The big new LDV D90 has made its first public
appearance anywhere in the world in Australia. SAIC had brought a number of new 2018 LDV D90
SUVs to Australia for chassis testing and electronics configuration, ahead of
its global launch later this year.
The company had also confirmed it would use those
same vehicles for promotional filming, against the beautiful backdrop of Kiama
on the south coast of New South Wales. The same location was used to give the
D90 an impromptu world unveiling, with 50 SAIC engineers on hand to peel away
the wraps of the camouflaged vehicles shown for photos earlier this week.
Today, the LDV brand’s local distributor, Ateco, has
also confirmed the D90 will make its Australian market debut at the end of
2017, sometime after the launch of its ute sibling, the T60. A full and
detailed unveiling for the D90 will at the Shanghai motor show in just over a
week’s time, but much about the new car is known already.
The D90’s debut should mark a step forward for the
LDV brand’s appeal with Australian buyers, even if the big new off-roading SUV does share some
styling themes with other brands already on offer here.
But, if priced right and equipped well, the
ladder-frame-underpinned LDV D90 could prove a compelling alternative not only
to countrymate the Haval H9, but also established rivals like the Ford Everest,
Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Holden Trailblazer and Isuzu MU-X. As noted yesterday,
the D90 could find sales on the strength of its BMW-inspired cabin alone.
