LDV V80 unveiled at CV Show

The CV Show marked the return of LDV after an eight-year absence. Now built in China by SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) and distributed by the Dublin-based Harris Group, the first model to go on sale will be the Maxus-based V80 panel van, which will be available in a number of derivatives.

The van will look familiar to many, as it is based heavily on the LDV Maxus which was manufactured in Birmingham between 2005 and 2009. When the original LDV folded, SAIC bought all the tooling and shipped it to China where it has been manufactured ever since and exported to countries like Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand.

A couple of years ago, Harris Group bought the distribution rights for Ireland and the UK.

In the cab

While the outside may look almost identical to the Maxus, the interior has changed a lot. The cab has been updated with cheap plastics and still feels very basic, but there is quite a lot of equipment included on the standard trim level.

This includes the likes of rear parking sensors, all-round disc brakes, air conditioning, remote-control central locking, eight-way adjustable driver’s seat, electic heated door mirrors and a radio with Bluetooth and MP3 connectivity.

Engines and driveline

The Italian-built 2.5-litre VM Motori engine continues to provide the power, and produces a maximum output of 136bhp at 3,800rpm and 330Nm between 1,800 and 2,600rpm. Fuel economy is expected to be quite poor though (official figures have yet to be released) at around 35mpg.

Load area

There will be three body styles offered on the LDV V80: a low-roof, short-wheelbase (6.9 cubic metres), a medium-roof, long-wheelbase (10.2 cubic metres) and a high-roof, long-wheelbase (11.4 cubic metres).

The load lengths are measured at 2,550mm and 3,300mm and the heights at 1,505mm, 1,710mm and 1,925mm. There is a standard load width of 1,770mm, and this is reduced to 1,380mm between the wheelarches.

The smallest derivative has a 3.2-tonne gross vehicle weight, which gives a payload of 1,204kg, while the two larger derivatives have a 3.5-tonne gross weight, which returns payloads of 1,419kg and 1,389kg respectively.  

Conversions

Harris Group has appointed fellow Irish company Thompsons of Carlow to undertake the bodybuilding. There are two dropsides (short and long body), a tipper and a Luton van available to order.

The dropsides have respectable payloads of 1,495kg (3,600mm load length) and 1,525kg (3,280mm load length), the tipper has a 1,250kg payload and the Luton has a 1,125kg payload.

Pricing and availability

LDV has just eight dealers in the UK but plans to extend this to 16 by the end of 2016. The LDV V80 is expected to be priced extremely competitively from around £14,000 plus VAT, which includes the five-year, 125,000 mile warranty.