Maxus Deliver 9 | Review

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so the saying goes, which might explain why there’s more than a passing resemblance between the Maxus Deliver 9 and the vehicle that dominates the large van sector, the Ford Transit.

Maxus has played it safe with the Deliver 9, with little innovation to make it stand out from the crowd. What it does have, however, is a price tag that will see businesses save thousands against more established rivals.

The range offered is simple, with just one body length and two roof heights. You’ve also got the choice of front or rear wheel drive, but there’s just the one engine delivering the power.

That’s a 2.0-litre diesel engine delivering 150hp and 375Nm of torque. It’s Maxus’ own unit, rather than one bought in from elsewhere, called the SAIC D20, and it’s a decent enough engine, although not as smooth as the units found in the Transit or Mercedes Sprinter. It also has a rather narrow power band, which means frequent gear changes are needed. Happily, the gear shift is impressively light, albeit a little notchy. Unfortunately, there’s no automatic option, so those working in stop-start urban areas will give their left leg a workout.

The steering is nice and light, making mincemeat of manoeuvring. The lack of heft makes precision positioning more difficult as speeds increase, but it’s never anything other than predictable and secure, if not particularly uninvolving.

Maxus has got the ride sorted, with the Deliver 9 soaking up the worst of the roads, even when the van is empty. Add some weight in the back, and it could be described as comfortable, which isn’t something that’s guaranteed in its rivals.

While Ford’s large van has possibly inspired the outside of the Deliver 9, the interior has, well, also been inspired by Ford’s large van. The cab looks like a pre-facelift Transit, which is no bad thing. It’s modern, functional, and has a very car-like aesthetic, although some of the plastics are of the wipe-clean variety rather than plush and tactile.

Equipment levels are good, with just one trim level ensuring there’s a lengthy list of kit fitted as standard. In the dashboard’s centre is a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, sitting above a row of physical buttons to operate the heating and ventilation as well as some other essential items. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are also in place, with a suitable USB connection, but nowhere to safely store your phone, which seems like something of an oversight.

You’ll also find cruise control, air conditioning, DAB radio, heated mirrors, front and rear parking sensors and keyless entry and start. Safety equipment is notable, too, with a long roster of tech, including automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning.

Diesel particulate filter (DPF) failures can affect vans on multi-drop days in urban areas, as the exhaust never gets hot enough to burn off deposits. Maxus solves this particular problem by including a manual DPF regeneration button, which should aid reliability. The van is backed by a five-year or 125,000-mile warranty, as well.

As comfortable, well equipped and potentially reliable as it is, it counts for nothing if the business end of the van isn't up to par. Fortunately, it’s good news there; the cargo box is all but identical in size to the Transits, with both offering 11.0m3 of load volume for the low roof option. The Deliver 9 extends that to 12.9m3 for the high roof model, just 0.1m3 behind the equivalent Transit. Payload limits are a little lower for the Maxus, with the Deliver 9 taking up to 1,215g of cargo, which is roughly 100kg behind the Transit. Access is via a single sliding door on the side (with a second door and sliding steps available as an option) and twin doors at the back that swing back to 236 degrees.

Where the Maxus Deliver 9 absolutely pummels the competition is in price. Roughly matching specifications, the £34,000 starting price is £9,000 cheaper than the equivalent Transit and still £7,000 under the entry-level Ford van. That kind of difference will be enough to paper over any of the insignificant cracks.