LDV D90's launch in South Africa pushed back

The LDV D90 won’t launch in 2024 after all, with the fresh-faced 7-seater SUV’s scheduled arrival in South Africa having now been pushed to some point in 2025…

In June 2024, LDV South Africa said the first local deliveries of the D90 were scheduled for the start of the final quarter of this year. However, now the Chinese-owned brand has confirmed the 7-seater SUV won’t hit the local market until some point in 2025.

Though LDV SA told Cars.co.za it has no confirmed date for the D90’s official arrival on the local market, our understanding is that the automaker is targeting a launch date in the opening quarter of 2025.

There are at least 2 units of the ladder-frame SUV already in the country, with both having arrived earlier in 2024 for what LDV SA then described as “customer viewing and final homologation”. These examples each feature a turbodiesel engine, though the latest D90 that recently launched in Australia has interestingly ditched (perhaps temporarily) this oil-burning motor in favour of a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine.

In Mzansi, however, the D90 line-up is expected to comprise Elite and Flagship derivatives, each powered by the same 2.0-litre biturbodiesel engine employed by top-spec versions of the T60 bakkie. This 4-cylinder oil-burner generates 160 kW and 500 Nm, peak outputs that are delivered to all 4 wheels via a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission. Braked towing capacity is listed as 3 100 kg.

Both derivatives will feature 4×4 with low range as standard, though the Flagship variant will add front and rear differential locks to the Elite’s central item. Other standard features will include climate control, leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system and dual smartphone-charging pads.

The D90 Flagship will furthermore score massaging- and heating functions for the front seats, while also upgrading from a standard sunroof to a panoramic version and from 18-inch gloss-black alloys wheels to 20-inch diamond-cut items. In addition, while the Elite uses an 8-speaker sound system, the Flagship boasts a 12-speaker JBL arrangement.

LDV South Africa also earlier confirmed that SA-spec D90 derivatives will be fitted with the “Black Package” as standard, adding a gloss-black finish for the exterior handles, side-mirror caps, roof rails and rear spoiler, along with black wheel-arch mouldings.

Measuring 5 046 mm from nose to tail, the 3-row D90 is 121 mm longer than the J250-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, while its 2 950 mm wheelbase offers 100 mm more than that of the Japanese SUV. From what we understand, the D90 for the local market is effectively an LDV-badged version of the Chinese-market Maxus Lingdi (a name that translates to “Territory”).

As a reminder, LDV opened its doors in South Africa in May 2024, kicking off its local operations with the launch of the T60 range of double-cab bakkies. The company traces its roots all the way back to 1896, when it was founded in the United Kingdom. In the late 1980s, the marque transformed into Leyland DAF Vehicles (hence the “LDV” initialism), before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of China’s SAIC Motor in 2010.