First drive: 2013 Luxgen 7 SUV in Oman
Every now and then, a new carmaker enters the market. But how often is it, that many of them go unnoticed. One could possibly shun the new car we have here, citing reasons that the logo could be ripped off from Lexus. However, this particular vehicle has no specific relations with Lexus, or even Japan. As a matter of fact, the Luxgen 7 SUV we have here is from Taiwan.
Luxgen was first introduced to the world in 2009. However, of all the Middle-East countries, it still is only sold in the Sultanate of Oman by dealers MHD. And since nobody else had tested them in the UAE, this is a bit of an exclusive, even if it means driving it in Oman!
The exterior design of the vehicle didn’t particularly ring any bells, which is a good thing. The build quality of the SUV seemed pretty impressive. You get adequate amounts of chrome inserts on the grille and on the window linings. And that, coupled with the perfect fitting panels and the flamboyantly visible cameras, gives the Luxgen’s exterior a premium feel. Incidentally, Luxgen builds outsourced Toyota Corollas for the GCC market.
The interior is a different story. It clearly is designed to provide a high-class effect. But as with most newcomers, there are issues. Fit and finish between various panels on the dashboard is not perfect, and the buttons are not exactly, shall we say, classy. But, the truth is that, you wouldn’t have time to mind things like that because of the technology that you have in your hands. There is a huge 10.2-inch LCD display available on the dash which shows you everything you could possibly need. The dashboard has a slanted posture and basically has three portions. The first one takes care of the automatic a/c, which needs high fan-speeds to be effective, whereas the second bit consists of the controls for the ‘Think+’ system, followed by a host of buttons talking care of the automatic lights, lane departure warning system and night vision.
The HTC-developed ‘Think+’ system is very simple to understand and we got the hang of it within just minutes of use, unlike many manufacturers who go all out with pointless buttons with no use whatsoever. However, we would’ve fancied it even more if they offered a touchscreen.
You also get a generous eight cameras, which are placed all around the vehicle, and we particularly loved it for its functionality. The cameras are coupled with the ‘Eagle View +’ system which is useful for parking as it gives a 360-degree view of the vehicle. We found it predominantly useful when covering some tight turns. Alongside that, the cameras also eradicate blind-spots on turning. But the coolest tech on-board has to be the ‘Night vision’ mode which, as it goes, is pretty pointless. But we used it anyway just for the heck of it.
The Luxgen comes standard with a JBL audio system. Of course you do get AUX in, video out, USB and Bluetooth. There was a rear DVD screen for the passengers too.
The cabin largely consists of hard plastics with no padding anywhere except some inserts in the armrests. We didn’t find it annoying at any point because the front is really spacious, and our legs didn’t hit anywhere. The seats are covered in leather, and surprisingly, the driver is treated with a massager. The second row is pretty spacious too, a bit too much in our opinion, after trying out the cramped third row. But only later did we realise that the second row seats can be adjusted for the dignity of the third-row passengers.
The engine driving the Luxgen is a 2.2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder producing 175 hp and 275 Nm of torque. The engine is pretty gutsy and is coupled to a 5-speed automatic transmission with manual mode. Despite the turbo, we felt that the SUV needed more muscle as it felt a little underpowered. You’d actually need to plant your foot down and initiate kick down to get some decent acceleration. Still, 100 kph is achieved from standstill beyond 10 seconds.
The steering is pretty light, but not so much to make it feel awkward. As a matter of fact, it felt perfect for a vehicle of its size, offering decent feedback. Noise levels in the cabin are pretty regular and typical. Body roll is admirably low, although we didn’t dare try corners above 80 kph. Overall, the ride is pretty smooth; almost as smooth and stable as the rival Hyundai Santa Fe.
For the record, we weren’t allowed to test the vehicle off-road, but we did get to drive over some gravel roads which gave us an insight into the capabilities of the suspension. The ride on the gravel felt pretty soft, though nothing out of the ordinary. Yes, you do get four-wheel-drive lock and an auto mode that controls the power distribution between the front and back wheels, but on the gravel, two-wheel-drive was more than adequate.
The Luxgen 7 SUV lets us know that Taiwan is capable of making some compelling vehicles. Of course, the competition in the crossover segment is pretty tough. At the equivalent of Dhs 125,000, its price competes with vehicles in the midsize SUV segment, the smaller Luxgen doesn’t deserve to be judged on its size alone. There’s enough tech to compete with far more upscale vehicles, but the cabin trim keeps it firmly grounded as a rival for the Japanese and the Koreans.
Photos by Alvin E. Thomas.
Comments
RollingCamel
How is the safety options?
