2025 LDV Terron 9 review: Australian first drive

Oh, to be an Australian ute buyer in 2025. The abundance of choice and quality is like nothing we have ever seen, and with manufacturers now overtly positioning cars to suit a work-life balanced buyer, the days of the basic jobsite ute seem to be over.

The 2025 LDV Terron 9 is unashamedly pitched as a versatile seven-day workhorse that can handle the multi-role demands of work and play, with plenty of modern accessibility and undeniable value thrown in.

The Terron 9 is a Chinese-built ‘size-up’ ute that is bigger than a traditional Toyota Hilux (or even LDV’s own T60), but smaller than a large American pickup like a RAM or Ford F-150. It’s the basis for the forthcoming MG U9 ute too, with which it shares… well… everything.

Like the other bigger ute, the GWM Cannon Alpha, this size-and-a-half approach sees the Terron 9 prioritise a spacious and comfortable cabin without compromising capability in terms of loads and towing.

There are two variants, with retail pricing starting from $53,674 drive-away for the entry-level Origin, and stepping up $5263 to the $58,937 drive-away Evolve. If you’re buying as a business owner (with an ABN), you can be on the road for $50,990 or $55,990, depending on your variant choice.

Better yet, as an introductory offer, ABN holders can take advantage of a limited $49,990 drive-away price point for the LDV Terron 9 Origin. For context, the Cannon Alpha starts from $52,990 drive away, and a HiLux SR auto from $55,190 before on-road costs. The Kia Tasman S 4X4 comes in close, though, at $49,990 before on-road costs.

There is a choice of six colours: white, black, yellow, green, blue and grey – with all bar white attract a $500 premium.

For your $50-ish grand spend, there are plenty of numbers to like.

Under the bonnet is a new SAIC 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine with 163kW and 520Nm outputs. This gives the Terron 9 more oomph than the 3.0-litre Isuzu D-Max (140kW/450Nm) and the 2.2L Kia Tasman (154kW/440Nm). There’s an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with low range, plus a standard rear differential lock (the Evolve spec scores a front-locker too), and disc brakes on all four wheels.

The LDV Terron 9 has a 3500kg tow rating, 6500kg GCM and a payload of up to 1100kg on the Origin and 1005kg on the Evolve. Cars come with a seven-year, 200,000km warranty, and service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km. There is no pricing available on the service costs at this point, though.

Specification is high too, with equipment like a 360-degree camera, off-road wade-depth sensor, tyre-pressure monitoring, a central front airbag, wireless smartphone projection, wired tow hitch and a full range of safety and assistance tech standard on both variants.

The Evolve adds bigger wheels, a better sound system and heated, ventilated and massage seats, among other more ‘nice to have’ equipment.

In terms of form factor, the Terron 9 is uniquely positioned as the only double-cab ute on sale in Australia with a ‘fixed’ tub design, meaning the C-pillar forms both the back of the cab and the start of the tub. This makes it impossible to convert to a custom cab-chassis-style body, but it does make the design of the Terron 9 somewhat striking in a slab-sided ‘Americool’ kind of way.

The stacked LED headlamps and enormous waterfall grille feel decidedly ‘apple pie’, where the profile, with its boxy extremities and fat sailplane pillar, gives off a Hummer-EV vibe… if you squint a bit. And yes, I’m aware that apple pie is not in fact an American invention, but you get my gist.

Some things are a bit strange, like the rear bumper caps that look like they’ve been stuck on upside down, the orange plastic ‘reflectors’ in the front bar, and once you see the chain-link rear LED lamps, you just can’t see anything else.

It’s different, but not in a bad way, which may even help new segment buyers consider it as more of an SUV with a tub, than a well-equipped workhorse.

Speaking of the tub, the tailgate has a neat soft-touch release button and hydraulic damping to make it light and manageable. A spray-in bedliner is standard, as are four tie points, but there is no lighting or power outlet. A range of accessory covers will be available soon.

