Next LDV T60 ute due in 2024

The next generation of the LDV T60 ute is due in showrooms in about two years – developed with input from the Chinese car maker's Australian distributor.

The current LDV T60 launched in Australia in late 2017 – but a unnamed successor is already well into development, and due in showrooms in the second half of 2024, according to LDV Australia general manager Dinesh Chinnappa.

The next-generation ute – which might not continue the T60 name – is reportedly being developed with input from LDV in Australia, and the company reportedly has had a close eye on the latest benchmarks in the class.

"We started working with SMCV [parent company SAIC Motor's commercial vehicle division] on a totally new-model pick-up a year-and-a-half to two years ago," Mr Chinnappa told Drive at the launch of the updated 2023 T60 Max last week.

"They wrote to us and said we want to design a new pick-up, we would like you to tell us if you were designing [a ute] what would be the things you would want.

"And so we prepared a major paper for them and we took our time – months worth of work went into it – and then we submitted a document to SMCV. Ever since that document has gone, every time there's been some new update about a competitor's next generation, we've wrapped that up in a bow and sent it to China and said 'please pay attention to this, please pay attention to that'.

"We are very much in regular contact about what the next pick-up looks like. I'm expecting it to ... start to become a reality in ... mid to late 2024," Mr Chinnappa said.

Mr Chinnappa told Drive the current LDV T60 range has another "a year, maybe two years" left to run before the new model arrives – suggesting there could be a gap of a few months between old and new models.

The executive did not list the new features LDV Australia passed onto the Chinese head office, however the ute market has evolved significantly in terms of engines, technology, and safety since the T60 launched in 2017.

The newest ute – the Ford Ranger – is available with four-cylinder or V6 diesel power (with a petrol hybrid reportedly on the cards), permanent all-wheel-drive, 3500kg towing, two large interior screens, over-the-air software updates, a tray wide enough to fit a pallet between the wheels, 10 airbags, and advanced safety technology.

The LDV T60 was upgraded last year with a 160kW/500Nm twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine – but it lacks advanced safety technology such as autonomous emergency braking, and basics such as Android Auto connectivity.

When asked how much input LDV in Australia has in the development of new models, Mr Chinnappa said: "It depends on the model. We've definitely heavily consulted on the ... the replacement pick-up, that's a heavy consultation.

"Less so with something like Mifa 9 [LDV's upcoming electric people mover] ... we weren't heavily involved in that.

"On the van side of the business, we're heavily involved. We're a big van market for [LDV]. We do very well with their Deliver 9 van in Australia, and they are very respectful of the fact that we've managed to get it to number one [place in the large van segment].

"They are appreciative and they treat us accordingly, so we get input into things like development, improvements. We'll have feedback to give them on the eDeliver 9 [electric van], things that we need, things that we want and they'll listen to us. They're very good in that regard."

If the next LDV ute's launch in the second half of 2024 remains on track, it is likely to arrive in showrooms at a similar time to a wave of new-generation utes from established Japanese car makers.

The year 2024 is an important deadline. New, tougher crash-safety rules come into force from 2024, so a number of brands are aiming to be in the market before the next upgrade.

The new Mitsubishi Triton is expected to be unveiled next year ahead of showroom arrivals in 2024 – while the next Nissan Navara, developed alongside the Triton, is expected at a similar time, based on the usual 10-year life cycles of commercial vehicles.

The next-generation Toyota HiLux is due in 2025 or 2026, if the typical 10-year model cycles are a guide.

If LDV's next-generation ute is delayed to 2025, the current T60's run may be cut abruptly by the introduction of rules mandating the fitment of autonomous emergency braking to light commercial vehicles with gross vehicle masses below 3.5 tonnes.

The LDV T60 lacks this technology. If the advanced safety aid is not added by then, the LDV T60 in its current guise would not be able to meet local compliance regulations from March 2025.