LDV Deliver 9 2020: Review

Chinese auto brands are beginning to make sense to more buyers in Australia today and the new LDV Deliver 9 looks to be another case in point.

Taking on the likes of the Renault Master, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Fiat Ducato and Ford Transit, the LDV Deliver 9 offers a compelling package, with high levels of equipment and a responsive turbo-diesel powertrain.

Priced from just over $42,000 drive-away, it also significantly undercuts its European rivals on price.

In an era of economic rationalism, vehicles like the LDV Deliver 9 are sure to gain popularity based on their appealing price, but prospective buyers will find there’s plenty of meat on the bone here – no just scraps and sinew.

It’s easy to drive thanks to a torquey turbo-diesel engine, has decent load access, good active and passive safety features, along with a useful roof-mounted reversing camera backed up by rear parking sensors. The screen resolution isn’t great, but the angle and view provided certainly are.

The variant on test is the long-wheelbase (LWB) van with a ‘mid-roof’ height, priced at $42,095 drive-away as a manual (or $44,726 with auto, as tested here). Even at this mid-range level, the Delivery 9 undercuts its major rivals in the over-3.5t GVM van segment, including the most affordable variants of the Volkswagen Crafter (from $54,090), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ($49,720) and Renault Master ($44,490).

The new LDV Deliver 9 is also offered as a shorter-wheelbase van (mid-roof height), a LWB high-roof van, a LWB cab/chassis and as a minibus (11 or 14 seats), with prices topping out at around $60,000. You can read more about the full range and individual price points here.

Measuring 5940mm long overall, the LDV Deliver 9 LWB Mid-Roof has a load area that can hold 10.97 cubic metres. The cargo compartment is 3413mm long, 1800mm wide (1366mm between the wheel-arches) and 1792mm tall.

According to LDV, you can fit two standard Aussie pallets in the area – or “three to four” Euro pallets.

Most buyers will find the cargo area commodious, and while there’s only one sliding side door (1269mm wide x 1570mm high) on the passenger side, the big rear barn doors (1570mm wide x 1656mm tall) open to 180 degrees and offer good access.

However, there’s a large LDV logo that sticks out on the right-hand rear door when open, and could be easily broken off if you shut the left door onto it.

The LWB Mid-Roof van has a 4000kg gross vehicle mass (GVM) with 1640kg payload for the auto (manual: 1670kg), and the floor and lower sides of the cargo area and cabin are covered with a rubberised material which is relatively grippy.

Unlike some rivals, however, there’s no solid bulkhead or cage/wire protection to stop cargo flying into the cockpit under heavy braking. An aftermarket bulkhead will cost extra.

The only factory option listed is a $1500 package that adds wider-opening (236-degree) rear doors, along with a proximity key fob, push-button engine start, lane change assist and blind spot monitor.

In the cargo area there are eight tie-down anchorage points in the floor and loads of spots to secure hooks and ratchet tie-down straps in the van’s interior side metal panels. There’s also two large LED lights that will make night-time and indoor warehouse loading a lot easier, lighting up the load space brightly and relatively evenly.

While there are two large overhead storage cubbies in the cabin up front, it lacks the incidental storage solutions some of its rivals offer, especially on top of the dashboard where owners may want to throw paperwork, clipboards and scanning devices. However, there is under-seat storage via the flip-up central seat and the cup- and bottle-holders work well enough.

Stepping inside the van, the modern-looking cockpit makes a strong first impression. The dashboard design is neat and tidy and features a big 10.1-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay functionality – but no Android Auto.

There are two USB ports, a basic (non-digital) stereo, power mirrors/windows and a steering wheel festooned with buttons to work the adaptive cruise control (on automatic transmission versions) and other functions.

Externally, the van gets halogen headlights, LED driving lights, 16-inch steel wheels, large side mirrors with built-in indicators and a sturdy full-width rear step integrated into the bumper.

Warranty provisions are behind key rivals – three years or 160,000km, whichever comes first – but the Deliver 9 is the first LDV model in Australia to offer capped-price servicing, with costs capped at $1895 over three years or 95,000km.

Typically speaking, commercial vehicle manufacturers don’t tend to submit large vans for safety and crash testing by independent bodies like ANCAP, and the LDV Deliver 9 is no exception.

That said, it does have a decent amount of safety equipment, including six airbags (dual front, front side and side curtain), a lane departure warning system and autonomous emergency braking with a forward collision alert system.

