The LDV brand will return to the UK this year, following a seven-year absence.
The vans, which are built in China by SAIC Maxus (part of the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation), are being imported into the UK by Dublin-based Harris Group - which already has a deal to distribute LDV in Ireland.
The first model to reach these shores will be the V80, which is a heavily re-engineered Maxus. Available as a chassis cab, panel van or minibus, it has GVWs of either 3.2 or 3.5 tonnes. It features a Euro-5 2.5-litre VM Motori turbo diesel engine (136hp/330Nm), which is matched to a Mitsubishi 6-speed manual transmission.
The interior has been completely revised, and the long list of standard features includes air conditioning, cruise control, dual airbags, electrically adjustable heated mirrors, Bluetooth and reversing sensors.
Towards the end of this year it will be joined by the G10 panel van, which is an entirely new design. This vehicle, which is also produced as a passenger car, has similar dimensions to the Mercedes-Benz Vito. It will be powered by the same 1.9-litre diesel engine (175hp) that appears in the company's MG cars.
At the launch event in Ireland this week the importer also previewed the EV80, a full-electric version of the V80, which will also be offered in the UK in the coming years. It will be joined by an all-new pickup truck.
Initially the Harris Group has a quota of 3,000 units, which will be imported under National Small Series Type Approval. This mix of V80 panel vans, chassis cabs and G10 vans will be sold through a network of 16 dealers. When Euro-6 product arrives in early 2017, and volumes increase, the network will be expanded.
All LDVs, which will be “competitively priced”, are backed-up with a five-year 125,000-mile warrantee and five-year roadside assistance.
