LDV wants to be the biggest van brand in Australia with yet another electrified model on the way

Like other Chinese-backed automakers in the last few years, LDV has gone from strength to strength, taking a solid percentage of market share away from its popular Japanese and Korean rivals.

LDV specialises in the commercial space, and beyond just being a cheap and cheerful alternative, it is the first brand to roll out electrified vans, people movers, and even the first electric ute in Australia.

The brand is far from done yet though, and while its SUV range won’t be expanded for some time to come, its next target will be a new mid-size van (likely to be sold alongside or replace the G10) that the brand says will be available in both internal combustion and fully electric versions, with three different roof options.

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Specifically, LDV is looking to replicate the same success it has had with the larger Deliver 9 that arrived back in 2021 in combustion form, and late last year in electric guise.

So what kind of van can we expect? Peering at LDV’s expansive overseas catalogue, we can get some ideas. 

The Chinese market is home to the G50 which is not yet available in Australia, but looks like a more modern take on the existing G10. It, however, seems to be only available in people mover formats, able to make use of either a 133kW/285Nm petrol engine, or with a 130kW/310Nm electric motor with 520km of range as the electric Mifa 5.

As a purely electric offering, there is also the EV30 van, branded as the eDeliver 3 for the New Zealand market. While this van is only available with one roof option in both China and NZ currently, it offers a ready-to-go right-hand drive option for the brand, equipped with a 90kW/255Nm electric motor and a 52.5kWh battery good for a claimed 344km city driving range, according to the WLTP standard.

The V70 sits below the V80 and Deliver 9.

Finally, there is also a new van just revealed for the Chinese market, the V70. Sitting below the V80 and Deliver 9, but above the G10, the V70 has thus far only been seen in people mover format, equipped with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and nine-speed automatic transmission.

Which will it be? LDV promises we will find out before long, with the arrival of the new van earmarked for quarter four of 2023.

The EV30 van is also branded as the eDeliver 3.

In terms of overall sales, LDV jumped by 7.1 per cent for the year ending 2022, pointing out that it more than doubled the 3.0 per cent commercial vehicle segment growth. While its impact is more limited than its MG sister brand (both of which fall under the SAIC Motor umbrella), which has climbed the ranks into Australia’s top 10 automakers.

LDV’s managing director, Dinesh Chinnappa, told CarsGuide at the launch of the eT60 ute that it has big plans for 2023 and beyond: “We’re targeting big volumes for next year,” he said, “We’re seeing big numbers for T60 Max, we’d be disappointed not to see 15,000 units of T60 in 2023.”