A manual transmission and a smaller engine
does not take away the excitement
IT’S all about numbers for this test drive. Seating 2+3+2 and shifting 6 forward and 1 reverse.
Those numbers formulate an MPV don’t they not? Along with computing for space this formula includes physically shifting gears. And it seems since five to seven years ago, people in this segment have seemed to forget that apart from the ubiquitous automatic transmission there is the option called “manual.”
To say that people know automatics more than stick-shifters isn’t just a perceptions game. Automatics have slowly taken over manual transmissions in car sales since 2011 first just edging it out by single numbers percentages. Last year Top Gear reported 72 percent of cars sold in the market are automatics. Today, excluding fleet vehicles that mostly come in manual transmissions–automatics outsell the clutch-and-shift variant by at least 85 percent. (Based on combined CAMPI and AVID data available as of the first quarter of this year.)
So it is no wonder why I was excited to be able to get my hands on the Maxus G50 in manual transmission. The previous G50 I drove had an excellent 7-speed, wet-type, dual-clutch automatic. It was, as I reported, one of the best I have ever tried in a car emanating from China.
I have so much experience with Chinese-made manual transmission vehicles, having owned one and having another in the household. There is something odd about the way the first Chinese cars aligned the clutch. That seemingly strange stroke of the clutch pedal makes for really difficult shifting. Was it just bad technology or the way the clutch was set?
This queer driving feeling however did not exist in the G50 Comfort with M/T. The driving and shifting is effortless. It had the most amazing clutch feel–firm and decisive at all times–the transmission engaged quickly and the gear ratio was perfect for the car’s size and weight, despite having a smaller engine.
Now why is that?
Engine displacements make a lot of difference in the way vehicles are exported from China. At about 1,500 cc and below is the sweet spot for free trade privileges. And the G50 M/T is powered by a 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that whirrs out a satisfying 150 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 230 Nm of torque at 4,400 rpm. If compared to the 7-speed automatic variant’s 169 horsepower, 250 Nm of torque outputs that seems a lot lost. But in performance, the M/T feels more responsive and more controllable (especially in overtaking maneuvers).
Day one of this test drive involved me doing my post-pandemic domestic duties of buying my personal groceries. To do that I needed all my four siblings to join me at S&R in Lipa. The store however, seemed to not have heard of Alert Level One yet, and when I wrote this article, didn’t allow more than two people (card owner plus one) inside the store. Despite my pleadings the store guards said they have not yet received word from management about IATF’s newest rulings and still implemented the draconian quarantine regulations.
That meant my 3 other siblings trapped in the car under the hot Batangas sun for about an hour. Since there were absolutely no trees and no shade to speak of in the parking lot, did the car’s aircon had to work doubly hard? No, but we did discover that there was no third row rear aircon in the G50 Comfort! Did it matter? Not really, the front and second row aircon vents were sufficient to cool the whole MPV.
Cooling the cabin however wasn’t too much of a problem though but the lack of a proper infotainment system and the usual sensors and cameras around proved to be. So was the lack of a rear wiper, especially that on day two, it rained profusely South of Manila–very the late climate-changed May showers.
The specification changes on this Maxus MPV’s P948K price tag was of course determined by the price tag. The small creature comforts created the P390,000 gap that separates this variant from the upper end 1.5 AT Premium and P231,000 from its closest sibling the 1.5 AT Pro.
Switching between my SUV and the Maxus somehow wasn’t distracting because it doesn’t give the impression of driving an MPV. That being said, the MPV I am talking about it the Innova, which still retains its commanding feel of the road. Take the Xpander and the comparison becomes better as the large windscreen and short front hood are reminders of its excellent ergonomics.
Ditto to the Maxus G50 Comfort.
The driving position is calculated in relation to all the driving controls. And amazingly, (I cannot explain it logically) the kinetics of the third pedal are superb, not requiring a hard push to get the gears moving up and down. The weighted and seemingly gated shifter (just a reassuring feel and not something actually mechanical) is precise and intuitive and rest of the controls are all laid out in an ergonomically-correct way.
Aside from making it the most affordable amongst the Maxus line-up it is also the cheapest in its category.
The dashboard, front seats and the whole layout of the cabin is typical Maxus–practical and well set up, no overdesign and wonderfully no reverse engineering from other brands. For the Comfort, the instrumentation is a little more basic comparatively but still complete. Even if it lacks the steering wheel controls other controls and switches were well placed, and it still provided excellent steering feel.
The G50 Comfort is packaged as an eight seater, I feel the last row is really a 2-seater love bench. Forcing a third person (just because it has a headrest doesn’t mean it is a three-seater) is like an unwanted love triangle.
Arguably, in terms of interior space, the G50 the best packaged compared to other MPVs and even mid-sized SUVs. The second row split and are full seats, each one with individual headrests and three-point seatbelts. In terms of roominess, it is definitely class leading with full and uncompromised head, shoulder, and knee room. This roominess applies all the way to the 3rd row…however, as I mentioned, despite the third row headrest, the three people in the rear should have waistlines 25-inches or less in girth to fit in properly.
Here is a real test. My 84-year old grandmother loves my Forester but not my dad’s pick-up. Why? Ride height and stepping into the vehicle. The Comfort was for her a wonderful in between. She even commented: “wow, ang laki ng pinto” pointing to the width and ease of entry to the second row. She also said the seats felt more hugging (‘mas malalim’) and firm (‘masarap upuan’).
Despite the manual transmission’s supposed lack of convenience, the G50 Comfort has excellent drivability and control. You cannot and should not drive it like a sports car, but travelling up the Tagaytay-Talisay road proved that the softly-sprung chassis still manages a lot of control despite body sway and roll. This time the manual transmission seems to provide better control over managing the laws of physics over the concrete in the sways and curves of the road–especially the banked sections leading up to Tagaytay City.
One thing I noticed is the tire noise into the cabin. That is tolerable in most situations because total noise vibration, and harshness is quite low. The suspension is nice and taut–soft as I mentioned earlier–so it scores well in managing the crackly concrete up the winding road. Going home we took the lesser challenging Laurel Highway route and once again the Comfort shows its capability to soak up most potholes, edgy bumps on the road back.
Though uninvited to the test drive, I hear from my colleagues that the full line up of Maxus MPVs made available during the event were standouts in terms of price-content-backend. By backend I mean the backing of the Ayala Group and its high sense of quality and customer service. That being said, marketing the brand Maxus will just take a little more time, as I have tested, and was proven my other motoring scribes, the vehicle has all the goodies to stand out. The media test drive which had mostly bloggers and video content producers got it right when they seemed to all agree that the G50 has the right formula to success.
And my grandmother, not because she is a motoring writer, but because she has been exposed to so many cars living with us, and I supposed also of her advanced age and sensitivity to things has learned to be the most critical of the rides we have summed up the G50 test drive. And what we think was the best evaluation statement: “para lang akong nakasakay sa eroplano.” — with Raymond B. Tribdino
