Maxus G10

While the Maxus G10 might look uninspiring to some from the outside, the Chinese carmaker has done a fine job in making the cabin look upmarket and plush. The cabin impresses with its dual-tone black and beige upholstery, with the fine faux wood and silver inserts further uplifting the ambience of the MPV on the inside.

The driver’s cockpit looks nice with the simple but elegant looking combination of a four-spoke multi-functional steering wheel and an analogue instrument console with a MID in between. The centre console here looks wide with the large 15-inch standalone touchscreen infotainment system at the top.

Below this infotainment screen, there are large AC vents and a silver-coloured panel for the buttons of the audio system, which look nice in contrast with the soft-touch brown leather in the middle layer of the dashboard. The lower centre console is adjoined to the dashboard and comes with a panel for buttons of automatic climate control and a transmission lever placed side by side.

The 10-seater cabin of the Maxus G10 is decently equipped with artificial leather upholstery, electric sunroof at the front, panoramic glass roof for rear passengers, push start-stop button, ceiling-mounted 10.1-inch rear entertainment screen, 6-speaker audio system and individual AC levers for all passengers.

For a premium passenger vehicle, the Maxus G10 looks very boxy, while the overall design looks like something from the past decade. While Maxus has tried its best to update the G10 with new-age design elements in recent times, the attempts are not enough to hide its basic and dated visual appeal.

The front profile of the Maxus G10 is the best angle to look at the MPV. The short and sloping bonnet of the Maxus G10 ends up with a sleek and small looking front grille, which is laid out in the form of a trapezoidal element with three horizontal chrome slats. Tapered from the lower sides, the grille is flanked with angularly laid headlamps, which come integrated with projector bulbs and daytime running LEDs. The front bumper gives the Maxus G10 an aerodynamic look with its sporty design for the air dame and the large fog lamp surrounds.

The side profile of the Maxus G10 looks like a traditional van – it is boxy, plain and lacks charisma. Nevertheless, the long wheelbase of the Maxus G10 gives it a nice road presence of a premium vehicle. Even the large and flat window panels till the D-pillar at the back further accentuate its design and make it look like a bigger vehicle. Like a traditional van, the Maxus G10 has sliding doors for the rear passengers, with the body-coloured door handles and rearview mirrors and 18-inch alloy wheels trying to add enhance the look of the side profile.

The rear profile of the Maxus G10 looks a bit odd and disproportionate, with the mismatched size of tail lamps and rear windscreen. While the tail lamps look large and different with their curved and sweptback design, they do not gel well with the overall boxy design of the Maxus G10.

The Maxus G10 scores excellent when it comes to ride quality, with its suspension combination of independent Macpherson struts at the front and Nimowat setup at the rear having a plush and comfortable setup. Even the seats are comfortable with a decent amount of legroom, shoulder room and knee room in all the rows.

Powering the Maxus G10 is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine from the family of SAIC Motors. Coupled with a 6-speed torque converter, the engine produces a maximum power output of 165 PS and a peak torque output of 345 Nm. While the engine seems powerful on paper, it doesn’t reflect those numbers in the real world, as the power delivery in higher RPMs is not so impressive. Even the claimed fuel economy of 10.1 kmpl cannot be termed as frugal.

The Maxus G10 is generously equipped with safety features, with inclusions like dual front airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, electronic stability control, hill hold assist, tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX mounts for child seats, cruise control and 360-degree surround-view live monitoring with reverse camera.

While the Maxus G10 impresses with its in-cabin experience including comfortable seats, well-appointed interior and plush ride quality, the 10-seater MPV needs a thorough overhaul in the exterior design, as the boxy and functional design doesn’t go well with its premium MPV image.