Tough new look and more power for LDV T60 ute

A bold new replacement for the increasingly popular LDV T60 ute has been previewed in China ahead of its Australian release next year.

Contrary to reports, we understand the Maxus Pick-Up Concept unveiled at the 2020 Chengdu Auto Show on Friday (July 24) points to a dramatically facelifted – rather than all-new – version of the LDV T60.

The current LDV T60 was released in Australia in October 2017 and is available in four model dual-cab 4x4 grades priced from $30,516 drive-away.

No information was announced by Chinese auto giant SAIC about the latest concept vehicle from LDV, which is known as Maxus in China, and a spokesman for LDV Automotive Australia would not comment on the new LDV ute concept.

“We have nothing to announce,” he said. “The current LDV T60 range continues on sale in Australia.”

But carsales understands the concept previews a radical upgrade for the T60 that will arrive Down Under next year, bringing a host of design, technology and powertrain updates for LDV’s answer to the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger.

As evidenced by an official teaser image released in May, a single official picture released on Friday and other images taken at the show by ChinaPEV.com, the concept employs the same body and doors as the existing LDV T60.

However, up front is a massive new and heavily chromed three-bar grille that takes obvious design cues from North American pick-up trucks, while a bigger and squarer rear tub is emblazoned with massive ‘MAXUS’ lettering, which would need to be replaced by ‘LDV’ in Australia.

It’s unclear whether the concept’s futuristic narrow LED headlights and huge tail-lights will transfer to the production version, or whether its Mercedes-style widescreen digital instrument cluster and infotainment touch-screen will grace the 2021 LDV T60.

Nor is it clear if safety levels will increase. The current LDV T60 Luxe comes with a 10.0-inch touch-screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, reversing camera, 360-degree camera, adaptive LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, tyre-pressure monitor, digital speedo, six airbags, lane departure warning and blind spot monitoring, and all models achieved a five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2017.

However, there is no autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control or lane-keeping aid, allowing the vehicle to accelerate, brake and steer itself like many of its competitors.

One thing that should improve is the current LDV T60’s sub-par 3000kg braked towing capacity for all models, including the entry versions powered by a 110kW/360Nm 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, and the recently upgraded LDV T60 Trailrider’s new 120kW/375Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

The all-new 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine – the first to be developed in-house by China's largest and oldest auto-maker, SAIC – is essentially a single-turbo version of the twin-turbo 160kW/480Nm engine now available in the closely related LDV D90 seven-seat SUV, which also brings an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.

The latter would make the T60’s performance outputs much more competitive with its rivals.

Indeed, some Chinese media outlets are reporting the 2021 LDV T60 will come with a “newly tuned SAIC Bi-Turbo” engine developing more than 510Nm, along with Level 4 autonomous driving tech and a next-gen vehicle networking system based on 5G.

LDV/Maxus has previously promised 20 ‘New Energy Vehicles’ by 2025 and the T60 is eventually also expected to be offered with pure-electric (EV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and even fuel-cell (FCEV) powertrains.