90 LDV D2020 Review: Executive Diesel

It's pretty hard not to notice the LDV D90.

Mainly because it's gigantic; this is one of the biggest SUVs you can buy. In fact, I would say that this review drew you in because you may have seen one of these behemoths drive by and are wondering what the LDV badge stands for and how this relatively unknown SUV stands up to popular competitors and other notable newcomers. .

To get one confusing thing out of the way, LDV once stood for Leyland DAF Vans, a now defunct British company resurrected by none other than China's SAIC Motor - yes, the same one that also resurrected MG.

So, is this MG big brother worth keeping an eye on? We took the recently released D90 diesel version for a week of testing to find out the answers…

LDV D90 2020: Executive (4WD) D20
Safety Rating
engine's type	2.0 L turbo
fuel type	Diesel
Fuel efficiency	9.1l / 100km
Landing	7 Places
Price from	$36,200

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 8/10

On paper, the seven-seater D90 immediately looks very attractive. At $47,990, that's literally a lot of cars for the money. This latest iteration, the twin-turbo diesel, is only available in the Executive trim at this price, but you can save another penny by opting for one of the smaller petrol turbo options.

At $47,990, that's literally a lot of cars for the money.

Despite this, like its sister brand MG, LDV is good at making sure the main features are noted.

This includes many screens popular in the Chinese market, including a massive 12-inch multimedia screen and an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster.

The screen is only as good as the software that runs on it, and let me tell you, the D90's software isn't great. A quick look at the weird little menu reveals primitive functionality, terrible resolution and response times, and possibly the worst Apple CarPlay performance I've ever seen.

I mean he doesn't even use all that screen real estate! Not only that, but in the recent revision of CarPlay, Apple released software to use wider displays, so the car's own software must simply be unable to support it. Input was also laggy, and I had to repeat my steps several times to get any benefit from Siri. Unlike any other machine I've used, the software in the D90 didn't return to the radio after you hung up or stopped talking to Siri. Annoying.

There are plenty of screens including a massive 12-inch multimedia screen and an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster.

I would have preferred to have a much smaller display which worked really well. The semi-digital instrument cluster was functional, though it did little to nothing that the small dot-matrix display couldn't, and had one screen that said "loading" all my week. I'm still not sure what it was supposed to do...

At least it supports Apple CarPlay at all, which could not be said about the segment hero Toyota LandCruiser.

LED headlights are standard on the D90.

The D90 ticks off some essential elements that are pretty good. LED headlights are standard, as are eight-way power leather seats for the driver, a heated multifunction steering wheel, 19-inch alloy wheels (which are still a bit small on this huge thing), three-zone climate control, audio system with eight speakers, an electric tailgate, keyless entry with ignition, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, tire pressure monitoring, plus a pretty substantial safety suite, which we'll cover later in this review.

Great on paper then, the twin-turbo diesel engine is a boon, as is the fact that the D90 rides on an electronically controlled cross-country ladder chassis for the powertrain.

You would expect to pay more - even from Korean and Japanese competitors for that kind of specification. No matter how you do it, the D90 is good value for money.

Is there anything interesting about its design? 6/10

Some colleagues I spoke to like the way the D90 looks. To me, it looks like someone merged a Hyundai Tucson with an SsangYong Rexton in the lab and then grew them in a mixture of peptides, and that's what happened.

What cannot be conveyed in images is how massive the D90 is. At over five meters long, two meters wide and nearly two meters high, the D90 is truly enormous. Considering that's the case, it's almost admirable, admittedly, that the side profile alone makes this thing a bit silly.

What cannot be conveyed in images is how massive the D90 is.

I think LDV has done a pretty good job on the front and the rear is simple but well done for a car that rides on a ladder chassis (just take a look at the Pajero Sport to see how the ladder chassis rear design can get...controversial) . ...).

The wheels, decorations and LED headlights are tasteful. It's not ugly... just a contrast... in size.

Inside, there are some familiar cues from sister brand MG. Look from afar and it's pretty good, get too close and you'll see where the corners are cut.

The first thing I don't like about the cabin is the materials. Other than the wheel, they are all pretty cheap and nasty. It's a sea of ​​hollow plastic and mixed finishes. The faux wood pattern, which is clearly a plastic resin print, looks especially gnarly. Reminds me of some Japanese cars from 20 years ago. It might work for the Chinese audience, but not for the Australian market.

The D90 Executive is fitted with 19-inch alloy wheels.

On the other hand, you might say, "Well, what do you expect for this price?" and it is true. Everything here works, just don't expect the D90 to play on par with established players when it comes to fit, finish, or material quality.

The huge screen works to end the line, but this damn software is so ugly you'll wish it wasn't. At least all major touch points are ergonomically accessible.

How practical is the interior space? 9/10

The D90 is as massive on the inside as it is on the outside. I'm talking about better space than a minivan, and nothing says it better than a humane third row. With my height of 182 cm, I not only fit in the two rearmost seats, but I can do it with the same comfort as in any other row. It's stunning. There is real air space for my knees and head.

The third row is incredibly spacious.

The second row is massive and also on rails, so you can increase the amount of space available to third-row passengers, and there's so much space in the second row that you'll still have room even with the seats moved forward.

My only critique here is that the giant tailgate is far enough forward that getting up to the third row is a little tricky. Once you are there though there are really no complaints.

The trunk can be used even with the third row deployed, with a declared volume of 343 liters. It should be the size of a hatchback, but the dimensions are a bit deceiving as the space is tall but shallow, meaning you will only be able to fit smaller bags (a few if you can fold them) with the space left.

