2025 LDV Terron 9 Review – From Quiet Challenger to Weighty Challenger
Detailed in-depth review of the 2025 LDV Terron 9 for Australia – history, engineering, interior, towing, off-road performance, pricing, and comparison with Ranger, HiLux, and D-MAX.
Introduction
In Australia, the ute is something more than just a car. It’s a workmate, a family carrier, a Saturday arvo adventure rig, and, in some circumstances, a badge of personal identity. The Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, and Isuzu D-MAX have ruled by default for decades. They’ve had the heritage, the advertising budgets, and the customer loyalties.
LDV? It’s been the unassuming brand trying to sell on price to budget-wise customers so far. The T60 was affordable, honest, and able but never quite seriously challenged the heavy hitters.
The 2025 LDV Terron 9 alters that equation. This is not a face-lift. It’s an all-new, ground-up platform focused on the mainstream Aussie ute purchaser — the person who requires real towing grunt, proper off-road capability, and a comfortable interior for extended travel, without forking out brand-tax.
The LDV Journey – From Newcomer to Credible Player
When LDV first entered Australia in 2014 (with vans such as the V80), it was an unfamiliar Chinese company owned by SAIC Motor, a giant of one of the world’s biggest automaker groups. The T60, launched in 2017, was its first serious effort at Australia’s most closely contested segment — dual-cab utes.
The T60 retailed because it was less expensive than its competitors and had a seven-year guarantee. But LDV took note of what customers said: customers wanted more power, improved interiors, sophisticated safety, and a chassis that could withstand our harsh conditions without rattling itself to pieces.
The Terron 9 is the product of that feedback loop — created for worldwide markets, but uniquely tuned for Australian buyers. LDV even conducted on-ground durability testing in Australia, running up thousands of kilometres over outback roads, ridged gravel, and coastal sand.
Exterior – A Big, Confident Presence
You can’t skip the Terron 9 on the road. It’s bigger than the T60 in all directions, with a bulging front grille, C-shaped LED DRLs, and squared-off wheel arches. The design straddles rugged and premium, with a nod towards both workhorse and lifestyle duties.
The Evolve trim gets additional chrome trim, 18-inch alloy wheels, and roof rails, while Origin retains a more utilitarian finish.
Interior – A Cabin That’s Set Up for Work and Family Too
Inside, the Terron 9 is a major improvement over anything LDV has produced previously.
Build Quality & Materials
Dash and door tops are trimmed in soft-touch material, with contrast stitching on Evolve derivatives.
The cabin is solid and at no point are there any obvious rattles or flex points — something earlier LDVs did not tend to do so well.
LDV has chosen hard-wearing plastics for lower panels, knowing tradies and campers won’t baby them.
Tech and Infotainment
Twin 12.3-inch screens dominate the dash: one for the driver (configurable layouts), one for infotainment.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, backed by built-in nav for when you’re off-grid.
The JBL audio system in Evolve is surprisingly punchy — perfect for road trip playlists.
Comfort and Practicality
Heated, ventilated and massaging leather front seats are available from Evolve.
Abundant storage: ample centre bin, large door pockets, several cup holders, under-seat storage in the back.
Rear seats offer greater leg space than the T60, so adults can survive long distances.
Performance – Power for the Job and the Weekend
In the engine bay is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel:
Power: 163 kW @ 3800 rpm
Torque: 520 Nm @ 1500–2500 rpm
The muscle is supplied by an 8-speed ZF torque-converter automatic — the same family as used in BMWs and Land Rovers — to a full-time 4WD system with drive mode selection.
On the Road
The Terron 9 is refined and stable at highway speeds. The ZF auto shifts nicely, the diesel torque makes overtaking a doddle, and steering is weighty. It’s still a large ute, but LDV’s chassis calibration means it doesn’t take on a wallowy character in corners.
Off the Road
This is where the Terron 9’s hardware comes into play:
Origin trim: rear diff lock
Evolve trim: front + rear diff locks
Low-range transfer case
220 mm ground clearance
Approach/Departure/Ramp-over: 29° / 25° / 20°
On soft sand, the diesel’s torque pulls steadily away, and on rough tracks, diff locks quickly tidy up uneven ground.
Capability – Built for the Real Work
Towing: 3500 kg braked — class benchmark.
Payload: 1005–1100 kg depending on model.
Tub Size: Large enough for a standard Aussie pallet between the wheel arches.
Suspension: Independent front, leaf-spring rear — tuned for both load and comfort.
Safety – Brimming with the Latest Driver Assist Aids
LDV has equipped the Terron 9 with:
Autonomous Emergency Braking (pedestrian/cyclist detection)
Adaptive Cruise Control
Lane Departure Warning & Lane Keep Assist
Blind Spot Monitoring & Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
360° surround-view camera
Trailer Sway Control
Pricing and Variants – Arriving August 2025
Origin: $49,990 drive-away (ABN) / $53,674 retail
Evolve: $54,990 drive-away (ABN) / $58,937 retail
Each variant comes with the 7-year/200,000 km warranty and 5 years roadside assist.
How It Measures Up – Terron 9 against the Big Three
Ford Ranger XLT – Priced from about $65k with a 2.0L bi-turbo diesel (154 kW/500 Nm). Ranger has better resale and broader dealer coverage, but Terron 9 outperforms it on price and inside tech for the money.
Toyota HiLux SR5 – Approximately $64k with 150 kW/500 Nm. Iconic reliability, but cabin technology is dated and ride is less polished unladen. Terron 9 is more contemporary for less.
Isuzu D-MAX LS-U – Approximately $63k with 140 kW/450 Nm. Hard, uncomplicated, tried and tested off-road, but not as powerful as Terron 9.
Ownership and Running Costs
LDV‘s servicing is every 12 months/15,000 km. Servicing costs will be undercutting Toyota and Ford. The brand has grown its dealer network throughout regional Australia, but it still trails the big three for coverage — something to keep in mind if you commute from afar.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
Powerful 163 kW/520 Nm diesel
Premium-feel interior in Evolve
3.5-tonne tow with twin diff locks on offer
Tech that’s class-leading for the price
Cons:
Still building brand trust/resale value
Size makes tight urban parking tricky
Some hard plastics in cabin remain
Verdict – The LDV You Can Brag About
The 2025 LDV Terron 9 is hear to represents a change for LDV Australia. It’s not here to be the cheapest ute in the yard — it’s here to compete on its merits with the leaders. It delivers power, technology, comfort, and off-road capability in a package that slit the majors by thousands.
If you’re willing to step outside the “badg loyalty” bubble, the Terron 9 might just surprise you. It’s LDV’s most complete, most confident ute yet — and a serious new player in Australia’s ute clan.
FAQs – 2025 LDV Terron 9
Q: When is the Terron 9 available in Australia?
A: Deliveries start July–August 2025.
Q: What’s the towing capacity?
A: 3500 kg braked.
Q: Does it have diff locks?
A: Yes — rear on Origin, front + rear on Evolve.
Q: How does it compare to Ranger or HiLux?
A: Similar capability, more features for the money, but less resale certainty.
