Launched at the end of 2024 and on sale from mid-January, LDV’s range-topping LDV T60 Max Plus gets engineering tweaks, a fresh face, and a revised cabin.
The Max Plus features a range of upgrades over existing Elite and Lux versions.
It has been a while since NZ4WD drove a T60. In 2021 we tested the regular T60 and found it pretty competitive at its price point. Two years later we briefly drove the RWD electric version and came away underwhelmed.
These days, the T60 faces increasing competition fromJAC, BYD, GWM and others.
So the Max arrives just at the right time to ramp up the rivalry.
Aimed directly at tradies, the Max also has an interior that will appeal to families and weekend warriors.
The whole T60 range is powered by a 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel making 160kW and 500Nm. Behind that engine is a ZF eight- speed automatic. All models have on-demand four-wheel-drive.
LDV claims the T60 Max Plus will use 8.9 litres per 100 kilometres of diesel. In our brief launch drive time with the T60, spent primarily on urban and highway duties along with the usual daily traffic snarls, we recorded a best of 9.4. A more accurate reading will have to wait for a more comprehensive test.
Inside, the Max Plus brings twin 12.3-inch screens (one for infotainment, the other a digital instrument cluster) housed inside a single widescreen frame, wireless (and wired) Apple CarPlay, and for the first time, Android Auto, both wired and wireless.
Like many new vehicles, the LDV’s instrument cluster projects a digital image of what’s happening in front and beside the car, including surrounding vehicles, objects and lane markings.
An almost exclusive focus on touch- screen for vehicle functions rids the T60 of most traditional dials and switchgear. This means less clutter, but it’s best to set desired functions before setting off.
The high level of equipment is hard to ignore. Electrically assisted everything, heated everything; this has to be one of the best-appointed utes (for creature comforts) in the segment.
The front seats are comfortable, and most controls are within easy reach of the driver.
Underneath, a new suspension set-up switches from leaf springs at the rear to a multi-link coil-sprung set-up.
Max Plus also features a revised styling package that sets it apart from the wider T60 range, with a new front grille, front bumper and new heated side mirrors all finished in black. Black also clads door handles, side trims, wheel arch ‘eyebrows’ and roof rails.
Measuring 5395mm long, the Max Plus is taller than other T60 models, 1819mm against 1809mm. The overall width carries over, 2145mm with mirrors extended or 1900mm with mirrors folded.
The styling taps into today’s ‘lifestyle’ ute trend, with car makers eager to cash in on the multi-purpose ability of the modern ute.
The wellside tub is 1485mm long, 1510mm wide (1131mm between the wheel arches) and the tailgate is 1430mm wide and has gas-damping on lowering. Tub height is listed at 530mm. Payload is rated at 830kg, which is good for a coil-sprung rear end. In the tray, there are only four tie points, all fixed in their locations. Enough, but hardly generous.
There’s a spray-on liner and the ‘sailplane’ wraps in tight on the profile of the cab.
The glossy black alloy wheels are fitted with Giti H/T tyres. This is the second ute we have driven recently with Giti treads; the company has traditionally been an aftermarket tyre choice but now seems to be making inroads into the OEM market.
Driven, on a tarmac-only test route to lunch at the Riverhead pub, there’s the same strong mid-range from the 2.0-litre bi- turbo four-cylinder diesel as we remember from the T60 driven in 2021. It’s good for 160kW and 500Nm, the power being right at the top of the mid-size ute category. Maximum torque is available from a very useable 1500– 2400rpm, meaning the T60 feels punchy from take-off and punchier still when merging into motorway traffic. The eight-speed ZF is undeniably our favourite auto, and works well here.
Drive modes can be toggled through two-wheel-drive high range, four-wheel- drive high or four-wheel-drive low range. There’s also an on-demand rear diff-lock.
The unladen ride feels calmer and better resolved than the equivalent leaf-sprung T60 ute, while the steering is much lighter at lower speeds. Tight turns in car parks call for attention, given the truck’s 12.7-metre turning circle and almost-5.4-metre length in tight car park scenarios (the 360-degree camera is a boon here, too).
The Max is a useful addition to the T60 range, adding a lot of in-cab features and modernising thelook of the front end. It arrives in a white-hot market chock-full of new product and will help LDV stay visible in the sales charts and on New Zealand roads. Tradies never had so much choice.
We like:
• Strong 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine.
• Improved ride with suspension tweaks.
• Eight speed auto.
• Well-appointed cabin.
• Fresh front-end styling.
