LDV D90 diesel coming to Australia
The all-new LDV D90 large SUV may not have launched yet, but CarAdvice can confirm the Chinese-made model is set to battle both the petrol and diesel parts of the market ... but not until 2019, it seems.
Roger Zagorski, managing director of Ateco Automotive - the company that distributes LDV models in Australia - said at the unveiling of the 2018 LDV T60 ute that the company is on track to introduce the all-new LDV D90 SUV in November.
The large SUV will be offered in 2WD and 4WD and will feature seven seats and plenty of safety equipment to compete with better-known off-road capable models in the segment, but Zagorski said that petrol is the only version that'll be offered when the D90 hits showrooms soon.
"Yes," Zagorski said when asked if a diesel version will be offered. "No," he said when asked if it would happen at launch.
Instead, the LDV D90 will be offered with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 165kW/360Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine at launch.
"Petrol only at launch, and that covers about 48 to 50 per cent of the segment, so not a small percentage," Zagorski said. "But there is a high-performance, in-house-developed turbo diesel engine coming, and it will be about roughly 18 months after launch."
That won't be the same 2.8-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine with 110kW of power and 360Nm of torque that is set to be found in the LDV T60 ute. As we've previously reported, the company is working on a new-generation diesel engine, one that will presumably be more focused on efficiency and, we hope, offer more performance.
Buyers can expect the diesel model to be offered with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, and it is likely the diesel version will be offered in 2WD and 4WD versions.
While it's clear the LDV D90 will eventually compete with the likes of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner, Holden Trailblazer, Isuzu MU-X and Ford Everest, its petrol engine will make it the odd one out, at least initially.
0
