LDV T60 MAX 4WD Dual Cab Ute 2021 launch Review

LDV T60 Max – LDV has launched their new T60 MAX Dual Cab Ute following on from the initial launch in 2017. Since then they have slowly carved a following for their products.

The new model comes in two versions, the entry level Pro and more equipped Luxe versions. They both have the same 2.0L engine with a choice of 6 speed MT or 8 Speed ZF AT.

As you would expect they are competitively priced. T60 Max range starts with the Pro Manual at $33,990, followed by the Pro Automatic $35,990, Luxe Manual $38,490 and Luxe Automatic at $40,490. All costs are driveaway for ABN holders

LDV T60 MAX Exterior

Both models are actually not bad looking Utes. They have some cosmetic differences between them, but essentially they have a big bold grill that is imposing with sleek LED headlights that blend into the horizontal grill top. There are some subtle bonnet crease lines that flow from the headlights.

Profile style sees muscular wheel arches, a lower door crease line to break up the side, along with a slight uplift in the door line for the rear door to give it a slightly cab forward appearance.

From the rear there is an integrated bumper step, a neat T60 MAX insert on the tailgate and vertical rear lights. There are rear fog lights but unfortunately no front ones.

There is a spray in tub liner for protection and four tie points, situated halfway up the tub. I prefer lower tie points so you can actually tie flat loads down, but a few other Utes also have the same issue.

Wheels and tyres are 17” x 7J Alloy Wheels with 245/65 R17 Tyres and an underslung steel spare the same size. The Luxe version I drove had some fine looking split spoke alloys that blended well with the overall appearance.

LDV T60 MAX Interior

The interior seems to have taken a step upmarket from the previous T60 Trailrider.

The Pro has cloth seats, manually adjustable for the front two, while the Luxe has leather seats with the front seats heated and 6 way electronically adjustable. The seats are a little hard, tending to sit on them rather in them, but they are comfortable for long distances as I found out.

The height adjustable (no reach adjustment) steering wheel feels good in the hands and has controls for the audio as well as cruise control on the spokes. As I had the seat all the way back I was stretching a touch for the steering wheel, a problem faced in all Utes that don’t have reach adjustment. Both indicator and wiper stalks are visible behind which makes operation easy.

In front of the driver is a clear instrument binnacle, with white and red on black instruments and a large MFD in the centre of two dials. The steering wheel houses audio and cruise control buttons.

The central transmission tunnel has two large cup holders, but square in shape, along with the controls for 4WD. There is a smaller front tray, a couple of USB ports and a row of buttons for LKW, PWR, ECO etc. Interestingly this row of buttons is on different sides of the transmission lever in different versions.

Above the central tunnel is a row of touch buttons for A/C controls and the central stack is dominated by the 10.25 inch touch screen that has excellent clarity and touch functionality.

This screen operates the built in audio system which plays through six front and rear speakers. The touch screen also supports smart phone mirroring via Bluetooth or one of the two USB ports

The touch screen also provides the vision for the reversing camera, which has guide lines for steering wheel angle and the direction of the reversing T60, as well as the standard 360 degree camera that provides all-round safety visibility.

The overall interior feel is more integrated than the previous  model.

Visibility is ok, but the thick ‘A’ pillars and wing mirrors do provide a minor blind spot. Over bonnet is good as is through the rear. Interior storage has some clever ideas such as the cup holders at either end of the dashboard, (but they are a little small) large door pockets that will also accommodate a small bottle, a roomy glovebox and reasonably sized centre console storage bin with a sliding soft padded top.

Rear passengers have excellent leg room for a Ute, with seats that are slightly sculptured and comfortable. There is a pull down arm rest with cupholders and an additional set of air vents are at the back end of centre console unit. The T60’s rear seat back rest may be folded to provide an additional 705 litres of load space and have both Top Tether and IsoFix mounts for child seats.

LDV T60 MAX Features

Standard T60 MAX features include:

• 10.25 inch touch screen display with smart phone connection by Bluetooth or USB,
• Smart key for keyless entry and starting, a
• Power windows,
• Climate control air conditioning, and
• Cruise control,
• Automatic wipers,
• Auto dipping rear view mirror for Luxe and manual for Pro,
• Dusk sensing headlights, height adjustable
• Heated door mirrors that fold automatically when the car is locked.

LDV T60 Max Engine and Drivetrain

Here is where its gets a little interesting. The ultra-competitive Ute market has seen increasing power and torque figures from some manufacturers and some have remained steadfast in their approach of useful delivery of power and torque. LDV T60 sits somewhere in-between.

At the heart of the new T60 Max is a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine delivering an impressive 160kW @ 4000rpm and useful 500Nm between 1500 – 2400rpm.

Mated to a six-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission from ZF, the T60 in normal mode is a relatively lazy diesel that needs to be pushed to extract the best. However put it in power mode and it gets much better with noticeably better response from start and through the gears. It hums along nicely.

