2019 LDV D60 Reviews

LDV will enter the ultra-competitive Australian ute market this October with the release of its T60 pick-up

The NSW police have unveiled an unlikely new weapon in the fight against crime: a seven-seat people-mover from Chinese manufacturer LDV.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the LDV G10 2.4 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

We road test and review the LDV G10 with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

One of Australia's cheapest vans has been slammed by safety experts after scoring a "poor" two-star rating out of five in a crash test.

They've had a false start here under another importer but now the affordable LDV range of light commercial vans is here under the stewardship of respected importer Ateco.LDVs (Leyland DAF Van) no longer come out of Europe but are made in China by that country's largest automaker SAIC.They bought the LDV factory lock, stock and barrel and relocated it to a new place in China where they now crank out hundreds of thousands of the things.And more importantly, they are just the same in every way as the highly regarded European manufactured version except perhaps for the alloy 16-inch wheels and the badging.Ateco reckons a small operator can have all the advantages of a quality European type van for half the monthly lease payment with its V80 model. That could mean not paying $1000 a month but instead paying $500. Big difference.A handsome van by any delivery driver's measure the V80 is available in a number of configurations including low, mid and high roof, and short and long wheelbase. There's even a 14 seat bus available with prices starting at $29,990 for the SWB low roof manual van.It looks a lot like a Benz Vito in its square lines, and the short wheelbase vehicle we drove was capable of taking two full size pallets in the load area. Payload in the short wheelbase model is 1204kg up to 1419kg in the longer models.Side sliders both sides and 180 degree barn door at the rear facilitate loading.A central locking system for security automatically activates as soon as you fire the vehicle up.The load compartment is lined and has a high-grip cargo mat. A full width/height load barrier is available complete with clear plastic curtain.The V80 has dual front air bags, rear parking sensors and electronic brake force distribution.It hasn't been crash rated in Australia yet.The running costs are low thanks to the LDV using proprietary components from international manufacturers. The transverse mounted engine is a VM Motori 2.5-litre turbodiesel four cylinder design made in China under licence and the same applies to the newly available automated manual six speeder. Other components of the LDV van would share a similar origin.The standard manual is a five speeder.Achieved power is 100kW/330Nm with fuel consumption of a combined 8.9L/100km. Tank capacity is 80 litres.Drive goes to the front wheels, the brakes are discs all round and British automotive engineering outfit MIRA calibrated the V80's suspension and other dynamic components.It has power assisted rack and pinion steering with a commendably tight turning circle.We had a short faux delivery run drive in the V80 shorty with the new automated manual box – ostensibly an automatic with somewhat slower changes than a conventional torque converter auto. But anything is better than swapping cogs by hand in thick traffic.The vehicle has plenty of acceleration and torque to pull heavy loads and behaves like any other delivery van on the road. It has a particularly tight turning circle which is handy and the driving position is fairly standard for a delivery van – upright seat and flat steering wheel. There are plenty of creature comforts in the cabin that is only marred by centrally located instruments which can be difficult to see.Apart from that, it's all good – low floor height for easy loading, large door apertures, three year/100,000km warranty, roadside assist, a nationwide dealer network.

China's automotive invasion appears to have faltered after a strong start.