The trunk can be used even with the third row deployed, with a declared volume of 343 liters.

The trunk is otherwise cavernous: wild 1350 liters are available with the third row folded down or 2382 liters with the second row folded down. In this configuration, with the front passenger seat moved forward to the farthest position, I was even able to get a 2.4m table top in the back. Really impressive.

Short of buying a real commercial van, this might be the cheapest way to get into such a place, especially in a bi-turbo diesel 4×4 SUV. You can't argue with that.

Second-row passengers get their own climate control module, USB ports, and even a full-size household power outlet.

Second-row passengers get their own climate control module, USB ports, and even a full-sized household power outlet with more legroom than you might need. My only complaint was that the seat upholstery felt a bit flat and cheap.

Front passengers get large cupholders on the center console, a deep armrest (no connection to it, just a randomly located DPF cycle switch), door pockets, and an uncomfortable climate-controlled binnacle that houses the only available USB port. . My phone didn't fit.

However, there are no complaints about legroom and headroom up front either, with plenty of adjustment to boot. The driver's seat provides excellent visibility to the road, although it can be a little frustrating to be so far off the ground in corners...more on that in the driving section.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 7/10

The D90 was originally offered in Australia with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, but this 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel is much better suited for both towing and long-distance travel.

It is a four-cylinder engine with a power output of 160 kW/480 Nm. You'll notice it's pretty close to the similar 2.0-litre Ford biturbo diesel currently offered on Everest...

It is a four-cylinder engine with a power output of 160 kW/480 Nm.

The diesel also gets its own transmission, an eight-speed computer-controlled "Terrain Selection 4WD" torque converter.

This gives the diesel D90 a maximum towing capacity of 3100kg braked (or 750kg unbraked) with a maximum payload of 730kg.

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How much fuel does it consume? 6/10

The D90 diesel is said to consume 9.1 l/100 km of diesel fuel on the combined cycle, but ours didn't get close to that figure with 12.9 l/100 km after a week of what I would call "combined" testing.

The D90 is a big unit, so this number doesn't seem outrageous, it's just way off the mark... All D90s have 75 liter fuel tanks.

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 8/10

The LDV D90 has the highest five-star ANCAP safety rating as of 2017 and has a fairly complete active safety package.

The diesel includes automatic emergency braking (AEB) with forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, driver attention warning, traffic sign recognition and adaptive cruise control.

Not bad for the price, and nice that there is nothing optional. Expected items include electronic traction, stability and brake control, as well as six airbags.

Curtain airbags extend to the third row, and as a bonus, there's a reversing camera and a tire pressure monitoring system.

There's a full-size steel spare under the boot floor, and the D90 also gets dual ISOFIX and a three-point top-tether child seat.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

5 years / 130,000 km


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 7/10

LDV covers the D90 with a five-year/130,000km warranty, which isn’t bad… but inferior to sister brand MG, which offers seven years/unlimited mileage. At the very least, it would be nice to have the promise of unlimited mileage.

Roadside assistance is included for the duration of this warranty, but limited cost service is not offered through LDV. The brand has given us estimated prices of $513.74, $667.15, and $652.64 for the first three annual services. The initial six-month 5000 km inspection is free of charge.

All D90s need to be serviced every 12 months or 15,000 km, whichever comes first.

What is it like to drive? 6/10

The D90 is easier to drive than it looks... in a way...

It lacks some of the glitz of its more established rivals, resulting in a driving experience that's not bad, but sometimes disappointing.

The ride somehow manages to be soft and hard at the same time. It wobbles over the larger bumps while transferring the worst parts of the smaller, sharper bumps into the cab. This indicates a lack of calibration between the suspension and shock absorbers.

That being said, the D90 does a good job of disguising its ladder chassis design, with little to no typical body-on-frame wiggle that some competitors still struggle with.

The D90 does a good job of disguising the basis of its ladder chassis, almost without that typical body-on-frame jiggle that some competitors still struggle with.

The transmission is good, but a bit unmanageable. As you can guess from the numbers, there's more than enough power, but the transmission tends to have its own say.

At times it will twitch between gears, select the wrong gear, and disconnect from the line will sometimes be delayed before the D90 slams forward with sudden mountain torque. It doesn't sound good either, as the diesel spins through the rev range with industrial roughness.

By the time the D90 reaches cruising speed, there really isn't much to complain about as the D90 works along with plenty of overtaking power. Road views are excellent, but you really feel the D90's high center of gravity in corners and hard braking. The physics of such a large object is undeniable.

LDV has done a fantastic job steering the D90 with a quick and light feel that the size of an SUV betrays.

I have to say that LDV has done a fantastic job of steering the D90, with a quick and light feel that the size of an SUV gives off. However, it manages to veer to the right side of lightness without being so disconnected that you don't lose a sense of where the wheels are pointing. No small feat in something of this form.

Overall, the D90 handles well and has some really great performance, but it also has a lot of little issues that keep it from really competing with the leaders in the segment.

Verdict

Looking for a cheap, powerful diesel SUV with a huge interior and a humane third row for adults? The D90 is a really good deal, especially given the entry price for this top-of-the-line diesel engine, which should resonate with Australians a little better than the petrol version.

It has a lot of issues that could be fixed, but they're all so small and don't hinder sales that it's almost annoying how much better the D90 can be with a little work. Opponents should be looking over their shoulder for what's to come.