Watch out BYD Shark 6: 2027 LDV T70 and Terron 9 PHEV to become potentially cut-price dual-prong hybrid rivals

LDV is set to muscle in on the rapidly-expanding plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) ute segment in Australia with a two-pronged strategy covering all bases and budgets.

Unveiled in Beijing late last month, the T70 PHEV and Terron 9 PHEV are both expected to land locally sometime next year, though importer Ateco Automotive has yet to confirm this.

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These include the just-announced JAC Hunter PHEV that starts from $50,000 before on-road costs, the GWM Cannon PHEV that is due in Australia from August with pricing yet to be confirmed, as well as the as-yet-unnamed Chery ‘KP31’ that is being prepared for launch in a few months.

Meanwhile, the Terron 9 PHEV will be the more-premium choice, taking on the BYD Shark 6 PHEV that kicks off from $57,990 before on-road costs in Premium grade (though a recently-released Cab Chassis version costs $2000 less).

GWM’s larger second ute option, the Cannon Alpha PHEV that starts from $61,490 drive-away in base Lux guise, as well as the coming Nissan Frontier Pro PHEV, may also be in the larger LDV PHEV’s crosshairs.

In contrast, Australia’s best-selling vehicle over the past two years, the Ford Ranger, is not even in the hunt against these Chinese alternatives, with the PHEV (imported from South Africa instead of Thailand like the rest of the range) commencing from $71,990 before on-road costs in XLT specification, soaring to $86,990 for the Stormtrak flagship.

Despite anticipated sharp pricing, the LDV’s powertrain promises to be advanced, combining a petrol engine and an electric motor to offer both mechanical and electric four-wheel-drive capability.

Other PHEV details, including powertrain outputs, battery size and range, will be revealed at a later stage.

So, what are the other changes to the latest, facelifted T60/T70 series?

More than just a makeover, it appears that almost every exterior panel is new from the windscreen forward and the rear window-back, including the sheetmetal and nose cone.

And while the basic centre section carries over, the interior has also come in for a complete redesign, with its restyled dashboard incorporating a sizeable central touchscreen/instrumentation display, mimicking that of the Terron 9.

Speaking of which, the latter is also set to donate its 163kW/520Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine to the smaller ute, replacing the 160kW/500Nm 2.0-litre unit as found in the existing T60 in Australia. Whether the same power and torque outputs also carry through is not known at this stage.

The coming PHEV is not the first electrified LDV ute to be sold in Australia.

The existing T60 has gone down in history as the first ute to offer a battery electric vehicle (EV) option as the eT60 back in 2022.

But stratospheric pricing (from nearly $100,000), rear-drive only (so no 4x4 availability) and low carrying capacity scuppered any chance of success, leading to the EV's discontinuation in 2024. That failure seems to have also delayed the eTerron 9 EV indefinitely.

LDV is unlikely to make the same mistakes with either the Terron 9 PHEV or T60/T70 PHEV if/when they get the green light for Australia.

Watch this space.