Maxus brings us its first diesel pick-up in the UK, the T60 MAX. Jonathan Crouch briefs you on it.

Background

We're now used to combustion car makers going electric. A more worrying trend for global governments is a more recent one; electric car makers reverting to combustion power. That's what we're looking at here. Chinese car maker Maxus, who (apart from the old-tech Deliver 9 van) only sell only EVs in the UK, are now telling us that diesel is fine after all and bringing us this model, the T60 MAX pick-up. It's refreshing to see a new combustion pick-up join the fray in a segment decimated by withdrawals over the last few years. Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mercedes and Fiat have all deserted the sector in recent times, leaving buyers limited in choice to only five combustion models; the Ford Ranger, the Toyota Hilux, the Volkswagen Amarok, the Isuzu D-Max and the KGM Musso. Maxus tried to offer another alternative in 2023 with the full-electric T90 EV pick-up (subsequently followed by the 4WD eTerron 9) but most pick-up owners don't want an EV. Will they want this T60 MAX? Let's see.

Driving Experience

This T60 MAX has a 2.0-litre diesel engine putting out a healthy 215PS and 500Nm of torque. That's more than the previous generation T60 (which we didn't get in the UK), despite the fact that that model had a considerably bigger 2.8-litre engine. This replacement twin turbo powerplant is paired with 8-speed auto transmission (there's no manual option) and of course 4WD. Top speed is 105mph and you can access performance via a range of drive modes - 'Eco', 'Power' and 'Normal'. For the highway, there's also adaptive cruise control. And you get a wide range of camera safety kit. Perhaps more significantly, this Maxus can tow up to 3,500kg, matching the class standard. Clearance of up to 230mm means it should be good off road too. A rear differential lock comes as standard and Maxus quotes an approach angle of up to 29-degrees and a departure angle of up to 26-degrees, which is class competitive. Don't expect anything other than the usual fairly crude standard of pick-up ride thanks to the leaf-spring rear suspension.

Design and Build

Maxus is learning just what kind of look European customers want - and learning fast. When it launched the T90 EV pick-up in 2023, the frontal look was all shiny silver plastic - the sort of thing the Far Eastern market likes. This T60 debuted with a meaner darker-themed grille with narrow flanking LED headlights and huge black side corner cut-outs. The result is plenty of overtaking presence - which is what pick-up customers like. It's nicer than you might expect inside too, with a smart twin-screen panel on top of the angular contrast-coloured dashboard. You get a 12.3-inch instrument display and an infotainment screen of the same size incorporating 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. The one-piece seats look inviting and are heated, power-operated and leather-upholstered. And the centre console has a high angled section that allows the auto gear selector to fall easily to hand. This is a double cab of course, as nearly all pick-ups are. As usual, rear passengers are required to sit little more upright than they would be in a car, but it's fine for short-to-medium-length journeys and the relatively generous 3,155mm-long wheelbase means that leg space is reasonable by class standards.

Market and Model

Maxus wanted around £35,000 for this T60 at the time of its original launch. It's only available in fully-specced 'MAX' form. That's about £15,000 less than the all-electric T90 EV model that shares the same exterior look and cabin as this combustion variant. To give you some class perspective for this T60 diesel pick-up, you're looking at needing to pay just a fraction less than would be required for the segment sales leader, Ford's Ranger, in that Ranger's popular mid-range 'Tremor' trim. But the T60 is far better equipped. There are LED headlights, side steps, a black sports bar, roof rails, a painted bed liner, power-folding mirrors, all-round parking sensors, a rear differential lock, adaptive cruise control and a drive mode system. Inside, you get dual 12.3-inch cabin screens, with the central infotainment one incorporating 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto', plus a 6-speaker DAB audio system. You also get air conditioning, 360-degree camera system, a heated steering wheel and 6-way powered heated front seats upholstered in leather. Safety kit includes Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning and twin front side and curtain airbags linked to an eCall system. There's also tyre pressure monitoring and a Fatigue Driving Early Warning System.

Practicalities and Costs

Perhaps the main reason why you might buy a T60 rather than one of the two electric Maxus pick-ups is payload. The brand's eTerron 9 offers just 650kg of it (at best); with this T60, that figure rises to 1,050kg. Quite a difference. In our 'Driving' section, we also told you that this T60 could tow 3,500kg, matching best in class. The gross vehicle weight is 3,250kg. Out back, the cargo box offers 1,485mm of length, 1,510mm of width and 530mm of height. As for running costs, Maxus quotes 25.8mpg on the combined cycle and 239g/km of CO2. Those aren't particularly competitive figures by class standards but they aren't way off. They assume of course that you permanently select the most frugal of the available drive modes - 'Eco'. As with all Maxus models, there's a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty.

Summary

When we tried the diesel-derived Maxus T90 EV, we wondered how competitive a combustion version of that electric model might be. In this T60 MAX, we have our answer; very competitive indeed. If you previously owned something like a Mitsubishi L200 or a Nissan Navara and want value, equipment and toughness in its replacement, then this could be your pick-up. It'll certainly appeal to those kinds of customers. At first glance, it's not quite as cheap as you might hope it would be, but take a second look, then consider the high 'MAX' equipment level on offer and you'll realise that the T60 would save you thousands over directly comparable versions of the established segment choices. Yet it's just as tough, can tow just as much and you might even think it better looking. Choosing your ideal pick-up just got a little more interesting.