New LDV D90 7-seater SUV confirmed for SA
Budget Prado, anyone? Chinese-owned company LDV has confirmed that its new D90 7-seater body-on-frame SUV is coming to South Africa…
Chinese-owned brand LDV is scheduled to launch in South Africa in early May 2024. While the first product range to hit Mzansi will be the T60 double-cab line-up, the company has now confirmed that the D90 7-seater SUV will follow.
Interestingly, SA won’t receive the version of the ladder-frame D90 currently sold in markets such as Australia. Instead, LDV South Africa says it will introduce what it describes as a “new-generation” D90, complete with features such as multi-zone climate control, a JBL sound system and 3 differential locks (in the case of 4×4 models).
Furthermore, LDV’s local distributor says the SA-spec D90 will be powered by a 160 kW 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, and equipped with an “intelligent” all-terrain response system. We believe both 4×2 and 4×4 derivatives will be available locally.
From what we understand, this updated D90 will effectively be the as-yet-unrevealed LDV-badged version of the Chinese-market Maxus Lingdi (a name that translates to “Territory”). That Chinese-spec model’s 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel motor makes 160 kW and 500 Nm, while also benefiting from a 48V mild-hybrid system.
Measuring 5 046 mm from nose to tail, this 3-row SUV is slightly longer than the outgoing Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Its wheelbase, meanwhile, comes in at 2 950 mm, while its ground clearance is listed as 230 mm.
Though LDV South Africa hasn’t revealed a launch date for the D90, it does say it’s “gearing up quickly to bring a wide range of new LDV models to our shores”. On that note, the SAIC-backed brand says the G90 MPV will also come to Mzansi (with the choice of 7 or 8 seats), as will the G10+ medium-sized panel van (powered by a 2.0-litre oil-burning engine).
According to LDV South Africa, all of these models with be covered by a 5-year/200 000 km factory warranty and a 5-year/100 000 km service plan.
As a reminder, the company traces its roots all the way back to 1896, when it was founded in the United Kingdom. In the late 1980s, the marque transformed into Leyland DAF Vehicles (hence the “LDV” initialism), before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s SAIC Motor in 2010.
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