China's biggest vehicle brand now has a niche entry into Australia as Sydney-based importer Ateco picks up a string of people movers and commercial vans.Ateco Automotive this week took on the importation and distribution of LDV, the commercial-vehicle arm of China's biggest automotive group, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).But the entrée into SAIC also gives Ateco the opportunity to import Chinese-made passenger cars in the near future.It is the fourth Chinese brand to be imported by Ateco.Company spokesman Daniel Cotterill says Ateco starts launching the diesel-powered V80 range of delivery vans in October, then will introduce the G10 seven-seat people mover and one-tonne light van in the first quarter of next year. Automatic transmission will become an option across the range in early 2015. "The people mover gives us direct access to Australia's people-mover sector and that makes it easier in the future to import passenger cars," he says. "We are also looking at a ute which we expect here within 18 months."Mr Cotterill says pricing is still a "work in progress" but says the short wheelbase V80 van, the cheapest in the range, will sell for less than $30,000 including drive-away costs. That indicates the V80 will become Australia's cheapest one-tonne delivery van. Rivals include the diesel Ford Transit at $37,490, Fiat Scudo ($28,990) and Hyundai iLoad ($36,490). These prices do not include on-road costs."We will price the range as competitively as possible," Mr Cotterill says. "It is a very competitive sector of the market." He says Ateco won't move from the industry-standard three-year, 100,000km warranty.The LDV distributorship was originally held by White Motor Corporation. Ateco now plans to use the existing 18 national LDV dealers to build up to 30 by October and 40 by the end of this year.Mr Cotterill says some dealers may be existing  agents for Ateco's other Asian brands, Great Wall, Chery, Ssangyong and Foton.In addition, Ateco distributes Maserati and Lotus. Despite the volume and pricing of the Chinese vehicles in Ateco's portfolio, only Maserati is showing sales growth.Great Wall sales have slumped 58 per cent year to date in comparison with 2013. Chery is down 20 per cent and Ssangyong is also off 20 per cent in the same time period.Mr Cotterill says it's disappointing but blames the drop offs in sales to currency changes that erode the landed price of the vehicles."It (light commercial vehicle ute market) is extremely competitive and it all comes down to price," he says. "There are two reasons for the sales fall in Great Wall – the price and the fact that the Chinese company has had difficulties and has been unable to upgrade its right-hand drive vehicle models."But we see the currency issue and the stalling of vehicle development in China as cyclical. It's tough at the moment but we are positive for the future." In addition to building its own vehicles, SAIC is China's biggest and oldest joint-venture car company with ongoing partnerships with General Motors and Volkswagen.LDV was bought from UK-based Leyland DAF Vans (LDV) in 2009. The front-wheel drive vans use a VM Motori 100kW/330Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine.The V80 range includes three van formats and 11 and 18-seater buses.

If you've ever travelled in the UK anytime in the past 20 years (or just watched police shows from that country) you will have noticed dozens, if not hundreds of vans with LDV badges.Purpose built by Leyland and DAF, hence the title LDV standing for Leyland DAF Vehicles, the vans had a reputation amongst users as honest, though not particularly interesting vehicles.LDV got into serious financial strife in the early years of the 21st century and in 2005 the rights to build LDVs were sold to Chinese giant SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation). SAIC is the largest vehicle manufacturer in China and has formed partnerships with Volkswagen and General Motors.In 2012 companies in the SAIC group produced a staggering 4.5 million vehicles – by way of comparison that’s over four times the number of new vehicles sold in Australia last year. Now LDV vans are being imported to Australia from a Chinese factory.The vans we are getting here are based on the 2005 European design, but have had quite a few updates in the meantime, particularly in the safety and exhaust emission fields.In these early days in Australia the LDV is offered in a relatively limited number of models. A short wheelbase (3100 mm) with a standard roof height and a long wheelbase (3850 mm) with either a mid-level roof or a high roof.Future imports will include everything from cab-chassis to which various bodies can be attached, to people movers. Pricing is important to buyer perception of Chinese vehicles at this early stage of their establishment in this country.On the face of it the LDVs look to be about two to three thousand dollars under their competitors, but the LDV’s importers calculate that they are about 20 to 25 per cent cheaper when you take the high level of standard features into consideration.Over and above what you would expect in a vehicle in this class, the LDV van comes with air conditioning, alloy wheels, foglights, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, and reversing sensors. Interestingly, a senior member of the Chinese embassy in Australia, Qui De Ya, attended the media launch of the LDV. Amongst other matters he stressed the importance of social responsibility to the Chinese people. The Australian importer, WMC announced that in line with this it has donated an LDV van to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the charity that helps brighten the lives of seriously ill Aussie children.The load area on every model imported to Australia is accessed through sliding doors on both side and full-height barn doors. The latter open to a maximum of 180 degrees, making it possible to get a forklift right up to the rear.However, they don’t open 270 degrees to make reversing into a really tight area possible. The latter is probably less important in Australia than in cramped cities in Europe and Asia, but would nevertheless be useful at times.Two standard Australian specification pallets can be carried in tandem in the big load area. The width between the wheelarches is 1380 mm and the arches are pleasingly small in the volume they occupy.Build quality is generally good, though the interior isn’t to the same standard as commercials built in other countries. One of the LDVs we tested had a door that needed a hefty slam before it would close, the others were fine.Power for the LDV vans comes from a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine designed by the Italian VM Motori company and built in China. It produces up to 100 kW of power and 330 Nm of torque.During the 300+ kilometre drive program organised by WMC, the Australian importer of LDVs, we found the engine to be strong and willing in its actions. It wasn’t as happy to pull at low revs as we anticipated in a commercial vehicle, but once it got up to 1500 revs it gets on song and is happy to hold high gears on fairly steep hills.At this stage only a five-speed manual gearbox is being fitted, automatic transmissions are under development and are likely to be on offer by the time the LDV moves to people mover status. The manual gearbox is light and easy in its actions, not something that’s simple to engineer in a vehicle with a transverse engine and front wheel drive so the engineers deserve a real compliment on this.LDV vans have more styling flair than is the norm in this market segment and although it’s not the quietest engine around it has a truck like sound that’s certainly not out of place.

