China’s LDV, branded Maxus outside Australia, has revealed a potential cut-price competitor to the Ford Everest, Toyota Prado, and Isuzu MU-X – using a domestic market nameplate with relevance to Australia.
The body-on-frame Maxus Territory (Lingdi) is being sold at home alongside the older Maxus D90 – which itself is sold locally as the LDV D90 – but offers more advanced features and an electrified diesel drivetrain.
Image credit: Autohome.com.cn
Said Maxus Territory resembles the D90 on the outside but has a new front end with slimmer headlights and a bigger grille, while along the side it has flared plastic wheel arch covers to lend an off-road look.
Under the bonnet is an updated 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine making 160kW and 500Nm, using a new 48V battery and 44Nm electric drive motor to help out down low and cut fuel use to a claimed 9L/100km.
It runs a 4×4 system with an Auto full-time 4WD setting, as well as rear-drive (2H) and part-time 4×4 (4H), an off-road cruise control crawling mode, locking diffs front and rear, and various terrain settings.
Dimensionally the LDV/Maxus Territory is 5046mm long, 2016mm wide, 1876mm tall, and has a 2950mm wheelbase – this is 41mm longer and 84mm wider than the LDV D90, on the same wheelbase.
The interior is very different to the older D90, with a full digital instrument cluster, large tablet-style display, chunkier vent design, grab handles on the centre tunnel, and a bank of 4×4 dials and buttons.
It also comes with a Ford Everest-style off-roading camera to help when cresting.
The LDV D90 seven-seater diesel sold in Australia uses a 2.0-litre twin-turbo with 160kW and 480Nm with a 3.1-tonne towing capacity, and as reported here is enjoying rapid sales growth among cost-conscious buyers alongside the SsangYong Rexton.
The D90 was also among the first Chinese cars to manage a five-star ANCAP crash rating, achieving the feat back in 2017.
It’s unclear if the LDV Territory is on the radar for the company’s Australian importer, though it looks like it would be a suitable update to the $50,990 drive-away LDV D90 Executive diesel.
It’s a busy period for LDV, with the company recently confirming plans to launch Australia’s first EV ute, the eT60, before the end of 2022 – alongside the eDeliver 9 electric van and MIFA 9 electric people-mover.
Current Australian LDV D90
