Test drive: Luxgen M7

I’ve never even heard of Luxgen. Some sort of white goods maker, isn’t it? In my defence, the automaker, founded in 2009, has only been around in the UAE for the past three months. And it has a range of vehicles that can be counted on one hand. In fact, you’ll have three fingers spare. It’s an unknown entity then, but I was soon wishing I’d encountered the Taiwanese automaker earlier because the M7 MPV, which I didn’t harbour very high hopes for, turned out to be rather good. That was only after I’d gotten over the strange name — a combination of the words ‘luxury’ and ‘genius’.

They’re confident, I’ll give them that. But I can’t help think that ‘M7 22T’ would be better suited to a microwave oven, or a kettle.

The moniker seems more befitting for home appliances and that isn’t the desired intention when you’re attempting to steal sales from the likes of Toyota and its Previa, and Honda and its Odyssey. But this isn’t my only gripe with the newbie.

Anyway, those are minor complaints for this MPV has a lot going for it, even if the segment’s popularity as a whole is waning. With so many decent seven-seater SUVs available, the full-on people carrier hasn’t just fallen to the back of the queue, it’s also at the back of people’s minds. However, this Luxgen serves as a timely reminder of the sheer practicality of an MPV. You’d be hard pressed to find something better to transport seven adults and their luggage in comfort for the money.

This base trim tester retails for Dh105,000. The fully loaded variant costs Dh119,000 and packs a host of kit including the Think+ infotainment system, sat-nav, lane departure warning, four advanced visual assistance systems including Eagle View+, Side View+ and Night vision+. That’s a lot of whizbangery for your money. Indeed, it’s very competitively priced.

It really comes into its own in the practicality stakes. MPVs are all about their interiors and most have something clever to offer in the seating department. The M7’s party trick is that its seats aren’t just very comfortable and boast moveable arm rests but they’ve also got storage spaces beneath them. I guess that makes up for the tiny glovebox. The second row slides forward and the backrest flips over, making getting into the third row that bit easier. However that middle row only accommodates two people while the third row seats three — a bit lopsided if you ask me. A two, three, two would be better. Regardless, the cabin is simply huge and occupants have a good view of their surroundings thanks to the large windows and there is leg and head room aplenty for everyone in every seat. The separate handrails and pre-shaped headrests are a nice touch too, while it’s easy to get in and out of the back thanks to the sliding doors that can also be operated via a button on the key fob.

Powered by a turbocharged 2.2-litre four-pot (a Garrett no less) that produces 175bhp and 275Nm of torque, it’s peppy enough but suffers from a bit of lag and the engine wheezes like an asthmatic having an attack. That said, the five-speed automatic shifts smoothly, the steering is quite light and overall, it offers a good ride even though there’s some body roll, which you’d expect what with it sitting 1,876mm high. It may be top heavy but it cruises merrily along at highway speeds with the cabin remaining quiet, meaning you’ll hear the kids screaming and wife moaning perfectly well...

It’d be easy to ignore this new brand and stick to the tried and tested but the M7 can do everything its rivals do and for far less of an outlay. That definitely makes it worthy of a serious look if you’re after a proper family hauler that’s comfortable and attractive. Luxgen’s also busy working on a saloon and if it’s as decent as this MPV, then the brand will soon be making a name for itself.

Even if it ends up sounding like a toaster...