2018 LDV T60 Luxe first drive review
Dual cab utes are all about the numbers.
If it’s not the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger setting the sales charts alight, it’s talk of torque output, towing capacity, wading depth and more.
The latest contender for pick-up patrons comes from China’s LDV operation with two key numbers in mind. The first is a five-star ANCAP rating with detailed scores that put it ahead of some major players. Following that, a $28,990 drive-away price is the headline figure for folks considering the new LDV T60.
Priced from $30,516 drive-away for regular punters, or that $28,990 drive-away sum for ABN holders, the LDV T60 is one of the cheapest dual-cab utes on sale. It has a relatively simple lineup with one body style and a single 2.8-litre engine shared by both models.
LDV pitches its entry-level T60 Pro as a tradesman’s tool, fitting it with heavy-duty suspension, and hard-wearing cloth seats ready to take on the work site. But the T60 Pro is anything but Spartan – you also get safety gear including a reversing camera, rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, hill descent control, a protective headboard for the tray, tyre pressure sensors and four-wheel disc brakes currently restricted to the likes of Volkswagen’s Amarok and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz X-Class. Convenient touches include a 10-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, twin USB and 12-volt power outlets, heated side mirrors, air con, cruise control and a plastic tray liner.
Buyers looking for a touch more bling can plump for the T60 Luxe at $32,990 drive-away for tradies or $34,726 drive-away for the rest of us, benefiting from smart keys, a chrome sports bar, leather seats with electric adjustment, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and more.
Both are fitted with a six-speed manual transmission and high and low-range four-wheel-drive as standard – a six-speed auto costs an extra $2000.
Value is key to the T60’s appeal – a similarly-equipped Toyota HiLux will set you back at least an extra $20,000. The same goes for Ford’s Ranger, though cheaper rivals such as the Mitsubishi Triton are closer to the mark.
We tested the T60 in Luxe form at the model’s national launch in Bathurst, NSW.
The metallic red (an additional $500) machine made a solid first impression with reasonably butch looks, 17-inch alloys with Dunlop tyres and an interior home to that enormous touch screen. The cabin isn’t perfect though, lacking reach adjustment for the steering wheel, proper bolstering for its meanly padded seats, or consistent shut lines for elements such as the glove box.
Prod the starter button and the 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine wakes rather grumpily, rumbling away like a light truck. It’s not a particularly refined beast, huffing and snuffing like a Labrador with hay fever as the turbo pumps air down the motor’s throat.
LDV claims maximum outputs of 110kW of power and 360Nm of torque for the T60 – modest numbers in a class where pulling power is important and some rivals have an extra 100Nm or more to work with.
It feels strained on the road, taking its time to reach cruising speeds on country highways. Overtaking isn’t a strong point, with passing manoeuvres best planned well in advance. Our automatic model was reasonably well-behaved, doing a decent job of choosing the right gear save for a couple of indecisive moments in hilly country.
That lack of panache carries through to the T60’s suspension, which felt plainly unresolved on an inland run to Oberon. Poor body control sees the Luxe struggle to right itself after bumps that are felt again and again as the suspension struggles to control its mass. One colleague likened it to riding on a bouncy castle – we felt it was more like a water bed.
The situation isn’t helped by light and vague steering that leaves you with little of the confidence offered by best-in-class models.
We didn’t have an opportunity to test the cheaper (and firmer-suspended) Pro or put a load in a tray home to six tie-down points. Both will happen in the near future.
LDV has won plenty of support for its commercial vans in Australia, so it’s no surprise to find it taking on the lucrative ute market. Built by China’s SAIC group, the T60 is imported locally by ATECO – the expert outfit that handles Maserati in Australia, with previous form working alongside the likes of Ferrari, Kia, Great Wall and Alfa Romeo.
The T60 is a tricky car to grasp. No, it’s not nearly as polished to drive as models that have been refined for years, often tuned for Australian conditions. But LDV hopes to fix that in the future, with both a locally-developed suspension setup and more powerful engines in addition to an expanded accessories range.
Really, it comes down to the numbers. Some customers will find a $20,000-plus saving with no safety compromise worth consideration. People put off by the brand’s place as a newcomer might be won over by its five-year, 130,000-kilometre warranty that includes a replacement vehicle guarantee for any time lost to mechanical trouble.
Then again, others will be put off by the auto Luxe’s comparatively meagre 815 kilogram payload (the equivalent Ranger’s maximum is 950kg), shallow 300mm wading depth (the Ford will do 800mm) and slightly modest 3000 kilogram towing capacity (the HiLux and others can tow 3.5 tonnes).
Only you can say if the numbers add up.
2018 LDV T60 pricing and specifications
Price: From $30,516 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 110kW at 3400rpm
Torque: 360Nm at 1600-2800rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual or auto, four-wheel-drive
Fuel use: From 8.8L/100km