LDV’s three-pronged electric vehicle assault includes Australia’s next fully electric luxury people mover, the Mifa 9.
The oddly-named people mover arrives in three variants, with the choice of six or seven seats to take on the already on-sale Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer. LDV has confirmed an eight-seat variant will arrive at a later time.
A 90kWh battery pack allows the Mifa 9 a driving range of up to 440km on the WLTP cycle. It is front-wheel drive only, using a 180kW/350Nm electric motor.
Like LDV’s other fully electric arrivals though, the Mifa 9 is far from a budget offering. The base model Mode starts from $106,000 before on-road costs, while the Executive comes in at $117,000, and the top-spec luxe wears a price-tag of $131,000.
Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a 7.0-inch digital dash, 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen with Apple CarPlay connectivity, leather heated steering wheel, keyless entry with push-start ignition, synthetic leather seat trim, LED headlights, and mult-zone climate.
Higher grades score improved seat trim, captain’s chairs in the second row, a powered tailgate, larger 19-inch alloys, powered sliding doors, rear climate controls, and even a fully digital rear vision mirror.
Standard safety gear includes auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure warning with lane keep assist.
The Mifa 9 can charge at a rate of 120kW on DC, allowing a claimed 30-80 per cent charge time in 36 minutes, while on the slower AC standard its maximum speed is 11kW, allowing a 5-100 per cent charge in a claimed 8.5 hours.
Interestingly, although there is a combustion version of the Mifa people mover, LDV says the van’s platform was designed to be electric first. It faces rivals in Australia which traditionally would include the Hyundai Staria (from $48,500), Toyota Granvia (from $65,250), and Kia Carnival (from $51,690). Although, on the electric and price front, it will face-off with the smaller Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer (from $116,115), and other obscure choices in the people mover field like the popular grey-imported Toyota Alphard hybrid.
The Mifa 9 is offered with a five-year and 160,000km warranty, with roadside assistance for the duration. It also has a separate eight-year or 200,000km warranty for the battery.
LDV says it is targeting early adopters and corporate transport fleets looking to reduce their environmental footprint with the Mifa 9 range.
Keyword: 2023 LDV Mifa 9 price and specs: Australia's next fully electric luxury people mover arrives to take on the Kia Carnival and Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer