LDV MIFA 9 2022 Review

It may be a newcomer trying to bust into the EV scene, but the 2022 LDV MIFA 9 is no bargain.

First, the name: it’s an acronym for Maximum, Intelligent, Friendly and Artistic – and the 9 denotes the EV version (petrol-powered versions are known simply as MIFA).

The entry-level MIFA 9 Mode starts at $106,000 plus on-road costs, making it almost double that of the petrol-powered version that has the same seven seats and same large body .

You can buy the Mercedes-Benz EQB seven-seat SUV for less, although it’s smaller and less opulent.

The MIFA 9 Executive is priced from $117,000 plus ORCs, while those who want the full fruit can splash out on the Luxe at $131,000 plus ORCs.

At those prices the MIFA 9 misses most EV incentives and rebates around the country.

If you’ve just lifted yourself off the floor having digested the sticker price then there’s at least some respite with the list of standard equipment on the 2022 LDV MIFA 9, which is thoroughly generous.

All models come with smart key entry, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, heated side mirrors, LED exterior lights and multi-zone ventilation.

There’s also a regular three-pin household charger as well as a Type 2 to Type 2 charging cable that allows the use of higher-powered AC chargers, such as those sometimes found in public car parks.

The entry-level Mode rides on 18-inch alloy wheels and gets a six-speaker sound system as well as fake leather trim.

That ‘leatherette’ trim continues with the Executive, although it picks up 19-inch alloys as well as a raft of additional features that help justify the $11K jump.

They include a dual sunroof, electric sliding side doors, electric tailgate, folding side mirrors, adaptive headlights, electrically adjustable front- and middle-row seats, 64-colour ambient lighting, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, automatic wipers, an extra pair of speakers (for eight in total), wireless phone charger and an air purifier.

It’s an impressive spread given the somewhat skinny equipment list of the base car.

By the time you get to the Luxe it’s an even more lavish assortment of gear. The headline items are business-class-style middle-row captain’s chairs with their own individual digital control panels. Each has full electric control – including for the foot rests – as well as heating, ventilation and massage functions. That heating, cooling and massaging functionality also extends to the front seats.

The MIFA 9 Luxe also gets separate ventilation controls for the second row, a heated steering wheel, more speakers (for 12 in total) and a digital rear-vision mirror that utilises the rear camera to provide a view no matter how many heads are packed into the cabin.

The main omission across the range is a spare tyre (batteries have stolen that space).

The MIFA 9 gets a five-year/160,000km warranty as well as roadside assistance for the same period.

The high-voltage battery gets a separate eight-year/200,000km warranty that guarantees at least 70 per cent of the original capacity.

Servicing is required every two years or 30,000km and it’s relatively affordable. Servicing after years two and six is about $220 and after years four and eight it’s about $520. So bank on around $200 per year when averaged out.

The 2022 LDV MIFA (petrol-powered) and LDV MIFA 9 (EV) have not yet been independently crash tested.

All MIFA 9 models come with a long suite of safety gear. There’s autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear collision warning, driver attention assist and speed sign recognition.

There’s also tyre pressure monitoring and a 360-degree camera.

Plus, there’s full airbag coverage, including dual front and front side airbags as well as curtain airbags covering all three rows. There’s also a centre airbag between the front occupants.

There are three child seat anchor points in the MIFA 9. The two captain’s chairs in the middle row can each take a child seat and the left-rear position on the third row is also set up for child seats.

The 2022 LDV MIFA 9 gets a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster as well as a 12.3-inch central infotainment touch-screen.

The screen incorporates Apple CarPlay connectivity, although there’s no Android Auto. Owners of non-Apple phones can either use Bluetooth or QDLink that mirrors the phone display on the screen.

All MIFA 9 models come with seven USB ports, although we didn’t spot them all during our brief time in the cars. There are three in the front and two in each of the middle and back rows.

Plus, there’s a 220V outlet to charge laptops or power other household devices.

The Luxe also gets a digital rear-vision mirror to provide an uninterrupted view out the rear, even with a fully loaded cabin.

Some of the MIFA 9 tech is packed into the seats, especially if you go for the Luxe model. As well as heating, ventilation and massage functions up front, the middle row captain’s chairs also offer same, plus there are rising foot rests for added support.

The 2022 LDV MIFA 9 gets a single electric motor driving the front wheels.

That motor produces 180kW of power and 350Nm of torque, the latter figure the one doing most of the work.

There’s decent pull from the moment you push the throttle and the MIFA 9 does a good job of masking its 2.3-tonne-plus kerb weight.

There’s a noticeable humming at low speeds, something designed to alert pedestrians to the car’s arrival.

It also pulls strongly when accelerating up a hill, all the while reminding everyone that there’s some bulk on board.

The inside front wheel will occasionally scramble for traction when powering out of a tight bend, something swiftly apprehended by the traction control.

The 2022 LDV MIFA 9 is fed by a 90kWh lithium-ion battery. However, whereas other LDV EVs – the LDV eT60 ute and LDV eDeliver 9 van – use lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) batteries, the MIFA 9 has gone for an NMC chemistry sourced from Chinese battery giant CATL.

