Off-road review: 2022 LDV T60 Max Luxe

LDV has been making its presence felt in the hyper-competitive 4x4 ute segment with its T60 pickup.

The T60 has been embraced by buyers as a more affordable alternative to the bigger names with more established models and has occasionally poked its name in to the monthly top 10 selling 4x4 vehicles throughout the past year.

Now the Chinese manufacturer of light commercial vehicles has upped the T60 ante by giving the ute a serious makeover with fresh styling inside and out and fitting the more powerful bi-turbo diesel engine from its D90 wagon model. It’s calling the new model the T60 Max and offering it in two specifications: the T60 Max Pro which is aimed more at the trade users, and the T60 Max Luxe that is hoped will have more appeal to recreational and family buyers.

The T60 Max models are priced from $33,990 drive away for the Pro with a manual gearbox, up to $40,490 for the Luxe automatic which we have here for review.

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POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

A big claim for the T60 Max is that it is equipped with the most powerful four-cylinder diesel engine in the ute class, producing 160kW of power that’s 3kW more than Ford’s 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel with an equal 500Nm of torque.

Like the Ford engine, LDV’s 2.0-litre motor uses a bi-turbo arrangement to extract the most performance from its relatively small capacity. They have squeezed a bit more out of it for the T60 ute, upping the D90 wagon’s 158kW and 480Nm to beat the Blue Oval’s numbers. The ‘Bi-Turbo’ vent badge on the front guards looks very familiar too.

Unlike most other bi-turbo arrangements where the engine will use a smaller turbocharger to provide boost at low speeds and then switch to or combine with a larger turbocharger as engine speeds rise to give a broader delivery of power and torque, the LDV engine delivers its powerload like a light switch.

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It is a two-stage system using a smaller compressor at low speeds and switching to a larger one as the load increases, but there’s considerable lag from when you put your foot down to when the power comes on – and when it does, it comes on strong, spinning the wheels and surging forwards.

Whether or not this is a result of how the engine is tuned or how the throttle is calibrated is unknown, but the result is abrupt and something the driver needs to be wary of when negotiating tight tracks or pulling out of a side street in to flowing traffic. Yes, the T60 Max has plenty of grunt, but the way it delivers it is unrefined.

The most refined part of the T60’s drivetrain is the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic transmission, which works well and without complaint.

A couple of points of difference in the T60 Max over and above most of the other utes in this segment: the four-wheel drive system has an on-demand mode, meaning you can leave it engaged over any road surface and the torque will be distributed to the front axle as needed; and the fitment of four-wheel disc brakes, while most one-tonne utes still have drums on the rear.

ON ROAD RIDE & HANDLING

THE T60 Max comes with one of two suspension calibrations for either load carrying in the Pro model or comfort in the Luxe variant. I say comfort, as that’s what LDV calls it, but driving the Luxe unladen, it was anything but comfortable. The ride is bone-jarringly harsh and reminiscent of load-carrying double-cab utes of two decades ago.

It’s a double-wishbone and coil-spring IFS arrangement, with a live axle under leafs at the back and the ‘comfort’ set-up sacrificed 175kg of payload compared to the heavy-duty package under the Pro model. I’d hate to feel an unladen T60 Max Pro over a bumpy bush track. As it is, it feels like it wants 500kg in the tub to soften the ride up.

We can only hope that LDV sees fit to enlist the help of the Walkinshaw group once again to sort out the ride quality of the suspension. The Walkinshaw-fettled Trailrider model of a few years ago showed more compliance in the suspension resulting in a better ride, even on its 19-inch wheels and low-profile tyres.

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OFF ROAD

THE T60 Max uses a four-wheel drive system that offers 2WD, on-demand 4WD, 4x4 high and 4x4 low range, and that on-demand option is something that works well on varied terrain and low-traction surfaces. The relatively stiff suspension doesn’t offer a lot of wheel travel but when it picks up a tyre, the auto-locking rear differential is very effective in pushing forward to maintain progress over obstacles.

The electronic traction control (ETC) feels like it’s a few generations behind that found in the LDV’s competitor’s utes and 4x4s. It’s slow-acting, noisy and jerky, but it gets the job done eventually.

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CABIN AND ACCOMMODATION

THE T60 has always offered an interior that looks better than its price point would suggest, and the Max raises that bar further. This Luxe variant gets power adjustable heated leather seats over the cloth pews on the Pro model and combined with the new 10.5-inch touchscreen, which comes in both variants, gives a more upmarket feel.

The seats are firm and flat and the steering column is only adjustable for height but not reach. The screen is bright and clear and the audio system includes CarPlay connectivity. We did find the screen to be a bit slow to respond at times, sometimes taking a few taps to get it to select what you want, and there are no controls for the audio volume in the dash, just on the steering wheel. The Luxe model also has keyless entry and push-button starting.

Space in the back seat is typical of the double-cab utes available, in that you can carry adults in there but they won’t be comfortable on long trips.

The T60 Max relies on its 2017 ANCAP 5-star rating, so it has most of the safety features you expect but not some of the latest ones. Among those missing are autonomous emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alerts. Only the Luxe variant gets lane-departure warning, while both models get a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

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PRACTICALITIES

THE T60 Max has a large cargo tub with four tie-down points in the corners. As mentioned earlier, its payload is well short of the 1-tonne standard on the Luxe but comes up to 935kg if you opt for the Pro model with a manual gearbox or 925kg with the auto. The towing rating is 3000kg, so again down on many of the 1-tonne 4x4 utes but probably a more realistic figure for any vehicle in this class.

The 550mm wading depth is another figure that’s below par for the segment, and while the 245/65R17 tyres might be small, they are a practical size and well-suited to the vehicle.

LDV vehicles have a 5-year/130,000km warranty and roadside assistance, with a growing national dealer network.

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SUMMARY

THE T60 Max might look more contemporary both inside and out but it remains a fairly rudimentary vehicle in the way it drives. The throttle lag and the way it delivers its power, the hard-riding suspension and the noise of the engine hark back to utes of yore, before they became more refined and family friendly. These are things that might not be a problem for some buyers but 4WD utes have come a long way in the last decade and the class leaders in the category are more refined and user friendly for whatever use you have for them.

The T60 Max’s strong points are it’s engine output and the excellent transmission combined with its relatively low price and what you’re getting in a $40K ute.

I was speaking with a tradie just a week before this drive who was telling me he had a couple of T60s (not T60 Max) and they have been absolutely no problems for him and his workers who love it. That sort of testimonial makes you think twice about brands you might not otherwise consider but for the price, the T60 Max is certainly worth a look-in.

LDV T60 PRO LUXE SPECS