2021 Maxus G50 Premium Review | Philkotse Philippines

Filipinos have strong family ties and love to travel in groups. This is one of the reasons why MPVs are one of the popular vehicles in the Philippines. Aside from having a seven-seater capacity, MPVs come with an attractive price tag and are priced relatively lower than midsize SUVs.  

With that in mind, Maxus Philippines wants to capitalize on the Filipino’s fondness for traveling in groups by introducing an MPV of its own. The said car brand also wanted to disrupt the local MPV segment that’s been dominated for years by the Toyota Innova. The brand first introduced the nine-seater G10 MPV in 2019. It comes with a price tag of Php 1,720,000, which is a bit more expensive than the top-spec Innova and is already within the ballpark figure of other midsize SUVs in the local market. 

A year later, Maxus Philippines introduced another MPV that can be considered as the more outright challenger to go head-to-head with its segment rivals such as the Innova. It comes with a striking design, a seating capacity for eight individuals, and a more attractive price tag.

Say hello to the 2021 Maxus G50 Premium. So, does it have what it takes to undercut the Innova’s market share? To find that out, we took the G50 for a drive. Here’s Philkotse’s 2021 Maxus G50 Premium review.

2021 Maxus G50 Quick Look: Techie Family Vehicle – Price, Specs & More

The 2021 Maxus G50 exterior comes with an aggressive, bold, and composed design. It gives you the impression that it’s not intimidated by its rivals and that it’s ready to go head-to-head with other MPVs in the local market.

Moreover, the overall exterior design of the Maxus G50 doesn’t look like the typical MPV we have in the local market. Instead, it has this minivan-type of vibe going on, which makes it look more premium.

Say hello to the 2021 Maxus G50

The front end of the G50 is where you could see how aggressive-looking it is. The sharp headlights, the large grille, and the angular bumper make the G50 to have a strong appearance. In fact, the G50 has one of the best-looking front design in its class.

The Maxus G50 comes with a minivan appeal when viewed from the side

The side is where you’ll see the G50’s minivan-like design. It doesn’t come with a sliding door but it sort of reminds you of the Toyota Alphard. As such, its minivan appeal makes it unique and allows the G50 to stand out more against the competition.

Of note, the Maxus G50 is longer than the Innova since it has a length of 4,825mm as compared to the Toyota’s 4,735mm. The G50 also has a longer wheelbase at 2,800mm compared to the Innova’s 2,750mm.

Look at the G50's taillights

The rear, on the other hand, comes with a subtle yet distinctive design. One of the things we liked most with the G50’s rear is the taillights as it makes the vehicle even more stylish. Overall, the Maxus G50 has a composed and aggressive exterior. Despite that, it still looks presentable and it offers a fresh take on how MPVs look.  

Stepping inside, you’ll be greeted with a black interior theme along with leather seats. The cabin looks premium and posh despite the G50’s price tag. The materials used for the 2021 Maxus G50 interior doesn’t look cheap. You’ll be surprised at how it gives you a premium-feel despite having a rather simple dashboard layout.

But, speaking of which, the G50 has another surprise for you. The display quality of the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen looks posh and it is responsive to every touch. In addition, it shows crisp images, and the icons have a nice look. 

It comes with a premium-like cabin

The leather seats of the G50 provide ultimate comfort. It keeps the driver in place, which reduces the number of times you need to adjust and get back to your preferred driving position. As such, crawling through EDSA traffic is more bearable. However, we’re not much of a fan of the black and red leather seats. We think that it’s better if it comes in black.

Space is not a problem for this vehicle

Second-row seats offer a generous amount of leg- and head-room and it can easily accommodate three individuals. Even tall passengers wouldn’t have a problem when seated in the second row. In addition, there are trays attached to the back of the front seats that can be useful when you suddenly decided to go for a drive-thru.

Even third-row occupants have enough leg- and head-room

On the other hand, third-row seats also offer notable space and it can accommodate up to three individuals. As such, the G50 has a seating capacity for up to eight occupants with a 2+3+3 seat layout.

2020 Maxus G50 interior

The G50 also comes with a panoramic sunroof that further makes it a premium-looking MPV. In terms of cargo space, this Maxus MPV offers a decent luggage compartment even when the third-row seats are up.

You can easily fit an assortment of items such as three medium-size maletas, or five overnight bags, or even a baby stroller, among others. Indeed, the Maxus G50 is one of the ideal family vehicles that’s worth considering.

You can put an assortment of items at the G50

The stylish exterior and spacious interior of the Maxus G50 is also backed up by notable tech and safety features. It comes with an around-view monitor that lets you see all the angles surrounding the vehicle. The G50’s cameras provide crisp images that flash at its 12.3-inch infotainment system.

