The LDV brand is going gangbusters as the Takanini-based company, a subsidiary of Taupo’s Great Lakes Distributors, continues to add product ahead of increasing sales.
LDV sales and marketing boss Warren Willmot says a new diesel-engined version of its G10 mid-size van is arriving this month, and this is expected to boost sales of the Sprinter-sized vehicle even further.
The new version is fitted with a 1.9-litre VM Motori diesel – VM Motori is owned by General Motors, and its engines are fitted to a number of vehicles, including the Holden Colorado, as well as some Jeep models.
The G10 was developed by LDV’s global owners SAIC in conjunction with General Motors in China, and all G10 models share the same exterior dimensions: length 5,168mm, width 1,980mm, height 1,928mm and wheelbase 3,198mm.
The vans have a cargo volume of 5.2 cu.m, with a big enough floor area to easily accommodate a standard GIB board. Payload is 1,093kg, and ABS and electronic stability control (ESC) are standard.
The new diesel motor produces 106.5kW and 350Nm of torque, and the diesel G10 has an overall fuel economy figure of 8.3L/100km. Drive is via a five-speed manual gearbox.
“We have sold out of our first shipment of the diesel already,” says Warren,” but there are more on the water. We have sold out of the petrol model nine times this year – we still don’t know where our sales are and where they are going”. The diesel manual G10 costs $34,117.
Warren said a diesel auto version was coming to New Zealand in April next year.
Meanwhile news is quite scarce on the new LDV T60 utility that the company is planning to introduce into New Zealand next year.
Warren said plans were firm for the new pickup to be shown at Fieldays next year. It’s a big vehicle, he says – there’s an extended wellside version that’s almost 5.7m long, longer than the segment-busting Ford Ranger – while the standard model is 5,365mm long.
He added that the new vehicle was “really well specced” and would be powered by a 2.8-litre turbo-diesel producing 110kW.
