LOTS FOR LITTLE

FANCY A PRADO-SIZED 4X4 WAGON AND CAN’T AFFORD THE FREIGHT? TRY THIS LDV D90 FOR SIZE.

- FRASER STRONACH

WHAT you see here is an LDV D90 4x4 wagon, complete with low-range gearing, separate chassis and a live axle at the rear. A proper 4x4 if you like, at least with those attributes.

LDV is part of SAIC Motor, one of the four large state-owned carmakers in China. In 2018 SAIC sold more than 6.9 million vehicles, so no small fry.

Aside from the D90 4x4 wagon, LDV also sells the T60 4x4 dual-cab ute, one variant of which – the TrailRider – is tweaked locally by Walkinshaw Performance. LDV also offers single-cab T60 utes in both 4x4 and 4x2, as well as delivery/service vans and a people mover.

This D90, the Executive, is the only 4x4 variant in the D90 range (the others are RWD), and while you can think of it as a budget alternative to a Prado, there is one difference: at this stage it only comes with petrol power. But that doesn’t mean we won’t see a diesel down the track, given the 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel from the T60 ute – built under licence from VM Motori and from the same engine family as the 2.8 diesel in Holden’s Colorado and Trailblazer – should slot straight in.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

IN THE meantime, the petrol engine is in many ways already ahead of the game. Certainly it’s a more forward-thinking design than the last petrol engine to be seen in Prado, and perhaps more like the next-generation petrol engine yet to be seen in Prado, even if that will be a petrol-electric hybrid.