Its future having been in some doubt following the delayed launch of certain products, LDV has rescinded speculation talks of leaving by the recent allocation of its flagship Terron 9 bakkie for testing.

Flagship of flagship

Publicly shown at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring last year, the Terron 9 becomes the second widest and longest bakkie to be sold in South Africa, its dimensions of 5.5 m long and almost two metres wide only being eclipsed by the Foton Tunland V-Series.

Sitting above the T60, the Terron 9’s unveiling at the Kyalami showpiece formed part of a dual reveal with an equally long awaited model, the D90 SUV.

What is it?

Billed as a rival for the Toyota Fortuner, Isuzu MU-X, Ford Everest, Mahindra Scorpio-N and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, the D90 has faced a series of unspecified delays since being shown on local soil in a preview capacity two years ago.

*_{D90 rides on a ladder-frame chassis and provides seating for seven. Picture: LDV}*

Based on the same platform ladder-frame platform as the T60 instead of the D90, the first allocation of D90s finally docked in South Africa in January alongside the first shipment of Terron 9s.

While supposed to comprise a range of two variants, only the range-topping Flagship has been made available, with sales of the step-down Elite still to commence.

Fundamentals

Dimensionally, the D90 is as follows:

Length: 5 046 mm;
Wheelbase: 2 950 mm;
Height: 1 876 mm;
Width: 2 016 mm

Providing seating seven as standard, the Flagship has a claimed ground clearance of 230 mm, a tow rating of 3 100 kg and no less than three locking differentials similar to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

Bi-turbodiesel

Known as the Maxus Territory in China, motivation comes from the same 2.0-litre bi-turbodiesel engine as the T60, which translates to outputs of 160kW/500Nm.

Sending the amount of twist to the rear or all four wheels falls to a ZF-made eight-speed automatic ‘box. The claimed fuel consumption is 9.1 L/100 km.

Aside from its locking differentials, the D90’s added off-road prowess includes a low range transfer case, a crawl function, transparent chassis view camera and a drive mode selector with seven modes; Eco, Auto, Sport, Sand, Gravel, Snow and Rocks.

Spec

Until the arrival of the Elite, the sole D90 variant in South Africa’s list of features are as follows:

LED headlights;
20-inch alloy wheels;
electric tailgate;
keyless entry;
push-button start;
tri-zone climate control;
imitation leather upholstery;
heated multi-function steering wheel;
12.3-inch digital instrument cluster;
panoramic sunroof;
dual wireless smartphone charging pads;
12-speaker JBL sound system;
in-built dashcam;
12.3-inch infotainment display;
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto;
heated, ventilated, massaging electric front seats

*_{Taking centre stage are a pair of 12.3-inch displays for the infotainment system and instrument cluster. Picture: LDV}*

On the safety and driver assistance side, the D90 Flagship is equipped with:

tyre pressure monitor;
six airbags;
360-degree surround-view camera;
rear parking sensors;
Adaptive Cruise Control;
Automatic Emergency Braking;
Lane Keep Assist;
Blind Spot Monitoring;
Lane Departure Warning
Rear Cross Traffic Alert;
Door Open Warning

Colours

In total, four colours are offered:

Natural White;
Metal Ash;
Metal Black
Spruce Green

Price

Priced at R899 900, the D90 Flagship’s price tag includes a five-year/200 000 km warranty and a five-year/100 000 km service plan.

While still to be launched, the Elite will have reduced spec, but also a lower price tag at a reported R799 900.