MG continues to leverage the resources
of parent company SAIC by launching its first-ever pickup truck. After rebadging the Baojun 530
SUV and launching it in India as the MG Hector, the brand has now done the same
thing with SAIC’s Maxus T70 midsize pickup truck in Thailand.
Besides replacing the badges, the only changes MG
made to the T70 was to apply its corporate grille and move the steering wheel
to the right-hand side to comply with Thailand’s traffic regulations. The Extender is available in two
body configurations: extended and crew cab. Both are powered by the same
engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel four rated at 162 PS and 375
Nm of torque.
There are two transmission choices: a six-speed manual
and a six-speed automatic. Both send power to the rear wheels in base models or
all four in mid- and upper-range versions. The latter also feature LED DRLs,
automatic climate control, leather upholstery, a rearview camera, and driver
assistance systems such as lane departure warning, hill descent control and
blind spot monitoring.
Launching the Extender in Thailand makes sense
because pickup trucks account for half of the country’s annual new-vehicle
sales. Furthermore, it is the largest automobile manufacturing and exporting
country in ASEAN region and many of the Extender’s rivals are built in
Thailand, including the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton/L200, Nissan NP300
Navara, and Toyota Hilux.
MG Extender prices start from 549,000 baht
(US$ 17,850) for the extended cab and from 759,000 baht (US$ 24,680)
for the crew cab.
