Words: Autocar
Published 23 May 2026
Another Chinese automotive brand has arrived in New Zealand, but the team behind it will be well known to the local trade.
Maxus Automotive has launched as a standalone distributor for SAIC’s Maxus brand, led by owner Deon Cooper and general manager Andrew Bayliss, both formerly of Great Lake Motor Distributors, which distributed LDV and SsangYong in New Zealand.
“Maxus is actually a brand in itself under SAIC, which differs from LDV in that they kind of do the special projects and bespoke models,” Bayliss says.
The company has its own distributor agreement directly with SAIC and a product range that does not directly compete with Inchcape’s LDV offering. Instead, Maxus Automotive is focused on motorhomes, caravans, electric trucks and buses.
The current range includes two motorhome models, a van-sized campervan and a Luton cab-over, with a ute-based off-road variant to follow. There are five caravans, the eDeliver75 electric truck in short and long wheelbase configurations, and a distributor agreement for Sunwin electric buses.
A significant number of former Great Lake Motor Distributors staff have returned, including marketing and art director Tom Vandaloos and former LDV national service manager Jason Wigan, who will be based in Taupo. Former LDV technicians from the Takanini dealership have also rejoined after stints at Inchcape. “We’ve basically got the team back together pretty much,” Bayliss says.
The company is based at the former SsangYong premises at 170 Great South Road, Takanini, after the old LDV building was compulsorily acquired for rail infrastructure development.
THL’s RV SuperCentre locations in Mangere, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch and soon Queenstown handle motorhome sales. Maxus Automotive retails caravans directly from its own sites in Albany, Tauranga and Takanini, with Taupo to come. Warranty work must come through the Maxus Automotive network, though general servicing can be done by LDV dealers. Parts are sourced directly from Maxus.
Bayliss says the caravans arrive fully built from the factory, cutting out the middlemen that add cost to competing products. “We’re bringing product to market at really good value,” he says. “People are far more accepting now of Chinese brands.”
He says the shift is having real consequences for established players. “Sadly, I think you’re seeing some of the supposedly premium brands shutting up shop and disappearing from the market because we do have good quality product at the right price, at the right time, with the right warranty.”
The motorhome range is rear-wheel drive, which Bayliss says is a key differentiator against European front-wheel drive competitors. “There are definitely buyers out there that won’t consider front-wheel drive,” he says.
The eDeliver75 electric truck is generating strong inquiry from the freight sector, with FedEx currently trialling the demonstrator unit. Bayliss says orders are modest at this stage, with the truck only on the road for a matter of weeks, but interest is broad. “Particularly for around town, like point-of-call deliveries, EV is not only because there’s a subsidy, but there’s a requirement, people want electric trucks,” he says.
The truck service network currently covers Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Taupo, but Bayliss says the company is open to partnerships to expand it.
Interest in the Sunwin electric bus is also building, with factory representatives visiting New Zealand multiple times in recent weeks. Bayliss says bus operators tendering for new contracts are a key market, as new tenders must specify electric vehicles even while operators are still allowed to run existing ICE fleets.
The company is also evaluating plug-in hybrid motorhomes and 48-volt system technology, with dealer partner THL interested in all future product lines.
Bayliss, who has spent 50 years in the automotive industry, says the pace of change is unprecedented. “I think we’re seeing so much change, more change than I’ve ever seen.”
