LDV D90 2020 Review

There’s no question LDV is making waves in Australia, particularly in the utility and commercial segments. But one important element missing in LDV’s arsenal, until now, has been a turbo-diesel powered SUV.

Enter the 2020 LDV D90 Executive diesel – a companion to the existing LDV D90 petrol range which has been on sale in Australia since November 2017.

Like the petrol-engined versions, the new D90 diesel is conceived as a cut-price rival to the Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport — two seven-seat, 4x4 SUVs that aren’t afraid to mix it on dirt.

In the case of the 2020 LDV D90 Executive diesel, its off-road credentials are evidenced almost literally from the ground up via its rugged body-on-ladder-frame construction.

Priced from $47,990 drive-away, the 2020 LDV D90 Executive diesel is the new flagship of the LDV SUV range and makes use of the first diesel designed and built in-house by LDV’s parent company, SAIC.

The turbo-diesel D90 SUV commands a $4000 price premium over its petrol equivalent.

The engine itself is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder rated at 160kW and 480Nm. The diesel drives through an eight-speed automatic transmission and a proper four-wheel drive system.

At that just under $48K, the LDV mixes with entry-level variants of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport ($45,990 drive-away) and Isuzu MU-X ($46,990 drive away) – but does so with considerably more equipment fitted as standard.

Features include leather-accented seats for all seven occupants, a digital speedometer and large 12-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Other items on the ‘standard’ list include keyless entry, sunroof, front and rear parking sensors, air-conditioning vents across all three rows, multiple USB ports, 19-inch alloy wheels and a powered tailgate.

Compare this list to our recent drive of the base-grade Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX and you’ll realise the considerable boost in spec the LDV delivers.

For the off-road enthusiast, the D90 Executive features a Borg Warner two-speed transfer case, 210mm of ground clearance, 550mm water wading depth and an easy-to-use terrain selection system with several 4WD settings.

The D90 is backed by a five-star ANCAP safety rating thanks to equipment including autonomous emergency braking (AEB), front collision warning, fatigue reminder, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning.

There are three ISOFIX child seat anchor points in the second row along with top tether points, but the third row has none.

The D90’s healthy 160kW/480Nm outputs mean more pepper than chief rivals such as the Toyota Prado (130kW/450Nm), Isuzu MU-X (130kW/430Nm) and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (133kW/430Nm), but not the Ford Everest BiTurbo (157kW/500Nm).

Fuel economy is rated at 9.1L/100km, which is not class-leading, but its towing capacity of 3100kg is on par with most rivals.

The D90 is backed by a five-year/130,000km warranty, which is sub-par in the class when Toyota offers five years/unlimited kilometres and Mitsubishi offers seven years/150,000km.

However, the LDV D90 comes with roadside assistance which few of its rivals offer. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km.

Along with equipment levels, the 2020 LDV D90 Executive diesel’s other major selling point is space. Indeed, the Chinese-built SUV is claimed to offer one of the largest interior layouts in its segment.

The real-world translation is strong, with excellent first and second row amenity and enough room in the third row for a couple of adults on moderate journeys.

The fake wood trim and hard plastic contact points used in the D90 are not, however, likely to win it any décor awards.

Meanwhile, incidental storage is generally strong, though there are others in this segment with more practical layouts.

Overall, the interior execution is fairly sound and there’s no shortage of space: an impressive 1800 litres with all rear seats folded down, 1140 litres with the second row in place and 412 litres with all seven seats in use.

The second-row seating features sliding adjustment and 60:40 split-fold, however there is no tumble function and the single split-folding rear seat is located behind the driver, meaning those climbing into the third row will likely have to do so from the road side in Australia.

Do it from the kerb and you’ll be folding the heavier two-seat section.

The D90’s standard equipment trumps most rivals at this price point, however not all is as it seems. The main screen interface that accesses much of that equipment is at-times cumbersome and difficult to navigate, while the separate digital display in the driver instrument cluster is regularly interrupted by flashing displays from the very eager driver safety suite (particularly the lane-wander warning).

There’s no traditional volume knob for the stereo, either.

On the road, the diesel brings noticeably better real-world efficiency compared with the existing petrol D90, achieving an on-test rating of 8.4L/100km (against the 9.1L/100km) in a mix of conditions.

The diesel is relatively gruff in nature, with a noticeable clutter at idle and when building speed. Vibration is worse than most rivals and there’s pronounced turbo lag upon initial throttle application.

The turbo-diesel does work well with the smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic, however, bringing progressive and satisfactory performance.

The D90 sits confidently on the open road. The automatic gearbox holds the diesel at about 1900rpm at highway speeds.

Similarly, there’s a slight agricultural bent to the D90’s ride and handling. At low speeds, the ride is prone to some thudding and choppiness over harsh imperfections, and the rear coil springs aren’t as fast to recover over pitter-patter style bumps as others in the segment.

The D90 tends to iron out imperfections at higher speeds, whereupon faithful steering and body control help to mitigate its 2.4-tonne heft.

The body will pitch and roll when pushed but adequate chassis electronics and quality Continental rubber help to keep proceedings in check.

We didn’t take the D90 off-road, but suffice to say our recent review of the equivalent petrol version speaks very highly – with excellent clearance at all angles and a handy suite of driving modes.

By LDV’s own admission, the target buyer here is families.

On that front, the LDV D90 Executive has plenty of merit, offering strong equipment levels but also excellent spatial proportions and a big rear boot.

It’s a shame the rear-most seats don’t offer attachment points of any form – thereby ruling them out to child seats.

We note also there are no true face-level air-vents, only roof-mounted vents.

Turbo-diesel power is a welcome inclusion to the D90, bringing significantly better fuel efficiency and added relevance to the popular seven-seat SUV market.

The new powertrain pushes the D90 another step in the ‘establishment’ 4x4 SUV direction, but value is still its biggest appeal.

If anything, a more affordable, de-specced version of the D90 to truly undercut the rest of the segment could resonate even more.

How much does the 2020 LDV D90 Executive diesel cost?
Price: $47,990 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 160kW/480Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 238g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)