THE Chinese state-owned van manufacturer Maxus has expanded its presence in Northern Ireland with two new dealerships.
SAIC Motor Corporation originally acquired the intellectual property of the collapsed Leyland DAF Vans (LDV) in 2010. The Shanghai-based group rebranded the vehicles as Maxus in 2020, transitioning the brand to premium LCV and electric vehicle (EV) market.
The Dublin-based Harris Group, which is the Maxus distributor for the UK and Ireland, said it has now signed up Greg Mitchell Motors and Shelbourne Motors.
The dealerships will offer dedicated sales, servicing, and aftersales services to Maxus customers from Strabane and Portadown.
It follows the launch of a Maxus dealership at Lisnaskea-based dealership Monaghan Bros in October.
It brings the Maxus dealership network in the UK and Ireland to 64.
Harris Maxus general manager, Mark Barrett, said the company has seen a significant rise in interest for its new vans, particularly its EV line.
“With the growth of electric vans sales and the popularity of our two flagship eLCVs, the e DELIVER 9 and e DELIVER 3, we have seen an increased interest in dealers seeking us out to ensure Maxus becomes a flagship brand in their customer and fleet portfolios.
Last year, Maxus enjoyed a bumper year with a 400 per cent increase in sales, with almost half of all sales being electric. The expansion of our dealer network is key to building on that success for 2022.”