There are pros and cons to each chemistry, but the generally accepted advantage with NMC is a higher energy density, so the battery pack can be slightly smaller while holding the same amount of electricity.

Either way, its 90kWh capacity provides up to 440km of WLTP range. The slightly heavier bodies of the MIFA 9 Executive and Luxe reduce their claimed ranges to 435km and 430km respectively.

Claimed energy use is between 21.3 and 21.8kWh per 100km.

Charging can be done at up to 11kW using an AC outlet, which means something like 8.5 hours for a full charge. Charging from a home power point takes more like 45 hours.

Faster DC charging can boost the battery from 30 to 80 per cent – about 200km – in a claimed 36 minutes.

As with a Tesla and a Polestar, there’s no start button, the 2022 LDV MIFA 9 simply recognising when the driver is aboard and belted and being ready to move.

The electronic hand brake releases automatically and the car gets moving effortlessly.

It’s a sizeable wagon but there’s a lightness to the controls that makes low-speed running easy.

The cabin is impressively hushed, which makes the loud clicking from the indicators all the more pronounced.

The suspension is soft and plush, clearly designed for comfort. It does a decent job of smothering bumps on the 19-inch wheels of the Executive we tested (we also briefly drove the Luxe).

Continental EcoContact 6 tyres provide the final dynamic link to the bitumen and there’s decent grip.

But ultimately physics has its say.

There are whiffs of torque steer when punching out of tight corners and the plushness wafts towards mushiness when you dial up the pace. It’s a reminder that there’s 2.3 tonnes trying to change direction, the MIFA 9 lurching on its suspension with quick directional changes.

The stability control system also graunches as it fights to keep things pointing in the right direction.

Back it off a bit, though, and the relaxed comfort returns, the MIFA 9 far more composed and in its comfort zone.

The 2022 LDV MIFA 9 is purely an on-road vehicle. There’s no four-wheel drive system, no spare tyre and nothing like the ground clearance required for tackling tough terrain.

It’s opulence from 20 paces in the 2022 LDV MIFA 9 Luxe. Quilted and perforated leather seat upholstery sets the scene on the Luxe, while white stitching, carbon-fibre-look trim and silver highlights add visual spice.

Even the ‘leatherette’ (fake leather) of the Executive looks and feels upmarket.

It’s a spacious cabin, too.

There’s terrific storage up front. A wireless charging pad sits alongside two cup holders and behind it is a deep covered centre console.

Below the main console is a secondary ledge with separators to take care of small bags or whatever other gear you find rollicking around the cabin.

Those in the middle-row captain’s chairs get the full business-class experience, especially in the Luxe – foot rests, tall arm rests and digital screens to adjust everything from the seat heating, ventilation and massaging to the angle of the back and leg rests.

You can not only electronically move the seats front and back but also from left to right, which is quite the party trick.

The Executive has more traditional captain’s chairs with smaller folding arm rests; it’s arguably more welcoming, not having the bulk of those more functional pews wrapped around you.

Roof-mounted vents feed air to the back two rows.

The third-row seat shaves back some of the headroom from the other two rows, but still has excellent legroom if you shuffle the seats all the way back. There are arm rests either side and decent side vision.

How much luggage space you have will depend on the generosity of those in the third row and how much they value their legroom.

With that third row slid all the way back it’ll be a few soft bags at best. Reduce their legroom to almost nothing and you can start piling suitcases in with up to 1010 litres of space.

There’s no underfloor cavity either – that’s all taken up with batteries – although there is a small storage area (frunk) under the bonnet.

Child restraints can go in either of the captain’s chairs – if they fit between the arm rests – or in the left seat only of the third row.

But ultimately the MIFA 9 is less about lugging kids around and more about giving adults a luxurious zero-emissions people-mover experience.

You’ll have to be careful loading it up, though.

The entry-level Mode weighs 2310kg, which translates to a payload of 655kg. With seven people on board you may have to limit how much luggage you carry.

By the time you get to the Luxe there’s only 525kg of payload (the people-mover weighs 2535kg). That means an average of 75kg (inclusive of luggage) for each person when all seven seats are in play, or less if you want to bring luggage.

The MIFA 9 can tow up to 1000kg, which pretty much limits it to tinnies or a box trailer. However, if you’re towing that much in the Luxe then you can only carry 110kg in the vehicle – inclusive of people. So you’ll be driving solo.

Of the three EVs LDV has launched in Australia, the 2022 LDV MIFA 9 is the most convincing.

That’s perhaps no surprise because it’s by far the youngest.

But it also stacks up as a thoroughly useful people-mover, one that provides plenty of room for occupants and enough tech to keep them entertained.

The big challenge for a lot of people will be stretching the budget to the MIFA 9. The same opulence and basic body can be had for roughly half the price, making this electric version of the new MIFA a financial stretch for the EV faithful.

2022 LDV MIFA 9 Executive at a glance:
Price: $117,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 180kW/350Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 90kWh lithium ion
Range: 435km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 21.3-21.8kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested