LDV D60 Reviews

Chinese utes have been making substantial in-roads into the Australian market over recent years.

In 2025 branding means way more than a hot iron mark scorched into a steer’s backside.It’s about a brand’s personality, reputation and your interactions with it. What it says about you. What it delivers. How it makes you feel. A visual identity, a design style… and a million other things.   And there are automotive brands in the Australian new-car market that have strategically built solid brand equity over many decades.Current market leader, Toyota began dipping its corporate toe into global export waters by shipping cars here in the late 1950s. And other Japanese makers like Honda, Mazda and Nissan followed it in conquering initial hesitancy by steadily investing in strong retail networks, pushing product improvement and focusing on a positive customer experience.Ford has built its global brand around everything from the Model T and its revolutionary assembly line to pumped up muscle cars and victory at Le Mans. While here it embedded itself in the local landscape via a manufacturing presence spanning close to a century and regular victory at Mount Panorama.And more recently, relative newcomers like Hyundai and Kia have moved rapidly from cheap and (mostly) cheerful to innovators that repositioned the concept of value and quality in the local market.All of which led to large pockets of ‘rusted on’ brand loyalty. The concept of ‘Ford and Holden families’ started to diminish from the moment the latter departed the scene in 2020 (if not before), but Toyota’s reputation for value, durability and affordable ownership has seen it maintain a legion of never-say-die fans.Same for Ford, Mazda, Mitsubishi and others. But I'd argue a turning point was when, after an initial false start through a private importer in 2013, MG set up as a direct subsidiary in 2017.Great Wall had landed as the first Chinese car brand in the Aussie market in 2009, but MG 2.0 was different. Even if its ‘Since 1924’ positioning stretched credulity, its products were better than expected and pricing was ultra sharp.Sharp enough to encourage budget-focused new-car buyers, even used-car prospects, to give the brand a go.With the introduction of new-generation products in the early 2020s sales took off like a rocket, and it’s here that my ‘That’s a good idea’ theory kicks in.I reckon executives at rival Chinese car brands, keeping an eye on MG’s increasing success Down Under, all had the same ‘good idea’ at the same time. Namely, let’s get into Australia and grab a piece of that action. Hence the subsequent arrival of Chery in 2023, itself a factory-backed restart after an initial import-distribution arrangement broke down back in 2011. Followed by the flood gates opening, with BYD, Deepal, Geely, a ramped up GWM, JAC, LDV, Leapmotor, Smart, Jaecoo, XPeng and Zeekr all jumping in with Aion, Avatar, Jetour, Lynk & Co, Skyworth and others waiting in the wings.Doesn’t matter which category you’re talking about - white goods, sporting equipment, hi-fi - if one fresh competitor enters a mature market, it’s likely to be met with reluctance, even contempt by existing brand loyalists.But if near enough to 20 newcomers blaze into market at the same time, clearly something seismic is going on and it feels like you’d be missing a trick if you didn’t at least investigate the rapidly changing competitive landscape.Give them the benefit of 20/20 hindsight as well as a time machine and it’s not certain all the new brands above would currently be making an Aussie entrance.But multiple triggers have been pulled with retail network deals done, head office staff recruited, parts warehousing set up, service and sales training completed and marketing campaigns launched. So, in a mature market, early movers like MG, Chery and GWM have the advantage and more recent arrivals will need to find a way to win over buyers… fast. And it’s a fair bet the ever-impactful lever marked price will be pulled on a regular basis.Some of the newcomers as well as more than a few existing legacy brands will be forced into a price war. Like it or not, loyalty comes under pressure when the incentive is enticing enough and with a cut-price cage fight likely to take place sooner rather than later not everyone will leave the octagon alive.Stand by for new-car buyers tempted en masse into ‘unbeatable deals’ that mean brand loyalties will be stretched beyond breaking point. The shake out from this looming war of attrition will be huge. 

