Luxgen Unveils New Special Edition SUV and MPV Models at Taipei Show

Launched onto the market in late 2009, Luxgen is Taiwan's first passenger carmaker and a subsidiary of Yulon Motor Co., a company mostly known for building Nissan models under license. Following last year's release of its first models, the 'LUXGEN7 SUV' and the 'LUXGEN MPV', the newly formed auto brand today unwrapped two special edition versions at the 2011 Taipei Automobile & Accessories Exhibition.

Both the LUXGEN7 SUV Sports⁺ and LUXGEN7 MPV Elegance⁺ build on their standard siblings adding special styling cues and extra features.

Starting with the LUXGEN7 SUV Sports⁺, the special edition model gains a black paintwork with red detailing on the bumpers, side skirts, mirrors and roof rails, plus smoked lights, carbon fiber trim on the front grille and rear hatch and quad exhaust outlets.

The newly styled 20-inch alloy wheels round off the exterior upgrades. We don't have any pictures of the interior but Luxgen says that the black and red two-tone theme is continued on the suede seats and steering wheel, with other touches include the carbon fiber decorative trim on the center console and aluminum pedals.

The firm's second special edition model is the LUXGEN7 MPV Elegance⁺, which combines a black finish with chrome detailing and new 20-inch alloy wheels on the outside. The interior of MPV Elegance⁺ is said to offer increased luxury over the standard model boasting diamond quilted two-tone suede seats, brown leather steering wheel, classic walnut wood trim and upgraded features.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Taiwan's First Car Brand Launches Luxgen7 SUV, Could go on Sale in Europe

Taiwan's first passenger automobile brand Luxgen has revealed more details and pictures of its new 'Luxgen7 SUV' model that's on sale in its home market and if it proves successful, could eventually make its way to the UK and other European countries.

If the Peugeot 3008 and Infiniti had a love child, we can only imagine it would look something like Luxgen7 SUV which at 4.8 meters long, 1.93 meters wide and 1.76 meters in height, is roughly the same size as a Mercedes-Benz ML-Class.

The Taiwanese SUV is offered with a newly developed 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine producing 175HP at 6,000rpm and 28kgm of torque spanning from 2,500 to 4,000rpm.

The petrol unit is coupled to an also new 5-speed automatic transmission equipped with manual shifting function and what Luxgen describes as "intelligent Transmission Control Module with 10 built-in operation modes." The automatic transmission was developed by Japan's Aisin.

The SUV also gets an intelligent 3-mode 4WD system that can actively split engine torque between the front and rear axles based on the road condition and driver input.

The Taiwanese firm has equipped the Luxgen7 SUV with a raft of new technology such as the Think+ onboard computer system which offers video and audio entertainment, telecommunication, GPS navigation and four advanced visual assistance systems including Eagle View+ (a 360 degree surveillance system), Side View+ (Blind Spot Monitoring System), LDWS+Lane Departure Warning System) and Night vision+ (high sensitivity night vision enhancement system).

Other equipment highlights include an electrically operated tailgate, an anti-theft system that slides the driver's seat forward pressing the back against the steering wheel after exiting the car and a hi-end Clarion audio system with JBL speakers.

In Taiwan, the Luxgen7 SUV is available in five trim levels at prices ranging from NTD 838,000 to NTD 1,148,000 (around US$26,000 - $35,600 /€21,500 -€29,500 at today's exchange rates).