The Interstellar X is SAIC Maxus’s mid-size pickup, launched in China in December 2024 and built at the group’s plant in Wuxi, Jiangsu. It is 5,500 mm long, 2,005 mm wide and 1,860 mm tall on a 3,300 mm wheelbase, with a 1.7 m load bed that extends to 2.4 m with the tailgate down and a 620 kg payload rating. Export sales run under three other names: Terron 9 across most markets, LDV Terron 9 in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and MG U9 in Australia and Pakistan.
Two drivetrains are offered. The diesel uses SAIC’s 2.5-litre πPlus turbocharged four, rated at 165 kW (221 hp) and 520 Nm, driving through a ZF eight-speed automatic with a selectable four-wheel-drive system. The electric version pairs a 138 kW front motor with a 216 kW rear motor for 354 kW (475 hp) combined and a 102 kWh battery, quoted at 560 km on the Chinese CLTC cycle. Export cars carrying the eTerron 9 name are rated at 430 km on WLTP from the same pack, which is the stricter cycle rather than a different vehicle.
Chinese prices for the 2026 model year run from ¥195,800 ($27,300) for the diesel to ¥316,800 ($44,200) for the electric version. Cabin equipment is closer to a passenger car than a work truck, with twin 12.3-inch screens and Tencent’s TAI connected-car software.
The underlying chassis, which Maxus calls Starbridge, has drawn an outside customer. In August 2026 Volkswagen confirmed that the next Amarok for South America will be built on it at the General Pacheco plant in Argentina from 2027, with Volkswagen responsible for the design, chassis tuning, testing and regional adaptation. That truck is a separate vehicle from the global Amarok, which shares its platform with the Ford Ranger.