Chinese commercial vehicle brand LDV is being taken to court by Australia’s competition and consumer watchdog over claims its cars are not reliable or tough.The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today issued a media release detailing its claims against LDV which is distributed in Australia through private importer, Ateco Automotive.The importer has responded, saying it has tried to work with the ACCC and that the legal actions are “disappointing”.The claims relate to the T60 pick-up (but not the electric eT60) and G10 mid-size delivery vans built in China.The ACCC says between April 2019 and November 2024, LDV made “misleading representations” to consumers about the two models, with the company claiming they were “durable and tough, and that they were suitable for use in, near, or on, a variety of environments and off-road terrains”.The ACCC alleges in its claim that the two models are prone to rust or corrosion within five years of the date of manufacture and that as a result, the T60 and G10 were “not durable and tough”.It’s alleged the models are more likely to rust when they are housed near or on particular terrains and environments.According to the ACCC, LDV advertised the G10 and T60 online, on television, radio and social media in environments like beaches, lakes, rivers, unsealed and gravel roads and terrain.The ACCC also alleges “false or misleading representations” by LDV in advertising a 10-year anti-corrosion warranty for the T60, given the ute did have a propensity to rust or corrode.Further, the ACCC alleges LDV was aware of the T60 and G10 rust and corrosion issues by April 2019 and that LDV’s representations of the models were false or misleading as the brand didn’t have a basis to make such representations.LDV received more than 5000 complaints from G10 and T60 customers about rust or corrosion between January 2018 and November 2024.ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said a new car is a “significant financial purchase” and buyers should expect the product to live up to its advertised promise.“We allege that despite being aware of the propensity for the vehicles to rust, LDV continued to make representations for a number of years that the T60 and G10 vehicles were durable and suitable for use in a variety of terrains,” Cass-Gottlieb said.“As a result, we allege that LDV’s conduct is likely to have caused harm to affected consumers, including because the propensity for rust or corrosion lowered the value of their vehicles, and because consumers lost the opportunity to make an informed decision that may have involved purchasing an alternative vehicle that did not carry the same risks.”In a statement, LDV Australia said it acknowledged the announcement by the ACCC.LDV Australia General Manager Dinesh Chinnappa said the company would defend itself against the allegations.“For 18 months LDV Australia has been engaged in good faith discussions with the Commission in an attempt to resolve its concerns, and to provide remedies to consumers. It is disappointing this process has ended in these legal proceedings.“LDV Australia takes its obligations under Australian Consumer Law seriously, and we look forward to defending the ACCC’s allegations in court.”According to the ACCC, LDV has sold a combined total of 60,000 examples of the G10 and T60 in Australia between 2018 and 2024.The ACCC is seeking “penalties, declarations, consumer redress, costs and other orders”.

Can you have too much of a good thing? Australians love utes and in recent years we’ve seen more and more brands look to capitalise on that, but it may not be a case of the more the merrier.

Volkswagen has confirmed its electric Transporter mid-sized van will arrive in Australia before the end of this year to go head-to-head with the Ford E-Transit Custom and LDV eDeliver 7.In an announcement made this week Volkswagen said the Transporter battery electric vehicle (BEV) would land locally in the third quarter of 2025. This would have the electric version of the new-generation Transporter arriving at the same time as the diesel variant, with the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant following in the second quarter of 2026.Volkswagen also confirmed some vital specifications for the Transporter EV. A single electric motor producing 210kW and 450Nm will power the Transporter EV’s rear wheels and a payload capacity of 1038kg will apply to both short-wheelbase and long-wheel base versions.In comparison, the diesel variant of the Transporter uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine making 125kW and 390Nm, and will be available in front- and all-wheel drive. Short- and long wheelbase grades will have a payload of 1326kg.The Transporter PHEV will be powered by a 2.5-litre petrol-electric hybrid system making a combined 205kW and 320Nm, with both short- and long wheelbases offering 1140kg of payload.Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Product Manager Nadia Bucholtz said the new-generation Transporter would cater for more applications than before.“Short and long wheelbases, standard roof height and high roof variants, front-wheel drive and 4Motion, Transporter has remained committed to supplying the most fit-for-purpose vehicles to our customers, including the most extensive range of applications,” Ms Bucholtz said.“The addition of BEV and PHEV variants to the range serves to further expand that product offering, particularly as our customers look to ways to minimise their emissions, maximise drive comfort and reduce running costs.”Volkswagen developed the Transporter EV in conjunction with Ford which has produced its version, the E-Transit Custom, and that is also expected to arrive in 2025.Pricing for both vehicles has not been announced yet but buyers can expect Volkswagen’s Transporter EV to list from about $70,000. LDV's eDeliver 7 is a popular rival to both the Transporter EV and E-Transit Custom and starts at $67,358 before extending up to $73,674.The entry price into the current generation of the Transporter is for the diesel 320S Trend short-wheel base which starts at $56,590 before on-road costs and extends to the top-of-the-range grade at $62,990.Volkswagen’s reveal of the Transporter's arrival timing came during a broader announcement detailing the brand’s upcoming commercial vehicles including the Caddy light cargo carrier, the electric ID. Buzz retro Kombi, the larger Crafter and the new-generation and just-arrived Multivan people mover.

The Ford Ranger might have found itself back on top of Australia’s sales charts in March, but a dig into the numbers reveal cracks in the sales ambitions of the Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.

MG locks in a dual-cab ute for Australia.

