LDV prices monstrous Terron 9 Down Under as hint for South Africa

Reported earlier this year as being lined-up for local introduction in the final quarter of the year, LDV has released pricing of its flagship Terron 9 bakkie in Australia as a teaser of what South Africa will soon get.

What is it?

Set to be positioned above the T60, the Terron 9 will not only take aim at higher-end versions of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, but also the latter’s twin, the Volkswagen Amarok, and the GWM P500 when it makes its landfall at the end of the year.

Also expected to be sold as an MG similar to the T60 that wears the MG Extender moniker in Thailand, the double cab-only Terron 9 measures 5 500 mm long, 1 997 mm wide and 1 874 mm high, with its wheelbase stretching 3 330 mm long.

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By comparison, the Ranger has an overall length of 5 350 mm, wheelbase of 3 270 mm, height of 1 886 mm and width of 2 208 mm, while the dimensions for the P500 amount to a length of 5 445 mm, height of 1 924 mm, width of 1 991 mm and wheelbase of 3 350 mm.

Offering a payload of between 1 005 kg and 1 100 kg depending on the trim grade and a maximum towing capacity of 3 500 kg, the Terron 9 has a ground clearance of 220 mm, wading depth of 500 mm, approach angle of 29-degrees, breakover angle of 20-degree and departure angle of 25-degrees.

Diesel first, EV later

Down Under, the line-up will span two derivatives: Origin and Evolve, both powered by the same engine, a new 2.5-litre turbodiesel producing 163kW/520Nm.

As standard, the Terron 9 has a part-time four-wheel-drive system on both models, with the sole transmission option being an equally new eight-speed automatic.

Arriving later, the all-electric eTerron, which made a surprise showing at the Nampo Agricultural Expo in Bothaville in the Free State in May as the Maxus eTerron 9, will produce a reported 325 kW from its 102-kWh battery pack, and have a range of 400 km between trips to the plug.

Spec

On the specification side, both variants come standard with a pair of 12.3-inch displays, bi-LED headlights, type-A and type-C USB ports, rain sense wipers, cloth upholstery, a rubberised loadbin, electric front seats, a rear diff-lock, roof rails and Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto.

Taking care of safety are front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera system, tyre pressure monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Driver Attention Alert, Safe Exit Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Model-wise, the Origin has 18-inch alloy wheels and a four-speaker sound system, whereas the Evolve gets 20-inch alloys, folding electric mirrors, an eight-speaker JBL audio and a front locking differential.

Adding further to the Evolve is Trailer Reverse Assist, ambient lighting, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats, LED loadbed lighting and heated rear seats.

Colours and price

In total, six colours have been selected: white, black, Concrete Grey, Desert Yellow, Jewel Blue and Spruce Green.

Now available, pricing for the Terron 9 kicks-off at $50 990 for the Origin and $55 990 for the Evolve. Directly converted to rand without the various taxes included, these amount to R591 834 and R649 868 respectively.

As a comparison, pricing for the T60 ranges from R480 000 to R790 000, suggesting a probable starting price of around R820 000 to R850 000 for the Terron 9 locally.

Coming in quarter four

For the moment, no further details about the Terron 9 for South Africa are known, however, expect more to be divulged around or before the stipulated fourth quarter reveal.

Additional information from carexpert.com.au and drive.com.au.

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