MAXUS MIFA 7 ESTATE 180kW Luxury [7 Seat] 77kWh 5dr Auto

Chinese maker Maxus brings us a family seven-seat all-electric MPV, the MIFA 7. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Review

The Maxus MIFA 7 is a seven-seat all-electric MPV that aims to blend luxury and comfort with cutting-edge technology and efficiency. If you've a growing family and you're ready to go all-electric, it's worth a look.

Background

It took the car industry quite a long time to get around to bringing us a seven-seat family-sized full-electric model that wasn't a glorified airport shuttle bus. But in 2024, two such models arrived, the Peugeot E-5008 and the subject of this test, the Maxus MIFA 7. It's the Maxus you're less likely to have heard of, a Chinese brand sold here by an Irish importer (The Harris Group). Until early 2024, the company sold only vans in the UK, but then expanded into the passenger car market with the MIFA 9, a huge Mercedes V-Class-like MPV with an interior like a luxury limo. The MIFA 7, as its name suggests, is that top model's only slightly smaller, more affordably accessible showroom stablemate. Let's take a closer look.

Engines and Tech Spec

MIFA 7 customers choose between two battery sizes, a standard 77kWh one offering up to 255 miles of range. And a larger 'high density' 'One Pack' 90kWh version, offering up to 298 miles from a single charge. All versions use the same 245PS electric motor, which offers 350Nm of torque, so you won't be short of pulling power. With all models there are three driving modes - 'Normal', 'Eco' and 'Sport'; and three steering settings ('Standard', 'Sport' and 'Comfort'); plus two brake feel levels ('Standard' and 'Sport'). As with a lot of Chinese cars, don't expect a particularly involving driving experience. And stand by for a range of often fairly intrusive camera safety systems. Body roll isn't quite as bad through fast tight turns as you might fear, thanks to the usual EV ultra-low centre of gravity. But given the 2.8-tonne kerb weight and slab-sided profile, you won't be surprised to hear that the MIFA 7 doesn't enjoy being hustled along. Its speciality is of course highway cruising - though that's not as silent as you might hope and will certainly not be unless you can disable the constant lane assist system beeping. Plus the substantial body width will take some getting used to on a typical British country road. Top speed is 112mph.

Design and Build

Some EVs visually ease you into the electric era. This isn't one of them. Particularly from the front, where the MIFA 7 has a space age other-worldly look. In profile, there's quite an interesting kick up in the glass line around the C-pillar and the wheels are relatively big 18-inchers. This model's 400mm shorter than its MIFA 9 showroom stablemate but it's still a pretty sizeable thing, measuring in at 4,907mm long. Top-spec 'Premium' trim's identifiable by its roof rails and rear privacy glass. Inside, thanks to the lengthy 2,975mm wheelbase length, it feels impressively spacious wherever you sit. Up front, there's the expected screen-fest with two 12.3-inch displays in a single housing and a big centre console. Full-width vents and sculpted door cards add a stylish touch. And there's loads of upper and lower storage between the seats, including a covered box, cupholders and a wireless charging mat. The middle row - which has digital climate controls and twin USB-C ports - is accessed by sliding doors, which may or may not be power-operated, depending on the spec chosen. Inside, there are two 'captains chairs', with ample room between to get to the three seats at the very back. The outer third row seats are just about OK for adults, but the middle pew is almost unusable as the seat belt buckles are so close together. As for luggage room, well as usual, there's not much of it (280-litres) with the third row in situ, but with the rearmost seats folded, there's a generous 760-litres.

Market and Model

Prices start from around £43,000; that's for base 'Elite' trim with the standard 77kWh battery. That same battery can also be had with plusher 'Luxury' spec. Or there's a top 'Premium' spec model with a larger 90kWh battery costing just under £49,000. A rival Peugeot E-5008 starts at about £48,000. Whatever MIFA 7 model you choose, you'll find it well equipped. Base 'Elite'-spec gives you 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and LED tail lamps. Inside, there's leatherette upholstery, a power-adjustable driver's seat, front and rear air conditioning and a 360-degree camera system. The dual screen dashboard set-up includes a 12.3-inch central infotainment display with a 6-speaker DAB audio system and 'apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto' smartphone-mirroring. Safety features include an autonomous emergency braking system, Lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, emergent lane keeping, rear collision avoidance assist, Blind Spot Assist, intelligent High Beam Control and rear cross traffic alert. Plus there are the usual twin front and side airbags, along with a curtain airbag, plus a far side airbag, all linked to an e-call system. Mid-level 'Luxury' trim adds power operation for one of the sliding side doors (the left) and power-folding mirrors. Top 'Premium' trim gets you roof rails, a heat pump, a panorama sunroof, a powered tailgate, a powered sliding right hand door, heated and ventilated front seats and front passenger seat powered adjustment. Plus the V2L system that allows you to power external devices from the drive battery.

Cost of Ownership

We gave you this car's total 255 mile combined driving range figure earlier - that's for the standard 77kWh battery versions. It's 298 miles for the 90kWh 'Luxury' model. Obviously, if you use this MPV exclusively around the city, as with every EV, the range figure will rise - to as much as 343 miles with the 77kWh version and up to 394 miles with the 'Premium' 90kWh model. A heat pump is included on that top 'Premium' version to preserve driving range in particularly cold weather. This draws heat from the surrounding air, reducing the energy strain on the climate fan. This MPV should DC charge from 5% to 80% in about 40 minutes. The AC charging time (5% to 80%) using an 11kWh wallbox is 9.5 hours for both batteries. You will need peace of mind in buying from an unfamiliar brand. To that end, Maxus provides a 5 year / 100,000 mile warranty, with an additional 8 year / 125,000 mile package covering the battery.

