LDV Terron 9: China’s latest Ranger, HiLux fighter priced

LDV today announced the Terron 9 will begin rolling out into dealerships in limited numbers from July, ahead of a larger-scale arrival in the coming months.

It’ll be sold alongside the T60, which was given significant upgrades alongside a price increase earlier this year. The Terron 9 will serve as the brand’s biggest turbo-diesel ute, with an electric variant, the eTerron 9, due later this year.

Available in two grades, the Terron 9 will start from $53,674 drive-away for private buyers in Origin guise. ABN holders get a reduced drive-away price of $50,990, though an introductory price of $49,990 drive-away is available at undisclosed participating LDV dealers.

Stepping up to the Evolve grade brings a drive-away price increase of $58,937 for private buyers, $55,990 for ABN holders or $54,990 as a part of the introductory offer.

For context, the base LDV T60 Max Pro starts from $42,990 (ABN) or $45,253 (private) drive-away, while a Ranger XL 4×4 dual-cab pickup opens at $50,880 before on-road costs.

Powering the Terron 9 is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 163kW (at 3800rpm) and 520Nm (between 1500-2500rpm). It’s mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission, and a four-wheel drive system.

LDV claims a fuel consumption figure of 7.9L/100km, while an 80-litre fuel tank is standard. The ute also complies with Euro 5 regulations.

Unlike the majority of its competitors, the Terron 9 features disc brakes all-round, while it retains a leaf-spring rear suspension setup, allowing it to hold between 1005kg (Evolve) and 1100kg (1100kg) of payload.

A braked towing capacity of 3500kg matches all of the top-selling dual-cabs in Australia, while it also boasts a gross combination mass of 6500kg.

Measuring 5500mm long, 1997mm wide (excluding mirrors), and 1874mm tall including its roof rails, the Terron 9 is about 130mm longer, 79mm wider and up to 12mm taller than a dual-cab Ranger. Its 3300mm wheelbase is also 30mm greater between the axles than Ford’s popular ute.

LDV quotes ground clearance between 215mm (laden) and 220mm (unladen), while its 29-degree approach, 20-degree ramp over, and 25-degree departure angles are similar to most utes on the market. It can also wade through up to 550mm of water.

In the rear, there’s 1230mm between the wheel arches in a tub which measures 1600mm long by 1600mm wide.

Standard equipment on the Terron 9 Origin includes:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
  • With 265/65/18 highway terrain tyres
  • A full-size spare and matching alloy
• Automatic Bi-LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• Rain-sensing windscreen wipers
• Side steps
• Black roof rails
• Spray-in bed liner
• Tailgate with spring lift assistance and lock
• Towbar and wiring harness
• Cloth upholstery
• Six-way power-adjustable front seats
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
• Radio
  • AM/FM and DAB
• Four-speaker sound system

On top of this, the Evolve variant adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
  • With 275/55/20 highway terrain tyres
• Power-folding mirrors
• Cargo bed lighting
• Cargo rails
• Front and rear differential locks
• Eight-way power-adjustable plus heated and ventilated front seats
• Massaging front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Ambient interior lighting
• Eight-speaker JBL sound system
• Trailer back-up assistance

All variants come with a suite of safety systems, which includes:

• Seven airbags
• Autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian and cyclist detection)
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind zone warning
• Door exit warning
• Driver attention alert
• Forward collision warning
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Lane departure warning
• Lane keeping assistance
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Traffic sign recognition
• Tyre pressure monitors
• Surround-view camera

Buyers will be given the choice of six paint colours: White, Black, Desert Yellow, Spruce Green, Jewel Blue, and Concrete Grey. All finishes bar white incur a $500 premium.

The LDV Terron 9 is backed by a seven-year, 200,000km warranty. The first is required to take place at 12 months/10,000km (whichever comes first), while every subsequent service comes at 12 month/15,000km intervals.

“We have seen the ute market evolve in recent years, including in the tradie and workhorse space,” said LDV Australia general manager, Dinesh Chinnappa.

“These customers work hard and are often on the road all day, and they appreciate space and comfort as much as family buyers do. So the new-generation LDV Terron 9 has been developed to reflect the changing demands on these vehicles.

“Workhorse no longer means compromise. With the new-generation LDV Terron 9 we are bringing new levels of space and comfort to the ute segment.”