LDV

LDV is making inroads locally with its cheap (but well-equipped) T60 ute, selling a few hundred a month despite supply constraints, but we expect the next iteration due in 2021 to be quite a step up. Indeed, it’s shaping up as a real Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton rival in every area bar badge credibility. The current T60 sells based on its price, with the top-of-the-tree Luxe grade moving for $32,990 drive-away. The new one will offer more of everything.

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) brands MG and LDV are aiming to become the safest brands in each of their segments, having committed to tailoring new-generation safety systems to meet strict local global regulations.

The 2018 LDV D90 has been awarded five stars in the latest round of crash safety testing carried out by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), following in the footsteps of the related T60 Ute. It scored 14.05 out of 16 for the frontal offset test, and a perfect 16 for the side impact test. It also achieved a perfect score for the pole test, for a total 35.05 out of 37.

The newest ute on the market has arrived, with the Chinese-made 2018 LDV T60 having hit Aussie shores with plenty of equipment and attractive pricing. The all-new LDV ute is initially going to be sold in two spec levels only - the entry-level Pro (shown here in white) and the high-spec Luxe (in red), both of which have heaps of standard gear fitted. Pricing starts at $28,990 drive-away, making the LDV T60 one of the most affordable utes in the segment.

Chinese van maker LDV - a subsidiary of massive conglomerate SAIC, China's biggest car-maker - is doing well enough to be considered a small success story in Australia this year. Under importer Ateco Automotive, sales this year sit at a very respectable 625 units, up 29 per cent on the same period last year (under the same importer).