Alvin Emmanuel Thomas
You do get 8 or odd airbags… ABS, and the usuals… Surprisingly, you have 8 on-board computers working on different things at a time…
Hamza Jamil
I have seen a Luxgen Minivan here in Jeddah.
Alvin Emmanuel Thomas
There’s an MPV version too…
dante
I saw one in Dragon Mart BA Gate Park Area.
Prateek
In Dammam too !!!
Menon
This vehicle is loaded with safety feautures. It has front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, EBD, BAS, TCS, ESC, adaptive headlamps, blind spot monitoring, eagle view, lane departure warning, night vision camera, crumple zones etc
Mamallan
Dear Menon,
if you own this vehicle then I would like to have your feedback on this. Because I am planning to buy this vehicle ( Luxgen 7 SUV)
Please help me.
you can reach me on: mamallanr.mr@gmail.com
Thanks
Sunil
Hope Hyundai is reading
B Chang
This Taiwan vehicle is known for the safety features.
Emd
I just saw one in the Dominican Republic…. I have no idea how it got here!
Ammar
Did you get to drive the electric model? I think this company has a great future! I actually met the CEO in 2009 and think people would love to own these specially the VIP model
Alvin Emmanuel Thomas
Nope. The test vehicle was a 2.2 litre turbo. Although I believe there are electric versions sold in Taiwan. All we get here is a petrol engine.
Meanwhile the ‘VIP’ models don’t seem to getting a move on. Apparently, companies and individuals are a little skeptical.
layla
I tried driving it for few minutes, it seemed OK, but I didn’t find the AC is cold enough, as it is the summer. Can I have a feed back as I’m planning to buy it
Muhammad Ali Fasheehudeen
This is Muhammad Ali Fasheehudeen , I have Put 11 Units in UAE roads so far, the reason is simple this has
1. LUXGEN SUV 7 SEATER LUXURY SUV FROM TAIWAN
2. POWER STEERING (TUNED BY MAGNA OF AUSTRIA)
3. POWER WINDOWS
4. POWER FRONT SEATS WITH 8 WAY ADJUSTMENT
5. POWER SIDE MIRROR WITH LED INDICATORS & AUTO LOCK
6. POWER TAIL GATE WITH REMOTE (AUTOMATIC BOOT)
7. SUNROOF (POWER SLIDE OUT)
8. ENGINE 2.2T TURBO CHARGED
& INTER COOLED M.E.F.I ENGINE 16V DOHC
9. MAX POWER 175 HP @ 5500 RPM
10. AISIN TRANSMISSION (JAPANESE)
11. GARRET TURBO CHARGERS
28KG OF TORQUE IN 2500-4000 RPM
12. iKEY+ ( INTELLIGENT KEY) WITH IMMOBILIZER( KEYLESS ENTRY)
13. MAGNETIC FUEL TANK LID OPEN ON DASH BOARD
14. TRACTION CONTROL ON/OFF SWITCH ON DASH BOARD
15. DIFFERENTIAL LOCK SWITCH ON DASH BOARD
16. FRONT & REAR 10.2” DVD / BLUETOOTH / GPS / MULTIMEDIA
17. THINK+ INTELLIGENT COMPUTER
(COMMUNICATION NAVIGATION MULTIMEDIA & SAFETY)
18. SIDE VIEW+ (BLIND SPOT ASSISTANCE)
19. EAGLE VIEW+ ( 3600 SURROUND VIEW ON DEMAND)
20. NIGHT VISION + (LIGHT AMPLIFICATION CCD CAMERA)
21. LDWS+ (LANE DEPARTURE WARNING SYSTEM OR LANE ASSIST)
22. AUXILIARY FRONT LIGHTING SYSTEM (AUTO FOCUS)
23. AUTO SENSING LIGHTS (HID & LED)
24. 18” ALUMINUM ALLOY WHEELS
25. REAR SOLID DISC BRAKES
26. FRONT VENTILATED DISC BRAKES
27. BRAKE OVERRIDE SYSTEM (BOS)
28. BRAKE ASSISTANCE SYSTEM (BAS)
29. ABS+ EBD ( ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM
+ ELECTRONIC BRAKE FORCE DISTRIBUTION)
30. ESC ( ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM)
31. TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS)
32. DRIVER SRS AIRBAG
33. FRONT PASSENGER SRS AIRBAG
34. INTEGRATED SIDE SRS AIRBAGS X2
