Ldv Adds Two Vans And Fortuner Rival To Incoming Product List

Its market arrival announced last month, Chinese automaker, LDV, has confirmed the arrival of three models for South Africa from next month.

Set to join the T60 bakkie, the most significant is the D90 SUV sold in Australia and as the MG Gloster in India due to the British brand being owned LDV parent company, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, otherwise known as SAIC Motor.

As with the T60, the D90 is marketed under the Maxus brand as Maxus Territory in China, but in-line with the nameplate used for export markets, will be sold as an LDV SAIC acquired in 2010, five years after the original LDV Group entered insolvency in the United Kingdom after what had been a 12-year production for the post British Leyland marque founded in 1986 as Leyland DAF Vans.

Still in its first generation having debuted in 2017, the D90 did, however, receive an extensive facelift towards the end of 2022 in China, with sales in Australia also still to commence.

Measuring 5046 mm long, 2016 mm wide and 1876 mm tall, the D90 has a wheelbase of 2960 mm and rides on a body-on-frame platform shared with the T60.

The claimed ground clearance is 230 mm with drive going to front or all four wheels.

Effectively LDVs rival for the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Mahindra Scorpio-N, the D90 will have seating for seven as standard, an approach angle of 28-degrees and departure angle of 26-degrees.

Up front, a single powertrain option has been given the thumbs-up; the 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel also used in the T60 and MG Gloster with outputs of 160kW/500Nm.

Unlike in China, the D90 will eschew the 48-volt mild-hybrid system that adds 44 Nm of torque for spells, plus the two other powerplants; a single turbodiesel producing 120kW/375Nm and a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol rated at 192kW/410Nm.

The only transmission buyers will have access to is a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic, joined by an electronic limited slip differential. Claimed fuel consumption in China, with the hybrid system included, is 9.1 L/100 km.

In terms of specification, the Chinese-market Territory comes in five trim level with items comprising a dual 12.3-inch instrument cluster and infotainment system, ambient lighting, a wireless smartphone charger, 18 or 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, electric, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control and an electric tailgate.

As well as two sound system options, the standard eight-speaker or an optional 12-speaker JBL audio, safety includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitoring, a 360-degree surround-view camera system, front and rear parking sensors, a transparent bonnet view image, Hill Start Assist and Lane Departure Warning.

Arriving as the second model, is the G90 MPV sold as the LDV Mifa in Australia and as the Maxus G90 in China.

A rival for the Lexus LM, Mercedes-Benz V-Class, GAC M8, Denza D9, Volkswagen Viloran and runaway segment leading Buick GL8 in its home market, the G90 will take aim at the Kia Carnival in South Africa with a choice of seven or eight seats, the latter standard and the former optional.

Unveiled just over two years ago, South Africas allocation wont include the all-electric variant, nor most likely the 48-volt mild-hybrid system available in China.

Instead, the same setup as in Australia will apply to local market models, in this instance, outputs of 160kW/360Nm provided by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

Measuring 5 280 mm long, 1 998 mm wide and 1 845 mm tall, the G90 has a wheelbase of 3 200 mm and as much as 2 017-litres of cargo space with both the second and third rows folded flat.

Again depending on specification, the G90s feature list will include a 12.3-inch infotainment system, a wireless smartphone charger, a seven-inch digital instrument cluster, dual sliding electric doors, LED headlights, ambient lighting, heated and folding electric mirrors and rain sense wipers plus:

• dual-zone climate control;
• heated, electric and ventilated front seats with a massaging function;
• electric tailgate;
• heated second row with the same functions as the fronts;
• choice of three audio systems; a six and eight-speaker or the flagship JBL 12-speaker.

On the safety side, the G90 boasts a tyre pr