2022 LDV T60 Max review

That price is creeping up at pace in the new range; no AEB is a glaring omission in terms of safety tech; and its multimedia system is not as simple to operate as those in other similarly priced or more expensive rivals.

The diesel-only five-seater MY18 LDV T60 is available in one body style – dual-cab – and two trim levels: Pro, aimed at tradies, and Luxe, aimed at the dual-purpose or family recreation market. 

From launch, the four options were Pro manual, Pro automatic, Luxe manual and Luxe automatic – all manual gearboxes and automatic transmissions were six-speed. 

MY18 TD60s are powered by a 2.8-litre common-rail turbo-diesel engine.

The ute’s standard features in Pro form include a 10.0-inch colour touchscreen. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

It is also available as a Mega Tub, which is based on the T60 Luxe dual cab variant. The Mega Tub’s tray that is 275mm longer than its non-stretched stablemates, and, as such, offers about the same amount of tray length that you’d find in a space-cab ute, but in a dual-cab ute.

The ute’s standard features in Pro form include cloth seats, a 10.0-inch colour touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic height-adjusting headlights, 4WD with high and low range, 17-inch alloys with a full-sized spare, side steps, and roof rails.

From launch, safety gear included six airbags, two ISOFIX child-seat restraint attachment points in the rear seat, recovery points, as well as a raft of passive and active safety tech including ABS, EBA, ESC, reversing camera and rear parking sensors, 'Hill Descent Control', 'Hill Start Assist', and a tyre-pressure monitoring system.

Above and beyond that, the top-spec Luxe gets leather seats and a leather-bound steering wheel, six-way electrically adjustable and heated front seats, automatic climate control and a 'Smart Key' system with start/stop, as well as an automatic locking rear differential (diff lock) as standard.

The top-spec Luxe gets electrically adjustable and heated front seats. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The Pro has a multi-bar headboard to protect the rear window; the Luxe has a polished chrome sports bar. Both models have roof rails as standard.

The Trailrider 2 auto’s standard features list includes a 10.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay (but no Android Auto), 19-inch black alloy wheels, selectable four-wheel drive, an on-demand rear diff lock, rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a 360-degree view camera. 

It also gets a nudge bar, black alloys, side steps, roof rails, sports bar and ‘Trailrider’ branding on the tailgate.

It does not have front parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, or AEB.

The new MY22 LDV T60 Max Luxe auto, the most recent of our LDV T60 tests, has a standard features list that includes a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay or Bluetooth smart phone connectivity), six-way electronically adjustable leather trim seats (in the Luxe), LED daytime running lights, rear parking sensors, 360-degree panoramic camera view, lane departure warning, and a rear differential lock.

17-inch alloys and a full-sized spare tyre come standard. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Safety gear includes six airbags, 'Electronic Brake Assist' (EBA), 'Electronic Brakeforce Distribution' (EBD), and 'Hill Descent Control.'

Yes, the LDV T60 has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The LDV T60 gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

At MY18 launch time, the base-spec LDV T60 Pro, the manual, was $30,516 (drive-away); the Pro automatic was $32,621 (drive-away), the Luxe manual $34,726 (drive-away), and the Luxe automatic $36,831 (drive-away). ABN holders were asked to pay $28,990 (for the Pro manual), $30,990 (Pro auto), Luxe manual ($32,990) and Luxe automatic ($34,990).

The new LDV T60 Max Luxe auto has a drive away price tag of $42,621 for non-ABN holders. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Pricing for LDV T60 cab-chassis variants was initially $25,253 drive-away or $23,990 drive-away for ABN holders for the 2WD; or $28,411 drive-away, or $26,990 for ABN holders for the 4WD version.

Power in both models comes from a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine making 110kW and 360Nm, hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox. The ute will tow three tonnes – 1.3 tonnes more than the Great Wall Steed cab-chassis – and boasts a 1255kg or 1145kg payload in 4WD and 2WD guise, respectively.

The MY20 line-up buyers have two core variants to choose from; the Pro and the Luxe. Both are in dual-cab form only and come with part-time four-wheel drive only. Manual and automatic are available. 

The LDV T60 2020 prices range from $28,450 for the T60 Pro (4X4) to $44,990 for the T60 Trailrider 2 (4X4).

The five-seat dual-cab Trailrider 2 is available with a six-speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission. The manual variant is priced from $39,990 drive-away and $37,990 drive-away for ABN holders. 

The auto variant, which we tested in mid-2020, is priced from $42,095 drive-away and $39,990 drive-away for ABN holders.

The new T60 Max range starts with the Pro Manual at $33,990, followed by the Pro Automatic $35,990, Luxe Manual $38,490 and Luxe Automatic at $40,490. All costs are drive-away for ABN holders. 

The new LDV T60 Max Luxe auto, which is the T60 we have most recently driven, has a drive away price tag of $42,621 for non-ABN holders.

The interior of the LDV T60 is nice, neat and tidy, well put-together and easy to spend time in.

Check out some of our interior photos from previous LDV T60 reviews and you’ll see what I mean.

Obviously, the Pro and Luxe cabins differ, in that those trim levels are aimed at meeting the needs of two different, although not mutually exclusive, markets: tradies (Pro) and families (Luxe).