35. SIDE CURTAIN SRS AIRBAGS X2
36. FOG LAMPS
37. HIGH-INTENSITY DISCHARGE HID LED HEAD LIGHTS
38. HIGH RIGIDITY SAFETY STRUCTURE (PRODRIVE OF U.KINGDOM)
39. HIGH CONTRAST INSTRUMENT PANEL
40. 3 MODE INTELLIGENT 4 WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM
41. 8 X CAMERAS INCLUDING NIGHT VISION CAMERA,LDWS+
42. LANE SENSING CAMERA (MOBILE EYE TECHNOLOGY)
43. PREMIUM SOUND SYSTEM
JBL MUSIC SYSTEM WITH 8: 1 SURROUNDS SOUND SYSTEM
44. CHROME FINISHED DOOR HANDLES WITH MANUAL LOCK
45. LED INDICATOR ON SIDE MIRRORS
46. DRIVER SEAT LUMBAR SUPPORT
47. DRIVER SEAT VENTILATION HEATING FUNCTION WITH MASSAGE
48. 2 SET (MEMORY SEATS)
49. UNDER SEAT STORAGE FOR THE REAR SEATS
50. REMOTE CENTRAL LOCK WITH PTG FUNCTION
51. REMOTE FOR POWER ACTUATED TAIL GATE
52. EURO IV EMISSION STANDARDS
53. WRAP AROUND NECK /HEAD REST FOR DRIVER & FRONT
54. STEERING WHEEL CRUISE CONTROL
55. ROOF RACK
56. DUAL TONE REVERSE INDICATORS
57. DUAL-ZONE CLIMATE CONTROL AIR-CONDITIONING
58. ENGINE PUSH BUTTON START
59. FRONT & REAR ELECTRIC POWER WINDOWS
60. FRONT & REAR PARKING SENSORS
61. REAR PARKING CAMERA WITH DISTANCE NOTIFIER
62. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE GAUGE
63. AM/FM RADIO AM/FM RADIO WITH DVD PLAYER
64. NAVIGATION SYSTEM WITH THINK+
65. REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM 10.2” DVD VIDEO PLAYER
66. AUXILIARY INPUT JACK (AUX)
67. VIDEO INPUT JACK (THREE PIN SOCKET FOR HANDY CAM & VIDEO GAMES)
68. THREE POINT AC POWER PLUG (POWER SOCKET) 220 V (A/C)
69. USB CONNECTIVITY (USB 2.0)
70. INTEGRATED BLUETOOTH®
71. STEERING WHEEL AUDIO CONTROLS
72. ADAPTIVE VOICE CONTROL SYSTEM
73. POWER DOOR MIRRORS ( AUTO FOLDING) WITH DEFOG
74. LEATHER UPHOLSTERY
75. LEATHER STEERING WHEEL
76. REAR A/C VENTILATION
77. SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM (ANTI-THEFT)
78. VANITY MIRRORS
79. BOOT SPACE LIGHT WITH ON/OFF SWITCH
80. LED CABIN READING LIGHTS
81. REAR ARM REST CUP HOLDERS
82. ANTI-THEFT DRIVER SEAT
83. FOOT OPERATED PARKING BRAKES
84. WING SHAPED RADIATOR GRILLE
85. ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW WIPER
86. LED 3RD BRAKE LAMP ( HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHTS)
87. GEAR POSITION DISPLAY
88. TRIP COMPUTER DISPLAY
89. AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL
90. INDEPENDENT REAR CLIMATE CONTROL
91. INTELLIGENT CENTER CONSOLE
92. DRIVER SEAT SHOULDER SPEAKER WITH MICROPHONE
93. REAR AV & EARPHONE CONNECTORS
94. ITCC – INTELLIGENT TORQUE CONTROLLED COUPLING
95. THREE STAGE FORCE TRANSFER STRUCTURAL MECHANISM
96. 2, 3, 5 &7 SEAT CONFIGURATIONS
97. 2 MODE OPERATION CONTROL FOR PTG
98. REAR WATER WIPERS
99. FULL LENGTH FRONT INTER COOLER
100. SYMMETRICAL BILATERAL & AERODYNAMIC – REAR SPOILER
101. STEERING WHEEL VOICE COMMANDS
102. ENGINE DESIGNED – LMM ( FRANCE)
103. CRASH TESTED IN CONTINENTAL LAB ( GERMANY )
104. 3 YEARS / 100,000 KM MANUFACTURER WARRANTY
105. 5 YEARS / UNLIMITED MILEAGE EXETENDED WARRANTY
106. FREE REGISTRATION | INSURANCE | 3 YEAR SERVICE
Khan
Hi,
Iam saw this vehicle, Luxgen U7 22T and pretty much amazed with its think + system and safety features. Iam planning to buy this, but before that i want to get feed back from people who already own it and are using it regularly.
Please provide your valuable feedback for me to decide if i can buy or not buy this vehicle