Bay Harbour: October 09, 2025
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14 | <strong>Bay</strong> <strong>Harbour</strong> News, <strong>October</strong> 9, <strong>2025</strong> starnews.co.nz<br />
MOTORING<br />
Value for money<br />
meets muscle in<br />
LDV’s newest ute<br />
Motoring with Bob Nettleton<br />
Great Wall Motors (GWM these<br />
days) and LDV were among the<br />
first Chinese ute makers to test<br />
our market 15 years ago, but as<br />
newcomers, sales success was<br />
hard to come by.<br />
Since then, GWM has made<br />
more of an impact, thanks to its<br />
Cannon ute, which has built a<br />
solid following on affordability,<br />
modern styling, and generous<br />
equipment.<br />
LDV’s first ute arrived in 2017<br />
in the form of the T60. It wasn’t<br />
a convincing debut, and being<br />
the new kid on the ute block<br />
made things tougher still.<br />
Recognition and buyers were<br />
slow to come, unsurprising in a<br />
market so loyal to Ford Rangers<br />
and Toyota Hiluxes.<br />
While it never shone in sales,<br />
the T60 did stand out in safety,<br />
becoming the first Chinese ute<br />
to earn a five-star ANCAP crash<br />
rating. A 2022 update added<br />
sharper styling, more gear, and<br />
extra safety tech.<br />
For context, LDV is a division<br />
of SAIC (Shanghai Automobile<br />
and Industrial Corporation),<br />
China’s largest and oldest<br />
automaker.<br />
SAIC sold around five million<br />
vehicles in 2024, ranking it<br />
among the world’s top 10<br />
producers.<br />
One of its smartest moves<br />
was buying LDV in 20<strong>09</strong>, the<br />
former light commercial arm of<br />
Leyland DAF. That deal brought<br />
with it the V80 van platform,<br />
newly developed at the time for<br />
Europe and Asia. Today, vans<br />
still make up most LDVs sold<br />
here.<br />
New models are on the<br />
way, including the secondgeneration<br />
D90 SUV, which<br />
I saw in Australia recently.<br />
Rating out of 10: Performance 7, Handling 6, Build Quality 7, Comfort 6, Space 7, Styling 7, Fuel Economy; on road<br />
test average consumption 8.9L, Value for money 6.5, Safety, ANCAP crash rating, not tested yet.<br />
Price: $55,990<br />
Overall points out of 10: 6<br />
It’s under evaluation for our<br />
market, though a decision<br />
appears some way off.<br />
In the meantime, LDV has<br />
added a flagship ute – the<br />
$55,990 T60 MAX Plus. It’s the<br />
priciest T60 yet, especially<br />
when you consider the entrylevel<br />
Elite and mid-range<br />
Lux are on special at $34,990<br />
and $39,990. All are backed<br />
by a seven-year/200,000km<br />
warranty.<br />
With bold styling, dual<br />
screens, and rugged appeal,<br />
the MAX Plus is pitched at<br />
buyers after something a little<br />
different.<br />
Power comes from a 2.0-litre<br />
bi-turbo diesel (Euro V), which<br />
is a bit noisy and less refined<br />
than its Japanese rivals. Still,<br />
its 160kW and 500Nm provide<br />
ample muscle for road or offroad<br />
work.<br />
Cruising is easy, overtaking<br />
effortless, and with an 8-speed<br />
automatic, 3-tonne braked<br />
towing, and four-wheel drive,<br />
the T60 is capable of handling<br />
most tasks.<br />
The transmission isn’t<br />
flawless, showing the odd<br />
hesitation, and the steeringcolumn<br />
gear selector feels<br />
awkward in a ute.<br />
The cabin is spacious, though<br />
the lack of telescopic steering<br />
adjustment makes it harder for<br />
taller drivers to get comfortable.<br />
Controls are logically laid<br />
out, and cabin trim has been<br />
upgraded, with cheaper plastics<br />
now hidden in less obvious<br />
places.<br />
Features include wireless<br />
phone charging, 18-inch black<br />
alloys, heated synthetic leather<br />
seats with power adjustment,<br />
keyless entry, push-button start,<br />
dual 12.3-inch displays, Apple<br />
CarPlay, Android Auto, and a<br />
360° camera.<br />
Practical touches include a<br />
spray-in tub liner, tie-down<br />
points, a tailgate assist, and a<br />
lockable cargo area.<br />
On the safety front, LDV<br />
provides a strong list: lane keep<br />
assist, adaptive cruise control,<br />
and autonomous emergency<br />
braking.<br />
One glaring omission is blindspot<br />
monitoring, which would<br />
be especially useful in a vehicle<br />
this size.<br />
Double-wishbone front<br />
suspension, electric power<br />
steering, and selectable steering<br />
modes (Standard and Sport)<br />
give the T60 decent ride comfort<br />
and tidy handling.<br />
Steering is light, though<br />
short on feel, and while bumps<br />
are absorbed competently,<br />
rougher surfaces do bring out<br />
some suspension noise. A light<br />
cross-country test – muddy and<br />
uneven farm tracks – posed no<br />
difficulty.<br />
Overall, the T60 MAX Plus is<br />
a well-equipped, value-driven<br />
ute that shows how far LDV has<br />
come. It’s far from perfect, but<br />
plays the value card strongly<br />
and offers plenty of kit for the<br />
money.<br />
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