Managing Editor Richard Edwards attended the launch of the all-electric LDV Mifa 9 people mover, the first such vehicle to become available to the New Zealand market. He backgrounds the introduction of the vehicle and shares his first impressions of it.
LDV importer Great Lake Motor Distributors has launched the all-electric Mifa 9 people mover expecting to boost significantly what has been an otherwise minor market segment.
The current leader in people movers has been the Kia Carnival, but even with rentals it only just crests 400 units a year – most of New Zealand’s people mover buyers prefer used imports or head to SUVs.
GLMD general manager Andrew Bayliss says it expects to take a serious bite out of the market with the Mifa 9.
“We don’t plan to sell thousands of these things, but hundreds would be nice,” Bayliss says.
“These days it’s a small sector and a predominately private sector. We see (the Mifa 9) being appealing to not only private buyers, but government departments, airports, hotels, and so forth.
“We believe it’s the first pure EV people mover in New Zealand, and while we know the people mover market is relatively small here, we believe we can get a big chunk of that market going forward.
“While in Australia you can have the Mifa 9 with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, in this case, NZ will miss out. We’ll also have to wait for an eight-seat and, potentially, van versions.
“We’re working on focusing on transitioning our brand to electric,” he says.
Being electrified is no doubt going to help. The market has long cried out for seven-seat electrified options, with the only choice so far being plug-in SUVs from Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Kia, plug-in vans from Volkswagen and Ford, and recently the Mercedes-Benz EQV van at a significantly higher price.
The Numbers
The Mifa 9 warranty is for five years, while the battery is covered for eight years and 200,000km. The brand is predicting a five-star Euro NCAP rating.
There are three levels of MIFA 9, starting at $79,990 driveaway for the Elite, $99,990 for the Luxury, and $119,990 for the premium. Incredibly, the prices in NZ are 20% lower than in Australia.
All get a 90kWh, temperature-controlled, lithium battery. The motor powers the front wheels with a peak output of 180kW and 350Nm of torque. The transmission uses a stalk shifter, similar to a Tesla’s or Mercedes Benz’s.
The Elite is equipped impressively, with synthetic leather seats, heat-pump-based climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a range of safety and driver assists.
The Luxury adds heated, ventilated and massaging second-row seats, privacy glass, LED interior lighting, 220-volt power, additional leather trim and electric doors.
In the Premium, the front row gains the massage functions, a premium audio system, and heated, microfibre steering wheel.
It can carry 700kg and tow a tonne, while luggage space can be gained by sliding the third row of seats.
First drive impressions
So how far will the Mifa go on a charge? With two people on board and spirited driving on launch, consumption ran around 26kWh per 100km, giving a range close to 350km.
Expect that to drop when fully loaded, but it still makes for a solid road trip option.
The drive itself is impressive, with the battery weight making it feel very planted. The next-generation infotainment and vehicle control software are solid, with the ability to vary steering and brake feel and set charging speeds.
What do I think of the Mifa? While my test was short I was super impressed. The space is great, I think it looks about as good as a people mover can, and it drives very well for what is basically a 2.3-tonne van.
But most impressive is the value. You can drive away in the Elite for just over $71,000. It undercuts the people mover competition and matches the Kiwi-favourite medium-size seven-seat SUVs. I suspect this will be – as far as people movers go – a hot seller.
CO2 pain mitigated
Electric vehicles will play an important role in LDV distributor Great Lake Motor Distributors’ plans in the next few years, as the diesel-heavy distributor shifts away to avoid penalties.
Bayliss says Great Lake’s calculations show the cost would otherwise be steep.
“As it relates to the 2021 model mix, it would exceed $2000 per model sold. We would be up for roughly a $9 million tax
bill next year,” he says. “That would transfer to the customer, and it ramps up rapidly to $7500 in 2027.
“That would result in GLMD’s tax liability, purely for the CO2, being $31-32 million.”
With National committing to keep the Clean Car Standard, that’s unlikely to change.
Likely to help their cause will be government sales, with LDV joining the All of Government supply scheme in October.
While initially just covering the eDeliver9, eDeliver3, and T60 EV models, others, including the Mifa 9, will be added later.
