LDV T60 Limited Edition Trailrider 2019 Review

LDV first brought their Utes to Australia in 2017 with the premise of outstanding value for money. They have released the T60 LE Trailrider.

The LDV T60 LE Trailrider is developed by the Walkinshaw Automotive Group in Melbourne, the suspension calibration has been refined to produce ride and handling that is more in tune with Australian consumer preferences.

Limited to 650 vehicles, the T60 not only has retuned suspension but a host of additional equipment as well, based on the range topping LDV T60 LUXE.

Exterior

Trailrider is a dual cab, four-wheel drive as standard with a choice six speed manual or automatic gearboxes.

Black is the theme of our test vehicle with Black Alloys, grill, nudge bar, side steps and decals. The grill is a little different and takes a bit of acclimatizing to, but overall it actually looks pretty good

The T60’s tub is lined as standard with a tough, hardwearing and durable liner, with a total of six load tie down points, four at low level and two on the tub rim. There is also a lockable Mountain Top roller tonneau cover. Also included is a black sport bar and roof rails.

Interior

Inside the T60 Trailrider is not a bad place to be. The heated front leather seats with contrasting stitching are comfortable but they are flat and hard and you tend to sit on them rather than in them. Both front seats are electronically adjustable, but with the leather steering wheel only height adjustable, it feels, for those with long legs, an uncomfortable stretch to hold it.

In front of the driver is a clear instrument binnacle, with white and red on black instruments and a large MFD in the centre of two dials. The steering wheel houses audio and cruise control buttons.

There is a lot of plastic though, on the dash, door trims and central tunnel. I know everything comes at a price and this is one of those things. The central transmission tunnel has two large cup holders, but square in shape, along with the controls for 4WD.

The central stack is dominated by the ten-inch touch screen that operates the T60’s built in audio system which plays through six front and rear speakers. The touch screen also supports smart phone mirroring via Bluetooth or one of the two USB ports and displays the 360 degree camera output. It a little difficult to engage Apple Car Play all the time.

Visibility is ok, but the thick ‘A’ pillars and wing mirrors do provide a blind spot. Interior storage is excellent with cup holders at either end of the dashboard, large door pockets that will also accommodate a small bottle, a roomy glovebox and reasonably sized centre console storage bin.

Rear passengers have excellent leg room for a Ute, with seats that are flat but comfortable. There is a pull down arm rest with cupholders and an additional set of air vents are at the back end of centre console unit. The T60’s rear seat back rest may be folded to provide an additional 705 litres of load space and have both Top Tether and IsoFix mounts for child seats.

Features

Additional features for the T60 LE Trailrider include:

• 12 spoke 19 inch black wheels,
• black nudge bar,
• black sports bar,
• black side steps,
• Lockable Mountain Top roller tonneau for the load tray,
• Black grille, and
• Unique Trailrider decals for the sides, rear and bonnet.

Standard T60 features include:

• Ten-inch touch screen display with smart phone connection by Bluetooth or USB,
• Smart key for keyless entry and starting, a
• Roof rails,
• Power windows,
• Climate control air conditioning, and
• Self levelling and adaptive headlights,
• Cruise control,
• Automatic wipers,
• Auto dipping rear view mirror,
• Dusk sensing headlights,
• Heated door mirrors that fold automatically when the car is locked.

Drive and Engine

LDV T60 is powered by a 2.8 litre 4 cylinder Euro 5 Turbo Diesel engine that produces 110 kW/ 360 Nm, mated to a six speed two mode automatic transmission. Fuel consumption is 9.6 l/100 km.

Trailrider has electronically engaged, four-wheel drive with high and low range and, like the LUXE, adds a rear on-demand differential lock. T60 is rated to tow up to three tonnes with a braked trailer.

The Australian tuned suspension features independent double wishbones at the front and leaf springs at the rear. The other notable feature is that the T60 has front and rear disc brakes, ventilated front and solid rear, something few Utes possess. Others like the SsangYong Musso also have them.

The first thing I noticed was that it felt underpowered and the engine was noisy. Combine this with steering that was a little detached and is was a different feel altogether from driving say an Amarok.

Other than engine noise, it was however relatively quiet inside and smooth riding over suburban roads. There are better riding Utes but they are more expensive. I did put a load in the back, and the suspension settled a touch, but the brakes seemed to struggle a touch as well. I didn’t have an opportunity to do any off road driving or beach driving this time unfortunately.

Safety

The LDV T60 has a five star ANCAP safety rating (2017) and boasts an impressive array of standard safety features such as:

Driver Assistance Features

• AFS self-adjusting headlights,
• LED daylight running lights, Fog lights
• Blind spot monitor warning system, (When a genuine tow bar and wiring are fitted, blind spot monitoring will be disabled.)
• Heated door mirrors,
• Self-dimming rear view mirror,
• Reversing camera and rear parking sensors,
• Tyre pressure monitors.

Active Safety Systems

• ABS anti-lock brakes are fitted with
  • Electronic Brake Assist (EBA),
  • Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD),
• Electronic Stability Control (ESC),
• Traction Control,
• Vehicle Dynamic Control,
• Hill Descent Control,
• Hill Start Assist,
• Roll Movement Intervention,
• Self-activating differential lock on the rear axle.

Passive Safety Systems

• Rigid passenger safety cell,
• Progressively deformable body and chassis,
• Six air bags,
• Three top tether points and IsoFix attachment points.

 What’s Good:

• Value for money
• Surprisingly good looks
• Warranty and loan car

What’s Not:

• Feels underpowered
• Vague steering and handling
• Cheap plastics

Summary

There is no doubt that value is the main selling point for the LDV T60 Ute. It is packed with an abundance of comfort and safety features for a sharp price.

The LDV T60 Trailrider is definitely a cut above other Chinese Utes, looks pretty dam good and cheaper than the mainstream Utes. That’s why people will but it. The problem is buyers compare it to the SsangYong Musso that is around the same price and a cut above.

Also look at:

• Isuzu D-Max
• Mitsubishi Triton
• SsangYong Musso

 Facts and Figures: 2019 LDV T60 Limited Edition Trailrider

• Engine: 2.8-litre four cylinder turbo diesel produces 110kW/360Nm
• Transmission: 6-speed AT 4WD
• Warranty: 5 Yrs / 130,000 km 5 Yrs Roadside Assist
• Safety: Five Star ANCAP
• Origin: China
• Price: From $41,042 RDAP* ($38,990 RDAP for ABN Holders)