The refreshed Maxus T70 revealed at this 12 months’s Beijing motor show may preview a second facelift for the LDV T60 ute.
Greater than only a cosmetic nip-and-tuck, the refreshed ute also incorporates a recent turbo-diesel engine, with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant coming.
LDV Australia declined to supply a comment on the probabilities of the updated ute for our market.
It’s unclear if the PHEV can be offered in Australia, where it could tackle models just like the BYD Shark 6 and upcoming GWM Cannon Hi4-T, however the diesel T60/T70 may very well be 12-18 months away if previous local launch timings are any indication.
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While the T60 is now 10 years old, it has been updated during its run and LDV Australia has previously indicated it desires to proceed to supply an inexpensive ute range.
“The ute market is extremely competitive in Australia and we remain committed to offering customers a spread of vehicles at the worth end of the segment,” LDV Australia general manager Dinesh Chinnappa said in February 2025.
The updated T70 upgrades to the turbo-diesel 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine from the larger Terron 9, producing 165kW of power and 520Nm of torque, and mated with either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.
Those outputs are up by 5kW and 20Nm on the bi-turbo 2.0-litre diesel four-cylinder engine in the prevailing T60, which is obtainable exclusively with an eight-speed auto in Australia.
Maxus, as LDV is understood in China, has yet to release any specifications for the upcoming T70 PHEV. Nevertheless, at a presentation on the Beijing motor show, it said it had developed a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a mechanical four-wheel drive system and total system outputs of 330kW and 800Nm.
Externally, the T70 has received a nose job but not much else. There are more squared-off lighting elements up front, plus a taller grille and what appears to be a more sculpted bonnet.
There’s been a more comprehensive update inside. As an alternative of a ten.25-inch touchscreen or dual 12.3-inch displays as in the present Australian-market T60, there’s a bigger, free-standing 12.8-inch touchscreen with a row of physical switchgear underneath, in addition to a smaller free-standing digital instrument cluster.
The T70 also ditches the 2 different centre console designs of the present T60 in favour of a more conventional, flat setup which includes the airplane-like gear shifter from the MG U9. A wireless charging pad sits at the bottom of the minimalist centre stack.
The inside will be had in black or with orange upholstery for the seating surfaces and dash.
The T60 was launched here in 2017 and its last facelift was released in Australia late in 2021, bringing not only recent front-end styling but additionally a revised interior and a more powerful engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The budget ute has continued to receive upgrades since then.
A brand new dashboard design arrived in 2024 alongside more safety equipment and multi-link rear suspension for some variants, while 2025 brought an upgrade to the T60’s braked towing capability.
The T60 is LDV’s biggest seller in Australia, with 4320 examples reaching Australian customers in 2025. That features just 19 examples of the slow-selling electric eT60.
Midway through last 12 months, LDV introduced the Terron 9 as a brand new, larger dual-cab slotting in above the T60.
To date this 12 months, the T60 is outselling its recent big brother, with 1071 sold to the tip of April against 470 Terron 9s across the identical period.
Just like the T60/T70, the Terron 9 was also previewed with a plug-in hybrid powertrain in China.
This Article First Appeared At www.carexpert.com.au
