What's the difference?
The LDV G10 arrived on the scene in the van segment a few years ago, with the aim of upsetting the equilibrium.
It was a budget-priced, Chinese-made mid-size van with its target set squarely on appealing to customers who might have wanted a HiAce, but couldn’t afford one.
After almost four-and-a-half years on the market in Australia, the LDV G10 is better than ever. It has seen new additions in the cabin, more comfortable seats, and still offers big value for money.
But with the van market moving forward at pace, does the LDV G10 offer appeal beyond the sticker price? We tested the diesel auto model to find out.
Once regarded as rather an agricultural ute offering, Isuzu’s D-Max has become a well-established, long-time favourite of families, weekend warriors and off-road tourers.
The 3.0-litre D-Max has gained a strong following through the years but versions with the newer 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine are marketed as better on fuel. However there’s a substantial trade-off in terms of power and torque against the 3.0-litre (120kW and 400Nm versus 140kW and 450Nm).
The X-Rider, a mid-spec variant, is available with either engine, so how does the 2.2-litre-equipped D-Max perform as a daily driver and, more importantly, off-roader?
Read on.
The LDV G10 is a solid option for those buyers who just want a van that gets the job done. It was decent with weight on board, but is probably better suited to parcel carriers rather than pallet shifters.
Safety levels are the biggest concern, as it is falling behind in the class when it comes to active safety tech, and its weak crash test score could be enough to rule it out for some customers.
The D-Max X-Rider has adequate appeal as a daily driver – it’s functional and comfortable – and it’s also working off a proven 4WD platform.
This mid-spec ute lacks the polish of higher-grade D-Max grades, but it may still entice those ute fans who want a workhorse with a tractable engine and don’t care at all about frippery.
Does that 2.2-litre engine add anything substantial to the package? No, and the potential fuel savings it represents don’t seem so likely as the 3.0-litre doesn’t use a lot more fuel than the 2.2-litre D-Max anyway – and the 3.0-litre version only costs another $2000 or so to buy.
The 3.0-litre D-Max remains the better option because while the 2.2L is effective off-road, it’s only reasonable in general day-to-day driving, as it lacks grunt and has to work that much harder and is that much noisier under load than the 3.0-litre in most driving scenarios, including 4WDing.