LDV adds diesel power to D90 SUV range

CHINESE car-maker LDV has introduced a new range-topping grade for its D90 seven-seat large SUV, powered by a new, in-house-developed twin-turbo-diesel engine.

Priced from $47,990 driveaway, the D90 Executive 4WD diesel is priced $4000 upstream of the equivalent petrol grade, and expands the variant choice to four.

Obviously, the headline act for the new grade is its engine, a 2.0-litre twin-turbo-diesel four-cylinder mill courtesy of parent company SAIC, tuned to produce 160kW and 480Nm.

In fact, the new mill is only 5kW shy of the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine powering the rest of the range, while boasting an additional 130Nm of grunt.

Sipping 9.1 litres of fuel per 100km, the diesel is 1.8L/100km more frugal than the 4WD petrol, while it is also cleaner with emissions of 238 grams of CO2 per km, compared to the petrol’s 255g/km.

The extra grunt also greatly boosts the ladder-frame D90’s towing capacity, increasing from 2000kg to 3100kg.

Power is delivered to all four wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, with a low-range transfer case and off-road driving modes including rock, mud, sand and snow.

Adding the diesel engine to the D90 range helps it better compete with its main competitors including the Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Isuzu MU-X, all of which are powered by diesel engines.

The specification of the D90 Executive diesel mostly mirrors that of its petrol counterpart, which from the outside includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, electronically folding door mirrors, luggage rails, rain-sensing wipers, side steps and a sunroof.

Inside, the D90 gains a 12.0-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, a digital instrument cluster (an exclusive feature), eight-speaker audio system, three USB and 12V sockets, heated leather steering wheel, eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, leather upholstery for the first two rows (third-row seats get artificial leather), auto-dimming rearview mirror, electric-opening tailgate and multi-zone climate control air conditioning.

The D90 comes with a five-star ANCAP safety rating courtesy of features such as autonomous emergency braking, front collision warning, adaptive cruise control, hill-descent control, blind-spot monitor, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitor, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and six airbags.

LDV Australia general manager Dinesh Chinnappa said adding a diesel drivetrain was crucial for the D90 in the local market.

“At over 120,000 units per annum, the large SUV segment is significant and dominated by diesels,” he said.

“Now, with a powerful new bi-turbo diesel offering, our seven-seat D90 family SUV offers even greater versatility for our target market.

“With childcare costs, rising energy bills, inflation, static wage increases and worries about the future, the family purse is being squeezed.

“Hardworking Australian families can’t afford to be flippant or wasteful with money. The new LDV D90 bi-turbo diesel fits the bill perfectly.”

Through the first quarter of the year, LDV has moved 84 examples of the D90, marking an 86.7 per cent improvement over the 45 managed to the same point last year.

2020 LDV D90 driveaway pricing