Let’s go to Australia to see what’s going on with the all-new pickup truck. The 2018 LDV T60 is something the North American public will never see, but it’s quite an impressive workhorse without any doubt. Even though it’s totally new in the segment, the vehicle will be able to compete with the biggest names from the class. We don’t expect as big sale numbers as achieves the Toyota Hilux or Ford’s Ranger, but let’s say it’s going to be able to fight with VW’s Amarok or even with Isuzu’s D-Max.
The T60 truck uses an oil-burner unit only at the moment. The carmaker promised more option in the future, but today’s model is introduced with a single diesel. It’s a 2.8-L four-cylinder turbo diesel engine, which is capable of producing 110kW of power (at 3400rpm) and 360Nm of torque (from 1600-2800rpm). That’s somewhere around 150 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. The base model is using a 6-speed manual gearbox, but the potential buyers can add some more money to a six-speed automatic transmission. No matter which one they choose, it’s going to be mated to a 4×4 system. Truck’s fuel economy depends is pretty good, regardless of the gearbox you pick. Still, there are some differences. The 2018 LDV T60 manual uses 8.8 liters per 100km, while the pickup with the six-speed auto needs 9.6 liters.
Towing and payload capacity are pretty impressive for this kind of vehicle, but they are also far from the very top of the class. LDV’s first ute is able to tow up to 3 tonnes, while payload ranges from 815kg to respectable 1025kg.
As for the exterior styling, well, we can’t say that the 2018 LDV T60 looks worse or better form the biggest rivals, but you have to admit that it’s attractive enough, especially in the front. The workhorse sports a massive grille surrounded by chrome accents, while a pair of headlights just embellishes the overall impression.
Inside, the 2018 LDV T60 hosts a number of useful features and high-quality materials. The manufacturer added a 10-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, as well as blind-spot monitoring. Aside they are attractive, the headlights are also LED adaptive. A rear-view camera and rear parking sensors are a standard part of every T60, but in case you want something more, like heated front seats, electronic rear differential lock, sports, bar, smart key, leather seats and steering wheel, you will have to choose the Luxe model. Though, the base Pro T60 isn’t bad at all. Except for the aforementioned equipment, the starting model offers a cruise control, two USB ports, hill descent control, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring, and lots more.
The 2018 LDV T60 is already available across Australia. The base Pro model with manual gearbox starts at $28,990, while the most expensive Luxe automatic version costs around $35,000.