The key here is the mapping between the 8 Sp ZF AT and the engine and that is definitely better in power mode. Power mode is better off road as well, especially in the sand.

Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is an impressive 9.2L/100km for the manual and 9.3L/100km for the automatic. We averaged just under 10.0l/100k on our weeks drive over a mix of urban, freeway, sand and off road driving.

LDV T60 Max Driving Experience

I didn’t get a chance to drive the Pro, but the Luxe was pretty comfortable on road and reasonably smooth on dirt roads. The steering feels a lot better than the previous model, more directly responsive.

As with previous LDVs, both suspension tunes – heavy duty for the Pro and comfort for the Luxe – have been specifically calibrated for Australian conditions. I didn’t get a chance to drive with a load on, nor tow, later hopefully.

While the diesel engine was a little noisy and there was a little vibration noise from the tyres, overall it was fairly relaxing to drive.

T60 Max also comes with an Intelligent Real-Time Torque on Demand system from BorgWarner which defaults to Auto every time you start up. It’s good, but on tight U turns and under some road conditions it grinds a little. My preference was to set it to 2WD for normal road driving and Auto or 4WDH when on the sand or dirt roads. But you had to do that every time.

As mentioned the driver can manually select high-speed 2WD, high-speed 4WD and low-speed 4WD for tough off road conditions. This is not shift on the fly unfortunately. I had to stop and select neutral then shift. I guess the Auto mode overcomes manual selection.

See below for approach angles etc. The LUXE, adds a rear on-demand differential lock. T60 is rated to tow up to three tonnes with a braked trailer.

The Australian tuned suspension features independent double wishbones at the front and leaf springs at the rear. Suspension is set to heavy duty for the Pro and comfort for the Luxe versions.

The other notable feature is that the T60 Max has front and rear disc brakes, something few Utes possess. Others like the SsangYong Musso also have them.

LDV T60 MAX Safety

The LDV T60 has a five star ANCAP safety rating (2017) and boasts an array of standard safety features such as:

• Airbags (6) – Driver and front passenger airbags (2), side bags (2), full length curtain bags (2),
• LED Daytime Running Lights,
• Rear Fog lights,
• Fatigue Reminder and Attention Assist,
• Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS),
• Electronic Brake Assist (EBA),
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD),
• Electronic Stability Program (ESP),
• Hill Descent Control (HDC),
• Hill-Start Assist System (HAS),
• Roll Movement Intervention (RMI),
• Traction Control System (TCS),
• Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC),
• Rear On Demand Differential Lock that self-engages when required under 30 km/h,
• Rear Parking Sensors,
• Reversing Camera,
• 360 Degree Panoramic Camera,
• Child Anchoring – ISOFIX + Top Tether (2),
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and
• Lane Departure Warning

Interestingly there is no Blind Spot monitor, something it has in common with the Toyota HiLux. The Isuzu D-MAX is currently the class leader in safety features.

LDV T60 Max Random Thoughts

• This T60 is as good driving on sand as any of the mainstream Utes and I drive on sand A LOT.
• The extra power and low torque made the sand driving effortless
• I purposely dug it into the sand to see how it got itself out and it was impressive.
• On dirt roads it’s OK but loses composure and scrapes its belly on rutted sections occasionally.
• The more I drove the T60 the more I liked it.
• The slide out cup holders under air vents on the front dash are a good idea but could be a little larger
• Missing some safety features, some like blind spot indicator aren’t a big deal, but some like rear cross traffic alert can be (true of a few Utes)
• Heated seats are nice and toasty on cold days and excellent addition at this price point, as are auto headlights and wipers.
• Windscreen washers work well (many Vehicles don’t surprisingly)
• The AUTO 4WD function works well but there is some hesitation occasionally deciding
• The beauty of the AUTO 4WD function is that I drove straight off the beach and just kept driving without disengaging 4WD.

LDV T60 MAX Owner Benefits

The LDV T60 has a five years or 130,000 km warranty and 24/7 roadside assistance for the warranty period.

LDV T60 Max Final thoughts

The latest T60 is an improvement in the outgoing model and there is no doubt that value is the main selling point for the LDV T60 Ute. It is packed with an abundance of comfort and safety features for a sharp price.

It does miss out on some features that more expensive Utes have, but in reality you often don’t miss them. Everything has a price and that’s why other Utes are more expensive.

Rid and handling are good and the new motor performs well when pushed along. The 160kW/500Nm combination is amongst the best in class and sure to make some people look at this Ute over others.

This T60 Max is actually pretty good and absolutely worth a look.

The LDV T60 MAX is definitely a cut above other Chinese Utes, looks pretty dam good and cheaper than the mainstream Utes. That’s why people will buy it.

Also look at:

• SsangYong Musso
• Mitsubishi Triton
• Mahindra PickUp

 *MLP Includes GST and LCT but excluding statutory charges, dealer costs and dealer delivery. See your dealer for RDAP. Does not include price of options. Some features mentioned in the article are options.

*RDAP is a recommended drive away price.