The arrival of LDV’s new T60 ute a few weeks back has already kicked up the Chinese brand’s presence here. Last week LDV quietly slipped their large seven-seat D90 SUV into showrooms – a rather soft launch for a hard-nosed vehicle that on face value offers extraordinary value. The 2-0- litre petrol six-speed automatic LDV D90 comes in three trim levels – Mode, Deluxe and Luxe – all three available in 2WD while the top two grades come in 4WD. Prices kick off at a very sharp $36,990 drive-away for the 2WD Mode and runs to $46,990 on-road for the 4WD Luxe – the 4WD’s featuring high and low range plus terrain selection which offer road, mud, sand and snow choices. They also come with an electronic rear diff lock. I’m yet to view an LDV D90 but photos suggest it’s the equal of its competitors in style with build quality still to be assessed. Warranty –five-years/130,000kms with a loan vehicle programme included. For the money the LDV D90 comes with a swag of driver assist technology like blind spot monitoring, reversing camera and front collision warning to name just a few while a five-star ANCAP crash rating is anticipated. With a full ladder chassis all variants comes with a 2-tonne towing capacity. For 36,990 drive-away the entry LDV D90 Mode gains 18-inch alloys, dual-zone air, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails and side steps. The package for the money is enticing –the proof will be in the driving. I’m David Berthon

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