Talking about the interiors of the D90 SUV, it will have a feature-rich cabin just like the Hector. The Maxus D90 sold in the Chinese markets gets a plethora of features like a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, cooled/heated seats, three-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera and more. Speaking about the safety features, the India bound version of the Maxus D90 could come with six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESP and Isofix child seat mounts. The international model also gets advanced safety features like autonomous emergency braking, lane keeping assist and the automatic parking function but it is not yet known whether they will make it to India or not.

The China-spec D90 gets powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 224 hp and 360 Nm of peak torque. The engine comes paired to either a 6-speed manual box or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. However, a company source says that a diesel-powered variant of the SUV is also in works which will be brought to India. Expect the Indian-spec D90 to come with a four-wheel-drive option and a low-range transfer case as well. Further, it will have seven drive modes which include Automatic, Economy, Motion, Snow, Sandy, Mud and Rock. Expect a price tag of around Rs. 30-35 lakh on the SUV when it finally gets launched here.

Also Read: MG Motor's next BIG thing for India will be a Toyota Fortuner rival: Launch timeline REVEALED


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