2025 LDV Terron 9 review
Australia’s busy ute market is about to get busier thanks to a new arrival from China that could force leading brands into a price war.
This isn’t anything like the LDV utes that have come before it. This is one you might actually love.
It’s the all-new Terron 9 diesel dual-cab, and if you’re thinking it looks a bit weird, that’s because it has a unibody design, with no gap between the tub and the cabin.
That helps allow more tray space – it’s one of the biggest in the segment, at 1600mm long with a 1230mm gap between the arches, making it Aussie-pallet-friendly.
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The big downside? There is no cab-chassis model, and there won’t be. So it could be ruled out for a lot of tradies and fleet businesses.
Despite that, it still has a ladder-frame chassis, and serious off-road chops – not to mention the expected 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity that utes apparently need to be considered “real”. And in a plus for buyers, it includes a towbar assembly, hitch, and wiring as standard. A rear diff lock and spray-in tub-liner are standard too, as well as a locking tailgate with assisted lift mechanism.
There are two grades on offer, both with ABN discounted prices for tradies – the entry-level model is known as Origin, starting with promotional pricing of $49,990 drive-away, and it comes with 18-inch wheels, auto LED lights and auto wipers, cloth trim, power adjustable front seats, and a pair of 12.3-inch screens – one for driver info, one for media, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly available.
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Spend $5000 more and you score heaps of extra kit, like 20-inch wheels, a locking front diff, cargo area lighting and adjustable rails, trailer back-up assistance, and inside it steps it up with massaging front seats with heating and ventilation, heated rear outboard seats, an eight-speaker JBL stereo and ambient lighting.
Some of those items aren’t available in other utes, let alone at this kind of money.
And while it is cheaper than most, it doesn’t drive like a cheap ute. The Terron 9 feels sophisticated in ways that many other body-on-frame utes don’t, with a well-sorted ride that is comfortable and impressively damped over rough road surfaces and big bumps.
It isn’t the most enthusiastic thing to steer, but it is predictable enough, and the new diesel engine teams up well with the ZF eight-speed auto, offering strong and – again – predictable response, meaning this one feels more complete than some of the other LDV utes of years gone by.
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I also put it through its paces of road, and aside from some clearance concerns due to its enormous 3300mm wheelbase (and huge 13.3m turning circle that also results from that!), it was up to the task with good mechanical ability and technological help, thanks to smart traction management and a very impressive off-road data screen that includes an off-road camera mode – because it has surround-view as standard.
The interior is close to complete, too, with a design and execution that belies the price tag. It feels more SUV-like than any other vehicle at this price, and the amenities are all taken care of, including decent storage in the doors and between the front seats.
The back seats have a flip-down backrest with proper top-tether attachment points for the window seats to complement the ISOFIX points in those positions. There’s no centre top-tether.
It is loaded with the expected safety kit, including speed sign detection and lane keeping, and a driver monitoring camera – the latter of which is a bit incessant. Thankfully, the screen offers you a quick drop-down menu to turn those things off if they get on your nerves – it just takes a couple of seconds.
LDV is offering a seven-year, 200,000km warranty for the Terron 9, and the brand has five years of roadside assistance included at no cost, too. There is no capped-price servicing plan (yet…!), but the first visit is due at 12 months or 10,000km, then it’s every year or 15,000km.
This is a peculiar option that, if suitable for your needs, is well worth a look. It’s impressively refined, powerful and appointed, and the pricing embarrasses some of the other pick-ups in the segment.
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4.0 stars
LDV Terron 9
PRICE: From $50,000 to $55,000 drive-away for ABN holders
ENGINES: 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cyl, eight-speed auto, 4x4
OUTPUTS: 163kW/520Nm
FUEL USE: 7.9L/100km
PAYLOAD: 1005-1100kg
TOWING: 750kg unbraked, 3500kg braked
SPARE: Full-size
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