Adaptive cruise control is also included, and is easy to engage via buttons on the steering wheel and worked well on our test, indicating when it had locked onto vehicles in front and maintaining the desired distance automatically.

As we mentioned above, lane change assist and blind spot monitoring are included in a $1500 package.

One of the big surprises that soon came to light with the new LDV Deliver 9 on test was the engine and auto gearbox combination, which makes for a refined experience and returns decent fuel economy.

The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine produces 110kW of power at 3500rpm and 375Nm of torque across 1500-2400rpm, and it comes with a (switchable) stop-start system to save fuel when stationary.

Rated to the Euro 5 emissions standard, the engine hauls well and being rear-drive it motivates smoothly when loaded up, with the bulk of the weight resting over the rear wheels that provide drive.

The engine hooks up to a six-speed manual or optional six-speed automatic transmission, and we did notice that down-changes on the auto were abrupt at times. There are power and eco modes, but we couldn’t really pick the difference – there was always loads of torque at low revs.

Also, the gearbox had to ‘hunt’ a little bit for the right gear on occasion, as if it wasn’t sure of itself 100 per cent of the time, but for the most part the powertrain performed better than expected.

We averaged 10.7L/100km over 400km of testing, with about a half load for short periods, which isn’t too shabby for a van of this size.

The Deliver 9 has an 80-litre fuel tank which means it should have a good cruising range between diesel fills. You can also tow a trailer with it, weighing up to 2800kg if it has trailer brakes.

Like most large vans, the LDV Deliver 9 offers a great view of the road through the huge front windscreen and big side windows. The big side mirrors feature curved lower fish-eye sections which help provide slightly wider vision.

The six-speed auto, smooth turbo-diesel engine and light steering conspire to make driving very easy in the LDV, and the 14.2m turning circle on the LWB Mid-Roof isn’t bad either (relatively speaking), allowing it to navigate small roundabouts, tighter car parks and loading bays without too much trouble.

Comfort-wise, the driver is generally well catered for. There is an adjustable arm rest on the left-hand side and an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat. However, there’s no driver’s footrest and at times my foot got a little massage from the exposed steering axle.

It was interesting to note that Apple CarPlay cuts out and the radio kicks in whenever the van was slotting into reverse, which was odd and a bit annoying, especially as the volume levels were different (the radio was a lot louder than CarPlay).

The indicator stalk on the left is a bit annoying too, but you get used to it, while on a more positive note the colour trip computer looks great and the steering wheel buttons work well, providing quick access to key functions.

At night, the halogen headlights proved to be just average. If doing lots of night driving away from built-up areas, we’d definitely look to upgrade the globes.

There are three seats up front, all with lap-sash seatbelts, but a passenger complained that there is nothing to hold on to when the van goes round corners.

The front suspension (MacPherson struts) is compliant and while the rear (leaf springs with gas dampers) is super-stiff when unloaded, it performs much better and feels settled with weight over the rear axle.

Handling-wise, the LDV is not as resolved as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, especially without some mass in the back, but it’s predictable to drive, maintains decent body control through roundabouts and 90-degree turns and feels solid on the highway at 100km/h.

The brakes are generally up to the task, 308mm discs up front with twin-piston callipers and 304mm discs at the rear with single callipers biting down. They’re relatively smooth in their modulation, which is handy when you are trying to keep cargo from moving around too much.

The LDV Deliver 9 falls down in a few areas, but we handed back the keys to the large van pleasantly surprised.

There’s only one sliding side door, no Android Auto connectivity, some infotainment quirks, no bulkhead to protect occupants from the cargo area, only average headlight performance and an exposed steering column. The three-year/160,000km warranty is also below par.

That said, the van steers well and has a perky engine, the cabin has a modern look with a big touch-screen system (with Apple CarPlay), the ergonomics are generally good and the safety systems are on point.

Sure, it looks like a bastardised Ford Transit from some angles. But the value equation plays in the Chinese van’s favour, particularly when you combine the standard equipment and mechanical package with the attractive pricing and useful load space.

If LDV’s importer extended the warranty to five years (from the current three-year period), it would help allay any reliability fears, which may be the biggest hurdle for some buyers.

Nevertheless, the LDV Deliver 9 has enough going for it to make a lot of friends with delivery drivers and could force its European rivals to sharpen their offerings going forward.

How much does the 2020 LDV Deliver 9 LWB Mid-Roof auto cost?
Price: $44,726 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 110kW/375Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.7L/100km (as tested)
CO2: Not provided
Safety rating: Not tested