A clean sheet design from the ground up, the 2023 MIFA 9 sports a striking exterior, luxurious interior, zero tailpipe emissions, fast-charging capability and range of up to 440km. It’s set to redefine mobility as the first fully electric people mover on the market.
Unveiled at a recent media launch, this smart, luxurious, and well thought out people mover offers plenty of room for seven people, plus luggage. Available in three trim levels, the MIFA 9 is impressive to say the least.
Featuring LED headlights and daytime running lights, signature rear LEDs and dynamic indicators, the family van is offered in Mode, Executive and Luxe, with 18-inch star style or bold 19-inch multi-spoke alloys (depending on variant).
The colour palette includes Blanc White, Dynasty Red, Metal Black, Pearl White, Mica Blue and a choice of Concrete Grey or Snow Cyan with an accented black roof (as tested). All are supported with a black leather trim interior colour.
Inside, the MIFA 9 features power-sliding side doors (on the Executive and Luxe) that give access to a smartly packaged 2-2-3 seating format that allows plenty of room and central aisle access. An eight-seat model is expected to arrive early in 2023.
In the top Luxe variant, the captain’s chairs come with heating, cooling, massage and recline function. Fold-out tray tables, footrests, individual touchscreen controls for the multi-zone climate control, and seven USB ports throughout the cabin all feature.
A 220V power outlet and the option of a 6, 8 or 12-speaker sound system complete the picture for passengers. The sliding third row seating allows up to 1,010-litres of available luggage space when all seven seats are filled.
Lower the back row, and up to 2,179-litres becomes available. Up front, key vehicle data is fed to the driver via a dedicated 7-inch digital display, while additional sound, comfort and vehicle information can be accessed via a 12.3-inch touchscreen.
That system features wired Apple CarPlay and smartphone connectivity. Also available is a multi-function, leather, heated steering wheel, digital rear view mirror and wireless mobile charging pad. For reference, we’d put it on par with Mercedes-Benz for its luxuriousness.
At the heart of the MIFA 9 is an 90kWh lithium-ion battery. Packaged centrally in the vehicle to ensure optimal weight distribution and maximum internal cabin space, the battery can be charged via an 11kw charger in approximately 8.5 hours.
DC fast-charging takes approximately 36 minutes to charge from 30-80 per cent. Powering the front wheels, the battery delivers 180kW and 350Nm, and consumes charge at a rate of between 21.3kWh and 21.8kWh per 100km.
In addition, regenerative braking turns kinetic energy into electrical power while helping slow the car down and feeding that power back into your battery. While it looks like a big vehicle, it’s a piece of cake to drive.
Powering it up is as simple as touching the brake pedal, and it’s whisper quiet, impressively so, as it traversed a variety of road surfaces during testing. Easy to manoeuvre, we drove up a mountain in the Southern Highlands and it handled everything with ease.
On the safety front, a host of airbags join with blind spot detection, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, ABS, ESP and emergency brake assist. Lane departure warning and lane change assist also feature.
Fatigue reminder and attention assist, rear collision warning and speed assist are alos included. The 2023 LDV MIFA 9 is priced at $106,000 for the Mode variant, $117,000 for the Executive, and $131,000 for the Luxe (all plus on-roads).
It comes with a 5-year or 200,000km vehicle warranty and an 8-year or 200,000km battery warranty. Servicing intervals of once every two years or 30,000km. In addition, 5-years roadside assistance is also included.
Our test vehicle was provided by LDV Australia, as part of a media launch event. To find out more about The MIFA 9 range, contact your local LDV dealer at ldvautomotive.com.au
