2026 Maxus Mifa 9 review: What to drive when wife happens

[SINGAPORE] Sometimes, I think the only reason the wife still puts up with me is that I occasionally bring home cars like the Maxus Mifa 9, with its middle-row seats that do everything expected of a good husband, and more.

It fanned her and massaged her back, and left her in peace to recline and blast K-pop on the sound system. She even had her own little touchscreen to manage the audio and climate controls, which saved her the trouble of jabbing me with a stick every time she wanted something adjusted.

If you couldn’t tell from looking, the Mifa 9 is a full-size electric multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) designed squarely for the person in the middle row rather than the beleaguered sod behind the wheel. It’s built by Maxus, a brand within SAIC Motor, one of China’s largest automakers and the same group behind MG – in fact, the MG MG9 is its twin sister.

This particular sister recently went under the knife for a facelift, emerging from surgery with a full-width LED light bar across the face that links the headlamps. It’s been spruced up inside, too, with twin 12.3-inch infotainment screens replacing the previous single screen setup.

The driver gets a proper 10.25-inch display now (the predecessor’s effort was almost embarrassingly small), wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto arrive at last, and the 360-degree parking camera has been sharpened. The rear doors now have pull-up sunshades, which allowed my wife to pretend that paparazzi were in hot pursuit of her.

That said, you have to choose from two variants: the Luxury at S$270,999 with Certificate of Entitlement, and the Premium at S$285,999. That S$15,000 difference buys Nappa leather over vegan leather, a JBL 12-speaker system, a memory driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, as well as fold-up tray tables for the middle-row passengers.

I tried out the Premium version, possibly because the good people at Cycle & Carriage assume that mine is a bum so refined that it can tell the difference between soft Nappa leather and the artificial stuff. 

Whichever version you choose, the way the Mifa 9 drives is pretty much what you’d expect of a hefty box on wheels. Attempting corners with enthusiasm produces tyre squeal to a comical degree before the stability control steps in to restore order.

The motor is brawny enough that driving isn’t entirely joyless, but it doesn’t take long to suss out that the Mifa 9 is built to soothe rather than stir, and at city speeds it does this convincingly. The suspension is more firm than pillowy, so it won’t float you over the tarmac. It also doesn’t let the Maxus wallow like a houseboat in a monsoon. On the expressway, wind and road noise climb noticeably, but in town the cabin is a genuinely relaxing place to be.

The driver’s experience can be altogether different, though, mostly thanks to the Mifa 9’s sheer size. The Maxus is nearly as long as a Bentley Flying Spur, which is an impressive fact until you find yourself holding your breath all the way up a multi-storey car park’s narrow spiral ramp. The sharper display of the improved 360-degree camera really earns its keep here.

All that size notwithstanding, the Mifa 9 is an executive MPV first and family bus second. The third row demands some slenderness to reach, since you must slink between the captain’s chairs to get to it.

Once back there, headroom is decent, there are dedicated air-con vents and you can slide the seats fore-and-aft to trade boot space for legroom. Three abreast is a squeeze, so think of the Maxus as a 6+1 rather than a true seven-seater. The boot itself is tall but oddly shaped, but you can always throw your groceries into the 55-litre frunk. 

Yet, if a proper family hauler is what you want, the XPeng X9 takes the biscuit. It has a better boot, and a more usable third row, a fold-down rear screen for attention-short children, and a magic genie that guides it into parking spots with eerie precision. Then there’s the Toyota Alphard, the segment’s gold standard, which is more car-like to drive and easier to park.

Both cost substantially more, though, and that brings us to the Mifa 9’s strongest argument: It is one of the cheapest ways to enjoy some towkay-class comfort on the road. The price doesn’t include a new husband, but then no car is perfect.

Maxus Mifa 9 Premium Motor power/Torque 245 hp/350 Nm Battery type/Net capacity Lithium-ion/90 kWh Charging time/Type 5 hrs 27 mins (11 kW AC, 20 to 80 per cent), 33 mins (120 kW DC, 20 to 80 per cent) Range 430 km 0-100 kmh 9.2 seconds Top speed 180 kmh Efficiency 21.8 kWh/100 km Agent Cycle & Carriage Price S$285,999 with COE Available Now