LDV is branching out with this new all-electric luxury MPV.
If you’re in need of a multi-seat MPV, but want it to be electric, then the new LDV Mifa 9 is the answer until alternatives to this newcomer arrive, such as the Volkswagen ID Buzz and Mercedes-Benz EQV.
LDV’s Mifa 9 is a pure MPV with no van-derived roots, despite LDV’s origins in the panel van sector. In many ways, it’s reminiscent of Japanese luxury MPVs such as the Nissan Elgrand and Toyota Alphard, which you sometimes see in Australia as grey imports. As a result it looks quite imposing, but it was designed as an electric MPV from the outset.
It measures a vast 5.3 metres long (that’s as much as a long-wheelbase Mercedes S-Class) and is two metres wide, while the bluff, grille-free front end is striking in a minimalist sort of way. Further back is a fairly traditional MPV shape that’s broken up by a flash of Z-shaped chrome trim on the C-pillars, while the channels for the sliding side doors are well hidden within the bodywork.
While most of the exterior is pretty mundane, the boxy shape makes for a vast seven-seat interior. And the Mifa 9 is well built, too. There are plenty of solid-feeling plastics, plus real and fake leather trim, depending on which model you choose. The top-spec Luxe model tested here features plush leather seats, and virtually everything is electrically adjustable, including power-assisted sliding doors and a powered tailgate.
Up front, there’s a 12.3-inch central touchscreen display which is used for all functions, including the climate controls, while the driver also has a compact VW-style seven-inch display ahead of them that is configurable. However, the infotainment system isn’t the easiest to use, with lots of beeps every time you select a function, and plenty of sub-menus to negotiate to find the setting you want – both on the main screen and driver’s display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted in this UK test model – yet to be available in Australia – but during our test, the Mifa 9 struggled to reconnect with our iOS device every time that we started the car.
It’s in the back where the Mifa 9 really stands out. It comes with a 2-2-3 seating layout, and the Luxe model features two plush captain’s chairs that are electrically adjustable in every direction. They slide back and forth and move left to right for improved access to the rearmost row. Then there’s the smartphone-style touchscreen on the outer armrest to control the seat height, lumbar position, massage function, heating and cooling. It can even recline the chairs all the way back for a chaise longue effect. An aircraft-style tray table lifts and folds out of the opposite armrest, too, while there are multiple charging ports throughout the cabin.
Choose the top-spec Mifa 9 Premium, and the equipment list is full to bursting. As well as those multi-adjustable seats and power-opening doors, you get keyless entry, twin electric sunroofs, a heated leather steering wheel, heated, cooled and massaging front seats with electric adjustment, LED cabin lighting and a digital rear-view mirror. Safety kit is also top-drawer, with adaptive cruise featuring lane departure warning and lane change assist (which shows a camera view on the main screen when switching lanes), 360-degree parking cameras with bird’s eye views, adaptive LED headlights and autonomous emergency braking.
In terms of powertrain, the Mifa 9 features a bespoke EV platform which offers a typical layout of floor-mounted battery and front-wheel-drive. The power pack is 90kWh in size, and this gives the MPV a maximum range of 440km in entry-level guise – the Executive model comes up a little shorter, but at a still-decent 435km, while the Luxe offers a 430km claim. LDV doesn’t quote charging capacities for the Mifa 9, but a high-voltage source will be able to replenish the battery from 30 to 80 per cent capacity in half an hour.
The system drives a 180kW electric motor that sends power to the front wheels, while there’s an instant 350Nm of torque on tap as well. That’s enough for the front tyres to break traction in slippery conditions, and the Mifa 9 feels rapid in a straight line, but thanks to the car’s size and 2.5-tonne kerbweight, it’s not a car that likes to be hustled along.
Vague steering and a soft suspension set-up mean that this MPV is geared towards comfort above all else, and the driver merely guides the car in the direction of travel, rather than engaging with it in any way. Silent cruising is the Mifa 9’s forte – as long as you have deactivated the lane-assist system’s oversensitive beep warnings – and only at higher speeds is the car disturbed by additional wind noise from around the wing mirrors.
The Mifa 9 makes much more sense in the back, where there’s lots of room for passengers to stretch out, and plenty of toys to play with, too. However, a price tag north of $100,000 for this top-spec model is expensive, especially when you consider that this puts it in touching distance of luxury limousines such as the Audi A8 and Mercedes S-Class. The Mercedes EQV will be a more familiar (but even more expensive) alternative, too.
The LDV Mifa 9 evokes the spirit of large Japanese luxury minivans, but adds the cutting-edge appeal of an electric powertrain. However, shelling out $106,000 before on-road costs (or more) for a model from a virtual unknown in the passenger car sector might be a step too far for some, especially when that price can bag you a luxury limousine from a premium brand. Either way, it’s certainly a car that’s better experienced as a passenger than as a driver.