SAIC launched its new pickup truck, the Maxus eTerron 9, at the IAA Hanover Auto Show in Germany. The Maxus brand intends to add ten models by the end of 2025.
The Maxus eTerron 9 is the production version of the GST pickup truck concept displayed at last year’s Shanghai Auto Show. This concept even featured a large drone housed in the car’s trunk along with mountain bikes in the back, emphasizing an outdoor lifestyle.
Interestingly, the platform is now called Interstellar GST rather than the pickup truck itself. It seems that the Hanover show is the first time the truck has been publicly displayed in production form. Furthermore, the eTerron 9 name appears to be what the vehicle is called for export. Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) listing information showed that the truck is known as the Interstellar X in the Chinese market.
The Maxus eTerron 9 is claimed to be the first medium to large-sized Chinese brand all-electric truck to be exported. Measurements according to MIIT for the Interstellar X are 5500 (5630) / 2005 / 1860 (1874) mm (l/w/h), while the wheelbase comes in at 3300 mm. Powering the truck are two motors with 138 kW on the front axle and 216 kW on the rear. The production version seems to retain the concept’s large frunk, although the drone appears to have flown away.
Cumulative export sales of SAIC pickup trucks under the Maxus brand have reached more than 180,000 units, with sales in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas accounting for more than 90% of the total. Xie Jiayue, Deputy General Manager of SAIC Maxus, speaking at the press conference in Hanover, claimed that the brand would expand its product lineup in Europe with ten new models in 2025. It’s claimed that Maxus accounts for 58% of all SAIC’s new energy vehicle sales in Europe, although it was unclear from the announcement whether this was cumulative or for 2024.
Maxus has its origins in the former British LDV Group commercial van producer. SAIC purchased the company’s remains in 2010 before rolling out the first Maxus van in 2011. It should be noted that Maxus under LDV was a product name, and this has subsequently become the brand name. In some markets, notably the UK, Ireland, and Australia, the brand is still sold under the LDV name rather than the Maxus name used in China and most other markets. In China, the brand sells SUVs and MPVs along with more commercially oriented vehicles. Some of these are also exported along with the Maxus commercial vehicle range. In Thailand, Maxus pickup trucks have been rebadged under the MG name.
Source: Autohome