The biggest automaker in China, SAIC, has just put a toe in the water here with a selection of LDV vans. SAIC sells 4.5 million vehicles a year and is in cahoots with GM and VW as wells as a swag of well know component manufacturers. LDV is handled here by WMC motor group, a privately owned company that already has Chinese brands Higer buses and JAC light trucks under its wing. LDV (Light Duty Van) is the product of a bold move by the Chinese more than a decade ago when they purchased the LDV plant in Europe and transplanted it to a location near Shanghai. They upgraded both the line and the vehicle bringing them into the 21st century. Up to 75 per cent of components in LDV vans are globally sourced.Prices for the first three models are $32,990, $37,990 and $39,990 in ascending order. There is one spec' only with generous equipment levels that includes aircon' with multiple vents, 16-inch alloys, ABS, dual front air bags, reverse sensors, cruise control, remote keyless entry, power windows and mirrors.The vans are well set up for work with a low centre of gravity, low floor clearance, passenger vehicle comfort levels, plenty of cargo space, good axle load allocation and crash benefits. The interior is well endowed with storage options and has three seats.It will target tradies, rental fleets and freight organisations. WMC hopes to win conquest sales over the likes of Hyundai iLoad, Iveco, Benz Sprinter, VW Transporter, Fiat Ducato and Renault among others.Comparing apples with apples (i.e. similarly specced vehicles), the LDV offers a value proposition despite being pitched higher than expected. It's a couple of grand under the most likely competitor, well entrenched iLoad, and is the lowest price van on the market today.Called the V80, the new front drive vans feature a four cylinder, 2.5-litre, turbo diesel engine from VM Motori, manufactured under licence in China. The initial batch of vehicles is five-speed manual with a six-speed automated manual (semi-auto) due later this year along with a drop side, tray back cab/chassis, people mover and other variants.Three variants are available initially; a short wheel base low roof, long wheelbase mid roof and long wheelbase high roof. They have load capacities of between 9-12 cubic metres, or two pallets and payloads between 1.3 and 1.8 tonnes.No crash rating was available but four stars seems attainable with stability control and a couple of more airbags.It's pretty good to drive too - a lot better than expected particularly in terms of ride and performance. The gas filled dampers give a smooth ride even over rough roads and the engine has plenty of performance once underway. It's good for 100kW/330Nm output.The manual change mechanism is similar to other offerings in the segment and the interior could also be from any of LDV's competitors - not flash but utilitarian and hard wearing. They need to reposition the instruments onto the left side of the dash instead of the middle.WMC is also offering the V80 as a wheelchair accessible vehicle available, ready to roll from the dealers. Currently, this type of vehicle is fitted-out by third party manufacturers at high cost and with long delays.It's a tempting workhorse from LDV that benefits from a solid European influence and competitive pricing.