The Chinese invasion of Europe continues, but the latest entry is interesting as it’s an electric pickup. This one hails from MAXUS, a brand under SAIC, which also owns MG. While the latter is a household name, MAXUS was looking to make a splash at IAA Hannover with their new eTerron 9 . It’s billed as “Europe’s first 4×4 electric serial pickup truck built on a dedicated electric platform.” MAXUS didn’t wax poetic, but the truck features a “New Electrified Mecha” design which sees the model wear a fully enclosed grille that is flanked by vertical headlights with C-shaped daytime running lights. They’re joined by a powered frunk, which opens to reveal 236 liters of storage space.
Elsewhere, there’s edgy bodywork and
plastic body cladding. They’re joined by a power tailgate and an Avalanche-like
midgate, which extends the bed into the cabin at the touch of a button. This
setup allows the truck to easily haul items up to 2,400 mm long. In
terms of dimensions, the pickup truck stretches to a length of 5,500 mm, which makes it 140 mm longer than the Ford Ranger and 175 mm bigger than the Toyota Hilux.
While the exterior is generic, the cabin
is surprisingly delightful as it features two-tone leather as well as
freestanding displays. They’re joined by metallic accents, a floating center
console, and a two-spoke steering wheel. Buyers will also find 20 storage
compartments as well as an eight-way power driver’s seat with ventilation and
massage functions. MAXUS added both front seats can be folded down to create a
nearly flat sleeping surface that measures 1,700 mm long. Power
is provided by a 102 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, which provides a WLTP
range of 430 km. When it becomes low, a 115 kW DC fast charger will
take the battery from a 20% to 80% charge in approximately 40 minutes. That’s a
tad slow, but the truck has a Vehicle to Load function that enables the battery
to power multiple 2.2 kW and 6.6 kW outlets.
If you’re more concerned about powering
the wheels than powering tools, you’ll be happy to learn the truck has a dual
motor all-wheel drive system producing a combined output of 436 hp. It enables the pickup to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.8
seconds. The eTerron 9 has a semi-monocoque, which promises to combine the
advantages of both unibody and body-on-frame construction. That seems to be the
case as the model has a towing capacity of up to 3,500 kg and a
maximum payload of 620 kg. Other highlights include a
height-adjustable air suspension and an assortment of driving modes including
Normal, Sand, Mud, and Custom.
European sales are slated to begin in the
fourth quarter and we can expect to learn more later this year.
