LDV is to rebrand as Maxus across right-hand drive Europe, bringing it in line with the rest of Europe and China as it ramps up for two major model launches this year.
Although LDV was bought by Chinese auto giant SAIC in 2009 and adopted the Maxus moniker for the home market and selected left-hand drive markets in Europe, it’s still been known as LDV in the UK, Ireland and right-hand drive Europe after The Harris Group secured the distribution rights in 2015. This means that the V80 van and EV80 electric variant launched since then have used the LDV badge.
This is all changing in 2020 due to the arrival of two new models heralded as underpinning the brand’s transformation: the all-new Deliver 9 and its new E Deliver 3 EV – both of which will be at the CV Show this April.
Denise Harris, CEO of The Harris Group, which was founded by her late husband, Pino in the 1960s, explained the rationale: “The LDV brand is much-loved by many loyal customers but, with the advent of new models on new platforms that will undoubtedly change brand perceptions, I am confident that the market will welcome the transition.
“As the Maxus brand grows, both in China and across Europe, and with more and more models and variants being introduced to the market, it makes sense for us to align with the global Maxus brand. As a company and main distributor, we are really excited to be part of this evolution and I think that our enhanced offering will inject new life into the LCV market.”
The rebrand in the UK and Ireland will be rolled out by 3 April across the dealerships, the new www.saicmaxus.co.uk and www.saicmaxus.ie websites and the new Maxus models, plus variants on the road in 2020, with Maxus putting the focus on spec, quality, technology and price, as well as its five-year/125,000-mile warranty on all new diesel vehicles. However, in Australia and New Zealand the brand will remain LDV.
Mark Barrett, general manager of Maxus UK and Ireland, said: “2020 is going to be the brand’s biggest year ever with the impending launch of our game-changing diesel panel van, the Deliver 9 and the arrival to market of Maxus second EV model, the E Deliver 3, which was unveiled last year at the Commercial Vehicle Show.
“With cutting-edge design, a brand-new platform and 2.0-litre engine, the LDV Deliver 9 will be the brand’s most comprehensive and versatile offering to date. Available in a choice of three lengths, three heights and a choice of front- or rear-wheel drive, this van really is on another level.”
Barrett added: “Maxus is set to become synonymous with electric driving and we’re confident that the Maxus EV range will be one of the top two selling EV LCVs for 2020.”