The interior of the LDV T60 is nice, neat and tidy. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The Pro leans more towards the working life (durable cloth and tough plastic surfaces), whereas the Luxe has more of a prestige feel to it (albeit on a budget).

As with anything, the more money you spend on something, the better the materials used (including leather trim, etc).

The Luxe has more of a prestige feel to it (albeit on a budget). (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The LDV T60 is available as a dual cab ute with a tub/tray, a Mega Tub (same thing, just bigger), or as a single cab cab chassis.

LDV offers colour-coded fibreglass hard lids, soft tonneau cover, or roller covers for the tubs.

If you can’t find what you want through LDV, you can always tap onto the expertise of the Aussie aftermarket, which is sure to be full of top-quality tray options for T60s.

The LDV T60 is available as a dual cab ute with a tub/tray, a Mega Tub, or as a single cab cab chassis. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The tray in the LDV T60 is listed as 530mm high (at centreline of axle), 1510mm long, and it is 1510mm wide, 1131mm wide between the wheel arches and it's 1430mm wide at the rear. 

The tray in the LDV T60 Max (MY22) is 1485mm long, 1510mm wide and 1131mm wide between the wheel arches.

The T60 has roof rails as standard, but a roof rack/roof bars, which fit to the roof rails, are available through LDV as genuine accessories. 

A good set of roof racks add a bit more loadability to any ute. 

The tray in the LDV T60 Max (MY22) is 1485mm long, 1510mm wide and 1131mm wide between the wheel arches. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Note: roof racks/roof bars have a maximum load capacity – that is, the manufacturer’s recommended weight limit – and the LDV products have a maximum load capacity of 100kg “spread evenly over all bars”, according to LDV.

Payload in LDV T60s range from 815kg in the T60 Luxe (auto), 868kg in the Mega Tub, 995kg in the T60 Pro (auto) and 1025kg in the T60 Pro (manual).

There are 2WD variants available but the LDV T60 4x4 has a part-time 4WD system and, because of its body dimensions, wheelbase length, off-road angles and showroom-standard tyres, it is best suited to light- to medium-duty off-roading, although, if driven with care by someone with 4WD experience, it could tackle more difficult terrain.

Some of its off-road weaknesses could easily be sorted out – or at least tempered – with a decent set of all-terrain tyres and a 2.0-inch lift – an easy purchase via Australia’s 4WD aftermarket sector.

The LDV T60 is best suited to light- to medium-duty off-roading. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The LDV T60 is available in 'Metal Black', 'Jewel Blue', 'Lava Grey', 'Agate Red' and 'Blanc White.' 

We’ve had no problems during our testing phases – and those are sometimes conducted on- and off-road – but admittedly we don’t have the vehicles for much longer than a week at a time.

Check out our T60 problems pages for any potential or actual issues that owners have experienced.

The MY18 and MY20 LDV T60s have a six-speed manual gearbox or six-speed automatic transmission.

The new T60 line-up’s flagship variant, the Max, has an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The new LDV T60 range launches with a five year/130,000km (whichever occurs first) warranty, and five year/130,000km (whichever occurs first) roadside assist.

The new LDV T60 range launches with a five year/130,000km warranty. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Official fuel consumption for the MY18 LDV T60 was 8.8L/100km for the manual, and 9.6L/100km for the auto.

Official fuel consumption for the MY20 LDV T60 Luxe 4x4 (auto) was 9.6L/100km on a combined cycle.

Official fuel consumption for the LDV T60 Mega Tub was 9.6L/100km on a combined cycle.

Official fuel consumption for the MY20 LDV T60 Trailrider 2 was 8.5L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Official fuel consumption for the new LDV T60 with a bi-turbo diesel engine is 9.2L/100km (manual), and 9.3L/100km (auto) on a combined cycle.

No, the LDV T60 does not have a dual battery system.

The LDV T60 has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, as a result of testing in 2017. 

As standard, its safety gear and driver-assist tech includes six airbags, 'Electronic Brake Assist', 'Hill Descent Control', rear parking sensors, a 360-degree panoramic camera view, lane departure warning, and more. It does not have AEB.

The LDV T60 has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, as a result of testing in 2017. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The MY20 LDV T60 Luxe (auto) has the power to sprint from 0-100km/h in just under 13 seconds.

At its launch in the final quarter of 2017, the LDV T60 was generally okay, with an unstressed 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel never seeming to struggle; adequate, if unspectacular, ride and handling, precise steering, overzealous ABS, and a blind-spot monitoring system in one of the test vehicles which reportedly failed to alert its driver to the presence of a passing vehicle during the launch. 

The T60 Max is very punchy off the mark. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

Since then, after engine and transmission upgrades and the introduction of an Aussie-tuned suspension set-up, the LDV T60 has improved significantly in terms of everything.

The T60 Max, the new range’s flagship variant, is very punchy off the mark and during overtaking moves because it has one of the most powerful and torquiest engines in the Australian ute market.

The suspension tunes – heavy duty for the Pro and comfort for the Luxe – have been calibrated to suit Australian roads and conditions. 

After the introduction of an Aussie-tuned suspension set-up, the LDV T60 has improved significantly. (Image: Glen Sullivan)