Remember when Morris Garages was proud and British, making open-top sports cars and lovable coupes such as the MGB? After financial turmoil, production re-started in 2007 in China thanks to SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation). Given the change in ownership, does it come as a surprise MG sells crossovers and electric vehicles nowadays?
But wait, there’s more! In an unexpected turn of events, MG re-badged the Maxus T70 into the Extender as the brand’s first-ever pickup truck. Before we dwell deeper into the story, bear in mind that Maxus is also owned by SAIC and that Australia gets the workhorse on the cheap.
Replaced by the T70 in 2019, the Maxus is an evolution of the previous model with larger wheels, better exterior styling, more technology such as touchscreen infotainment, and three 2.0-liter engines.
The 20L4E is good for 213 PS (211 horsepower) on full song while the SC230M 163 Q6A is available with either one or two turbochargers. The more interesting engine choice develops 163 or 218 PS, working out at 161 or 215 horsepower. Torque favors the twin-turbo plant, peaking at 480 Nm (354 pound-feet) from 1,500 through 2,400 revolutions per minute.
If you were wondering how the MG Extender differs from the Maxus T70, the grille and badging would be the most obvious dissimilarities. The steering wheel is on the right-hand side because the pickup is intended for Thailand in the first instance, a country where lots of automakers build pickups for Asia, Oceania, and western markets such as the European Union.
Available either as an extended cab or crew cab, the 2020 MG Extender comes exclusively with the 163 PS (161 horsepower) turbo diesel. 375 Nm (277 pound-feet) will have to suffice, and the six-speed manual can be switched out for a six-speed automatic with a torque converter.
549,000 baht is the starting price of the MG truck in Thailand, working out at $17,850 at current exchange rates. The crew cab is a bit more expensive at 759,000 baht ($24,690), but nevertheless, it’s still cheap in comparison to the Mitsubishi L200 (a.k.a. Triton) and the Ford Ranger.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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