One of the oldest vans on the market is showing no sign of retiring anytime soon with the LDV G10+ appearing to have been given a substantial facelift, which includes new safety tech, a large media screen, new styling and features.The new version wears a $1500 price rise, which still undercuts rivals such as the Toyota HiAce and Ford Transit by a sizable margin.Importantly, it's clear the new G10+ has been fitted with autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which was a large oversight in its spec previously. This change would ensure the G10+ would meet the new 2026 minimum safety standards requiring AEB come as standard on all new vehicles.Lane keeping assistance and forward collision warning will also join rear parking sensors, a reversing camera driver and passenger airbags, plus electronics stability control as part of the van's new safety suite.Other new G10+ features CarsGuide spotted include a 12.3-inch media screen, replacing the previous 7.0-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also standard, so is digital radio, air conditioning and power windows. It was also noted that the brands website now only lists diesel variants, which could indicate the petrol engine has been dropped, at least initially. The latest price data shows the new G10+ has also increased in price. The entry six-speed manual 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is now $38,937, drive-away, which is a $1579 increase on the previous model. Meanwhile, the G10+ with the eight-speed automatic is now $39,463 (also up by $1579). For context, Toyota’s HiAce (the most popular vehicle in the segment) starts at a list price of $48,886, while the Ford Transit begins at $56,590.Images also reveal a slight redesign to the front of the vehicle with a new look honeycomb grille and restyled front bumper, as well as a tweaked dash layout. Measuring 5167mm end-to-end, 1980mm wide, 1938mm tall and with a one-tonne payload capacity the G10+ is considered a medium-sized van. It has been on sale in Australia for a decade this year, yet it still remains one of the most-bought medium sized vans on the market with 2843 sales in 2024.It appears LDV still sees a place for the G10+ to live alongside the new and more expensive Deliver 7, which was once touted to replace its aging sibling. The Deliver7 arrived towards the end of 2024 with a price of $44,726 driveaway, although it was headlined primarily by its electric eDeliver 7 spin-off, which wears a competitive price-tag of $67,358 (drive-away).

The rapid and seemingly unstoppable expansion of Chinese carmakers is something to behold.But is it too far-fetched to think all cars will be Chinese within the next 20 years? Or is it naive not to see it as a strong possibility?For a long time I’ve thought the emergence of new Chinese cars in Australia and globally was the natural progression of the car industry. New brands morph from alternative fledgling brands to mature and established ones. We saw this with Japanese brands such as Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Nissan which gained popularity in the 1960s and ’70s before becoming established go-to brands in the 1980s and ’90s as they fought homegrown heroes Ford and Holden for space in Australia's driveways. And it stayed that way until the first decade of the 2000s ticked over.Holden and Ford’s ranges and sales shrank giving way to the Koreans who filled the gap with Hyundai and Kia which have climbed high into the top 10 thanks to an excellent range of SUVs and EVs.They’re now marching towards the only brands that stand in their way - Mitsubishi, Ford, Mazda and Toyota - which, by the way, have about three EVs between them.And given another five years Kia and Hyundai may have been able to topple Toyota from number one. But it might be too late for that. The presence of a large and fast-growing force is creating major uncertainty for the established brands in the Australian market - the rise and rise of Chinese brands. At the end of 2024 there were 12 Chinese brands operating in Australia and this year we’re expecting at least another seven to arrive. To put that in perspective we currently have a total of 50 car brands in Australia and nine are Japanese. By the end of 2025 the Chinese tally could easily be 20 brands or 30 per cent of Australia's brand make up.Several Chinese brands have been in Australia for years and have already done the hard yards. It took MG a couple of attempts to find a foothold but it was the seventh best-selling brand in 2024, while GWM came in at 10th. LDV is further down but still sold more than 16,000 vehicles here last year.The newer Chinese arrivals show huge promise with most of them offering affordable electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids when the established brands have only a handful among them, usually at higher prices.BYD, Zeekr, Leapmotor, Geely, Deepal, XPeng, Smart, JAC, Aion, Chery and Jaecoo will spend 2025 launching a multitude of new vehicles here. BYD will be one to watch having sold more cars here last year than Mercedes-Benz and it will likely enter the top 10 best sellers next year. Geely, which is the ‘Volkswagen of China’ in terms of its size and how many brands it owns, is another to watch.Chinese car manufacturers' speed of production, the development of new platforms and technology, the low cost of batteries, availability of electronics and the breakthroughs being made in charging systems, plus the sheer amount of money and Chinese government support behind them make competition almost impossible for many other brands.It’s almost certain that some established brands will bow out of Australia, unable to compete with Chinese brands. It’s also feasible that within the next decade more than half the Australian market could be made up of Chinese brands. And surely some Chinese brands won’t be able to cut it here and leave, too.Who could survive? Well, time has shown that even the mighty like Holden have fallen if they don’t make the cars people want to buy. The sheer brute force of Chinese brands being able to offer what people want quickly and at a low price, and at an always improving tech level could be too difficult for many other brands to fight off.In an extreme scenario this could lead to a 100 per cent Chinese brand market within 15 years. Sounds far fetched? Well they’re a third of the way there already.  

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