Maxus: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- State-owned
- Shanghai Stock Exchange 600104
Maxus is SAIC's van, pickup and people-carrier brand, established on 21 March 2011. Its starting point was British: LDV — the initials stand for Leyland DAF Vans, the company formed by a 1993 management buy-out of Leyland DAF's van business — had launched a van called the Maxus in 2005 and then collapsed in the recession. SAIC bought the intellectual property in 2010 and revived the name in China.
The range runs from the V80 and V90 panel vans through the T60 and T90 pickups to the G50 and G90 MPVs, with electric versions of most of them. Production is in Shanghai and Wuxi.
The badge on the vehicle depends on the country. In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa the vans are sold as LDV; the Australian importer adopted that name because the Maxus trademark was already registered locally by a trailer manufacturer. In the United Kingdom and Ireland the reverse happened: LDV-badged vans were renamed Maxus in 2020, returning the brand to the name its British ancestor had used. Maxus is also sold in continental Europe, Latin America and parts of Asia; SAIC does not publish a complete market list, so the list here is limited to markets that could be confirmed.
SAIC Maxus sold 183,462 vehicles in the first eight months of 2026.
Wholly owned by SAIC Motor. The name and the first products came from Britain: SAIC bought the intellectual property of the collapsed LDV Group in 2010, including the Maxus van that LDV had launched in 2005.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 上汽大通 “SHAHNG-chee dah-TONG” 上汽 SAIC + 大通 'great thoroughfare, free passage' |
|---|---|
| Also written | LDV, SAIC Maxus, MAXUS and Maxus Automotive |
| Owner | SAIC Motor |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Headquarters | Shanghai, China |
| Origin | China |
| First car | Maxus V80, 2011 |
| Vehicles | Cars and commercial vehicles |
| Segment | Commercial |
| United States | Never sold in the United States — Neither Maxus nor LDV has been sold in the United States, and no entry has been announced. The 25% 'chicken tax' on imported light trucks makes vans of this kind hard to import profitably. |
| Brand established | 21 March 2011, by SAIC Motor |
| British origin | SAIC acquired LDV Group's intellectual property in 2010; LDV stood for Leyland DAF Vans and had launched the original Maxus van in 2005 |
| Where it is called LDV | Australia, New Zealand and South Africa; the UK and Ireland switched from LDV to Maxus in 2020 |
| Sales, January–August 2026 | 183,462 vehicles |
Who owns Maxus?
Shanghai Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission controls SAIC Motor since 1995.
The Shanghai municipal state-assets commission is SAIC Motor's ultimate controller, holding its shares through the wholly state-owned parent Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group). Published figures for the parent's holding in the listed company cluster between about 63% and 68%; no figure carrying its own date could be confirmed from an SAIC filing, so the stake is left null.
SAIC Motor owns Maxus at 100% since 21 March 2011.
SAIC established the Maxus brand on 21 March 2011, using intellectual property bought from the collapsed British LDV Group in 2010. The vehicles are sold as LDV in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The full ownership page for Maxus · Is Maxus (LDV) Chinese?
Maxus models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxus eDeliver 7 | Maxus EV70 | Van | Battery-electric | 318 km WLTP | not published |
| 上汽大通MAXUS MIFA 9Maxus Mifa 9 | Maxus Mifa 9 | MPV | Battery-electric | 540 km NEDC | not published |
| 大通T60Maxus T60 | SAIC Maxus T60 | Pickup | Petrol or diesel | not published | not published |
| 星际XMaxus Terron 9 | Maxus Interstellar X (星际X) | Pickup | Offered with more than one powertrain | 430 km WLTP | not published |
Where Maxus is sold
Recorded in 6 market s: CN, United Kingdom, IE, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| China | CN | no page yet |
| United Kingdom | GB | Chinese cars in the United Kingdom |
| Ireland | IE | no page yet |
| Australia | AU | Chinese cars in Australia |
| New Zealand | NZ | Chinese cars in New Zealand |
| South Africa | ZA | Chinese cars in South Africa |
Maxus: questions people ask
- Who owns LDV?
- SAIC Motor. The original British LDV Group failed in 2009; SAIC bought its intellectual property in 2010 and now uses the LDV name in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa for vehicles sold elsewhere as Maxus.
- Are LDV and Maxus the same thing?
- Yes. They are the same SAIC-built vehicles under two badges. Which name is used depends on trademark history in each country.
- What does LDV stand for?
- Leyland DAF Vans. The company was created in 1993 by a management buy-out of the van division of Leyland DAF after that business went into receivership.
- Where are Maxus vans built?
- In China, at SAIC plants in Shanghai and Wuxi.
Related
Sources for Maxus
- Wikipedia, Maxus. Read . Brand established 21 March 2011; the LDV IP purchase in 2010; the LDV/Maxus naming by market; the product range.
- Hagerty UK, The History of LDV Vans. Read . LDV as Leyland DAF Vans, the 1993 buy-out, the 2005 Maxus and the collapse.
- SAIC Motor, Sales Volume (monthly production and sales report). Read . SAIC Maxus volumes for August 2026 and the year to date.
- CarsGuide, Maxus van changes name to LDV. Read . Why the Australian importer switched from Maxus to LDV — the Maxus trademark was already held locally.