Maxus PH: No plans yet to bring electrified G50s

After introducing a new base model for their popular G50 multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), Maxus Philippines has no plans to bring in a new top variant. That is according to their General Manager Jun Cajayon.

We brought this up because the G50 has two electrified versions in China. The all-electric G50 is called Euniq 5. A high-power permanent magnet synchronous electric motor generates 116 PS and 310 Nm of torque using a 52.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. The range is 350 kilometers, and it takes eight hours to fully charge using a regular charger and only 45 minutes from 0-80% with a rapid charger. There's also the Euniq 5 Plug-in which has a 1.3-liter engine and an electric motor that generates a combined 243 PS with 385 Nm of torque.

The exterior of these electrified units is essentially the same as the gasoline-powered variants save for the blue accents in the grille and intakes.

One of the obstacles Maxus faces is pricing. The Philippines still charges a premium on import tariffs for electric and hybrid vehicles. If either the all-electric Euniq 5 or the Euniq 5 Plug-in comes in, it will presumably go for more than the Php 1.338 million Premium variant, which as we reported, is the best-selling G50 in the Philippines. At that price, it will be encroaching on Innova territory, which Maxus PH wants to avoid.

The Premium variant owns 56% of all G50 sales because it has many creature comforts and high-level safety features, including an electronic stabilization program. And it costs just a little more than the less endowed Avanza and Xpander, and a lot cheaper than the Innova.

Maxus PH wants the G50 to stay in this comfort zone, for now. Their full attention is on the new entry-level Comfort variant and how it can help increase their market share by going up against the gateway models of other brands in the MPV segment.

Ayala Corporation Motors owns the distributorship of Volkswagen and Maxus in the Philippines. Last week, we reported that Volkswagen PH has plans to launch the ID.4 X and ID.6 X electric vehicles. Will that signal the possible arrival of an electric or hybrid G50? Watch this space for more details.