The big new LDV D90 has made its first public appearance anywhere in the world, right here in Australia.
As revealed previously, Chinese manufacturer SAIC had brought a number of new 2018 LDV D90 SUVs to Australia for chassis testing and electronics configuration, ahead of its global launch later this year.
The company had also confirmed it would use those same vehicles for promotional filming, against the beautiful backdrop of Kiama on the south coast of New South Wales.
The same location was used to give the D90 an impromptu world unveiling, with 50 SAIC engineers on hand to peel away the wraps of the camouflaged vehicles shown for photos earlier this week.
Today, the LDV brand’s local distributor, Ateco, has also confirmed the D90 will make its Australian market debut at the end of 2017, sometime after the launch of its ute sibling, the T60.
A full and detailed unveiling for the D90 will at the Shanghai motor show in just over a week’s time, but much about the new car is known already. (See our earlier story here.)
The D90’s debut should mark a step forward for the LDV brand’s appeal with Australian buyers, even if – as CarAdvice readers were all-too-ready to highlight – the big new off-roading SUV does share some styling themes with other brands already on offer here.
But, if priced right and equipped well, the ladder-frame-underpinned LDV D90 could prove a compelling alternative not only to countrymate the Haval H9, but also established rivals like the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Holden Trailblazer and Isuzu MU-X.
As noted yesterday, the D90 could find sales on the strength of its BMW-inspired cabin alone.
Watch for more on the D90 to be revealed at the Shanghai motor show, with CarAdvice coverage to come direct from the floor.
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