Summary

Maxus calls itself a 'disruptor', but not too much disruption is necessary if you're campaigning with products in sparsely-populated market segments - as is the case with the MIFA 7. Maxus seems to specialise in this kind of thing, already selling an EV luxury shuttle MPV (the MIFA 9), a style-conscious mid-sized van (the eDeliver 5) and an electric pick-up (the eTerron 9). With the MIFA 7, as with those products, it's hard to see too much direct competition. So it doesn't actually have to be as good as it is, compensating for the fact that it's not much more affordable than its key rival, the Peugeot E-5008, but significantly bigger inside and better equipped. It will still feel very much a Chinese market product to drive and to sit in. But if you don't mind that, there's potentially lots to like here.

Body Glass

Rain sensor

Rear wiper

Laminated glass from A-pillar to B-pillar

Rear window wash/wipe

Brakes

Auto hold function

Electronic Stability Programme

Autonomous emergency braking

Front and rear disc brakes

Anti-lock brake system

Chassis/Suspension

McPherson strut front suspension

Independent multi-link rear suspension

Communication

eCall emergency call system

Bluetooth

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Driver Aids

Lane departure warning system (LDW)

Blind spot assist

Forward collision warning

Lane keeping assist (LKA)

Rear cross traffic alert

Speed limit information

360 degree surround camera

Rear collision warning

Intelligent speed limit assist

Rear collision avoidance assist

Adaptive cruise control

ICA - integrated cruise assist

Emergency lane keeping assist system

Power assisted steering

Driver Convenience

Manual tailgate

Driver Information

12.3" Digital instrument cluster

Navigation system

Driving Mirrors

Electric, heated, and power folding door mirrors

Embellishment Trims

Dark brown decorative trims

Entertainment

DAB Radio (Digital Audio Broadcasting)

12.3" colour touch-screen display

6 speakers

Exterior Body Features

Rear side wing doors

Hidden door handle

Power sliding door left

Exterior Lights

Centre high mounted stop light

Automatic headlights

LED taillights

Daytime running lights

LED Headlights

Intelligent high beam

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Auto front and rear air conditioning

Interior Features

Leatherette upholstery

Safety

Far side airbag

Driver and front passenger airbags

Child locks on rear doors

Warning triangle

Seatbelt reminder

TPMS (Tyre pressure monitoring system)

Front side/curtain airbags

3 point front safety seatbelts

Door open warning

3 point safety setbelts, 2x 2nd row, 3x 3rd row

Seats

Rear head restraints

Manually adjustable 2nd row seats

Front head restraints

3 seat bench in 3rd row

2 seat bench in 2nd row

Single front passenger seat

60/40 split folding 3rd row rear seat

Electric adjustable driver seat

Security

PEPS (passive entry and passive start)

Wheels

CHAO YANG tyres

Wheels - Alloy

18" Alloy wheels

Wheels - Spare

Tyre repair kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 570

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 11

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 5-80

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 40

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 150

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 5-80

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: N

Coupler/Connector Type: CCS Type 2

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 150000

Battery Capacity in kWh: 77

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City: 553

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb: 410

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City: 344

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb: 255

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 95

Charging Port Location: Left Side Rear

Usable Battery Capacity: N

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 180

Emissions - ICE

CO2 (g/km): 0

Standard Euro Emissions: N

Noise Level dB(A): N

CO: N

HC: N

NOx: N

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): N

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): N

CC: 1

Cylinders: N

Cylinder Layout: N

Number of Valves: N

Camshaft: N

Fuel Delivery: N

Catalytic Convertor: N

Engine Layout: N

Compression Ratio: N

Transmission: AUTO

Gears: 1 SPEED

Engine Code: N

General

Coin Series: Luxury [7 Seat]

Coin Description: N

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 5

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 100000

Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3

Manufacturers Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 10

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

Service Interval Mileage: 25000

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 24

Timing Belt Interval Mileage: N

Timing Belt Interval Frequency - Months: N

NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 92

NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 87

NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 81

NCAP Safety Assist %: 75

NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 5

Badge Power: 241

Badge Engine CC: 0.0

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Generation Mark: 1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Performance

Top Speed: 112

Engine Power - BHP: 241

Engine Power - PS: 0

Engine Power - KW: 180

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 258

Engine Torque - NM: 350

Engine Torque - MKG: 35.7

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: N/A

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 225/55 R18

Tyre Size Rear: 225/55 R18

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 18" ALLOY

Wheel Style: N

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4907

Width: 1885

Wheelbase: 2975

Width (including mirrors): 2201

Height: 1756

Height (including roof rails): N

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 2159

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2776

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): N

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1500

Max. Loading Weight: 617

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 280

No. of Seats: 7

Max. Roof Load: 75

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 760

Exterior Body Features

Additional metallic paint

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Black

Metallic - Warm white

Metallic - Metallic green

Metallic - Pearl lustre white

Trim - Leather

Leatherette - Dark brown cloth knit