All-new LDV Deliver 9 van steps in

LDV’s Australian distributor Ateco Group has launched the all-new LDV Deliver 9 large van that slots into the 3.5-to-8.0-tonne commercial vehicle market.

The Deliver 9 features a new 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine and is designed to replace the ageing V80 van which was launched in early 2013 and has been one of the mainstays of the LDV light-commercial range.

The new LDV van will compete with such vehicles as the Renault Master, Fiat Ducato, Ford Transit and the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter which is the market leader in the segment with a 31.7 per cent share.

And according to the message from today’s virtual launch, it’s the Sprinter that LDV is benchmarking its new vehicle against.

Three variants make up the Deliver 9 van range: the standard mid-wheelbase MR (mid-roof); the long-wheelbase MR; and the long-wheelbase HR (high-roof).

A long-wheelbase cab-chassis option, and 11- or 14-seat bus configurations (in mid- and long-wheelbase, plus mid- and high-roof guise) are also available.

See our pricing table below for full details.

All variants are powered by a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine which has outputs of 110kW and 375Nm at 1500-2400rpm. It drives the rear wheels through a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

The new engine replaces the previous 2.5 mill in the V80 which produced 100kW/330Nm.

Styling-wise you’d be forgiven for thinking that the person who designed the Deliver 9 was the same bloke who designed the latest Ford Transit.

It has the same low waistline, same snout, very similar front light treatment and even a similar horizontal-bar grille. But that aside, it’s not a bad-looking van.

It’s certainly modern-looking, somewhat aerodynamic and has an appealing flow to it.

Inside, it’s anything but antiquated and quite unlike the van it replaces.

The dashboard is dominated by a big central screen with Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity, but no Android Auto smartphone mirroring that we could see.

The dash looks well laid out and there are steering-wheel-mounted controls for the cruise control (adaptive in auto versions), phone and audio settings.

The driver gets an eight-way adjustable seat while the left-hand side has a two-person bench.

Safety features include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane departure warning, Bosch stability control, six airbags and a reversing camera.

In the cargo area there are eight sturdy-looking tie-down points, LED lighting and a rubberised floor. There’s a 1.2-metre sliding door (single only) and 180-degree opening barn doors at the rear, but these can be optioned to 236 degrees.

In the media presentation, Ateco said the LWB mid-roof variant can take two standard Australian pallets in the rear, has 10.97 cubic metres of space and a payload of 1670kg.

The Deliver 9 is also the first LDV model to offer a capped-price servicing program, and over the first three years or 95,000km, costs are capped at $1895.

A three-year/160,000km factory warranty is also provided.

“The all-new LDV Deliver 9 wins on three key product truths: it carries for less, it’s loaded with technology and safety and it’s the segment price leader,” said LDV general manager Dinesh Chinnappa.

“We know our value proposition is better than the opposition and we’re more than comparable cross a range of key criteria – which is why the all-new Deliver delivers more Australian businesses.”

How much does the 2020 LDV Deliver 9 cost?
LWB Cab-Chassis manual – $42,095
LWB Cab-Chassis auto – $44,726
MWB Mid-Roof auto – $43,148
LWB Mid-Roof manual – $42,095
LWB Mid-Roof auto – $44,726
LWB High-Roof manual – $44,200
LWB High-Roof auto – $46,831
MWB Mid-Roof 11-seat bus auto –$55,779
LWB Mid-Roof 14-seat bus auto – $57,884
LWB High-Roof 14-set bus auto – $59,990
* All price are drive-away (including on-road costs)