Moreover, you’ll notice that the camera zooms in to the direction of your selected indicator light, which gives you better visibility and a safer turn approach. This feature is also seen in other vehicles that we’ve driven such as the Ford Territory, Subaru XV, among others.

The Maxus G50 comes with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen

This 2021 Maxus G50 Premium also comes with a wireless charging pad. As such, you can charge your smartphones by simply placing it on top of the pad while you’re on the move. Other notable features of this vehicle include the following: electronic parking brake with auto-hold, automatic headlights, power tailgate, and cruise control. 

Safety-wise, the Maxus G50 comes with all the essential features that will give you peace of mind while you’re on the road. It comes with several airbags (driver, front passenger, front side), ISOFIX, immobilizer, and more. This MPV is also equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system, electronic stability program, as well as front and rear parking sensor.

It comes with an around-view monitor too

The Maxus G50 is powered by a 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine that delivers 167 hp and 250 Nm of torque. It is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Now, since we got accustomed to MPVs that come with a diesel engine, you might be having doubts as to how the G50’s gasoline power unit will perform.

The G50's 1.5-liter turbo gas engine delivers 167 hp and 250 Nm of torque

When we took the G50 for a drive, the first thing we noticed was that its gasoline engine can deliver adequate power despite the vehicle’s overall dimension. The 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine allows the G50 to put out the right amount of power. It also accelerates well and it shifts at around the 2,000rpm mark. The G50’s transmission is also one of the things we like since gear changes are smooth even at low gears with minimal to none shift shocks.

It has a composed stance

This MPV can also be sprightly on the road especially on the open highway. It delivers power with minimum to no delay, which helps you get ahead of slower vehicles upfront.

The G50 is also stable when it’s being driven at highway speeds. However, there were only two people onboard the G50 during the said highway run. It would be better if we were able to test it with more passengers on board.

Look at that massive grille

The G50 also comes with a light steering wheel, perfect for city driving, and when you’re parking the vehicle. The light steering feel of the G50 also becomes a bit firm as you increase your speed, which gives you better control over the vehicle. This also comes in handy in reducing driver fatigue especially when you’re cruising on the open highway.

On the other hand, the Maxus G50’s forward visibility is also among the things we like. The front quarter glass gives you a better line of sight that helps you further in making safer turns as it eliminates blind spots.

>>> Related: Maxus Philippines price list

The taillights add character to the G50's rear

In terms of ride comfort, the G50 can absorb impacts within reason. Driving around the dilapidated roads of the urban jungle is manageable although we think that the G50’s suspension leans a bit on the firm side.

As such, the ride gets a little bumpy but not to the point of making you uncomfortable. We think that the G50’s suspension works better if the cabin is loaded with more passengers. To put things in perspective, there were only two people onboard the G50 during the drive.

>>> Related: List of the most popular MPVs available in the Philippines

In terms of fuel economy, we got 8 km/l while driving around the city at an average speed of 20 km/h. On the other hand, the Maxus G50 did 13 km/l while driving at an average speed of 90 km/h. The drive mode we used during the course of the test drive is the G50’s Eco Mode.

>>> Related: Top 5 MPVs to buy in the Philippines in 2020

It’s clear that the 2021 Maxus G50 has all the bells and whistles to challenge its segment rivals. It has a unique and striking exterior design along with a premium-looking cabin that can accommodate up to eight individuals. The G50 also comes with tech toys that can further separate itself from its segment rivals.

The Maxus G50 is on a mission

Despite all that, the 2021 Maxus G50 Premium top variant comes with a competitive price tag of Php 1,288,000. To put things in perspective, the Innova E Gas AT variant is priced at Php 1,248,000 while the E Diesel AT is at Php 1,320,000. Of note, the said Innova variants are among the lower trims as compared to the G50 Premium, which is already a top-of-the-line model.

Now, the only thing that could hinder Maxus G50’s dominance in the MPV segment is its gasoline engine. Yes, it has adequate power delivery despite the G50’s overall dimension but the local market has a bias towards diesel-powered vehicles. But, aside from that, the 2021 Maxus G50 Premium is a worthy alternative and a serious contender in the local MPV segment. Indeed, it’s an MPV on a mission.

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Q: What is the price of the Maxus G50?

The 2021 Maxus G50 is available in three variants in the Philippines. The entry-level Pro variant is priced at Php 1,008,000 while the mid-trim Elite variant comes at Php 1,168,000, and the top-of-the-line Premium model has a Php 1,288,000 price tag. 

Q: Is Maxus G50 available in automatic transmission?

Yes. The 2021 Maxus G50 is available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. In fact, all PH-spec Maxus G50 comes with an automatic transmission. 

Q: Is Maxus G50 available in diesel?

No. The 2021 Maxus G50 is not available with a diesel engine. All variants of the Philippine spec Maxus G50 comes with a 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine that delivers 167 hp and 250 Nm of torque.