The tailgate includes cup holder impressions and a measuring gauge, too.

Size-wise, you’re looking at a 1600mm square load bay with 1230mm between the arches. The days of struggling to fit a pallet (1165mm) are long gone! This makes it roughly the same as a standard ute (HiLux is 1570mm deep and 1645mm wide), bigger than the GWM Cannon Alpha (1500mm x 1520mm) but shorter than the KGM Musso XLV (1610mm x 1570mm) and LDV T60 Megatub (1800mm x 1510mm), and materially smaller than a RAM (1712mm x 1687mm).

Bottom line, the footprint of the big LDV is skewed to offering space for its occupants.

Inside, the cabin is large, modern and airy. The cloth seats on the Origin variant are comfortable, and likely better for those who deal with harsh sun, and there are good storage and usability options in both rows.

Physical buttons for the climate control and door locks run along the dashboard, materials are nice and soft, and the trim errs towards ‘stylish’ and ‘rugged’. The illustrated motif of the Terron 9 in profile, with what looks like 30-inch wheels, is yet another hat-tip to the US-of-A, but I’m not sure it works as well as the way that Jeep does it.

Things aren’t perfect – the big centre console ‘looks’ like it has a wireless phone charger, but doesn’t, and there are no cup holders for the second row.

But that second row is large and comfortable, and the width of the Terron 9 can accommodate three adults – providing they are all friends.

Media and driver information is delivered via a pair of 12.3-inch widescreen displays, which are both bright and clear. The infotainment screen was fast to use and offers some neat functions like an off-road information mode and a 360-degree camera.

On the down side, there’s no physical volume control for the passenger to use, requiring a swipe-down on the screen to access (there is a volume control on the steering wheel) and the lack of a stalk or knob to control the lights makes tweaking anything other than the automatic setting a bit of a pain via the media screen.

That aside, the ergonomics of the cockpit and usability of the screen are pretty intuitive.

There is a USB-A and USB-C port in the front and in the back, but no mirror or dash ports for dashcams or other devices.

Our first look at the LDV Terron 9 saw some drive loops around the old Holden Proving Ground in Lang Lang, as well as a short drive on the surrounding regional roads. To be clear, our time was limited, so this assessment is more of an initial view rather than a detailed breakdown, but at a high level, what we experienced was pretty good.

That 2.5-litre diesel is willing low in the rev range, with peak 520Nm torque between 1500 and 2500rpm. Building speed is easy on the highway, and almost surprisingly, holding speed is just as effortless. For buyers new to the ute segment, the Terron 9 has a considerable ‘SUV’ feel to its power delivery and responsiveness, which shows just how far and fast some of these newer brands are moving.

The transmission is controlled by a Mercedes-Benz-style shifter on the steering column, and the drive modes (including low range and differential lock) are accessed on the central console.

The surfaces around the Proving Ground are designed to test cars rather than cosset them, and it was here that the big LDV really impressed.

Yes, the smaller wheels (with 65-profile 18-inch rubber) help absorb much of the surface imperfections, but the ride compliance and body control over uneven and undulating surfaces is quite impressive. The car is well damped, in that it is comfortable into the surface change and settles quickly after.

We tried the car unladen and with a small, 180kg load, and it was well mannered in both configurations. Time and testing will see how the LDV manages heavier cargo or towing, but utes generally settle better with weight in the back, so the indications are good.

Fuel consumption is claimed at 7.9L/100km on a combined cycle, and while we saw about 8L/100km on our short highway drive, the regular idling and ‘driving for video’ we did with the car pushed our consumption into the low teens. Again, a longer test will see how this is managed in real-world conditions.

From a first impression standpoint, the 2025 LDV Terron 9 has plenty to like, and when you consider the $50k-ish price point, it shows that fast-moving brands can deliver a capable and value-packed package in tune with what today’s buyers are looking for.

We’ll spend more time with the Terron 9 in the coming weeks, but if you are looking for a bit of extra cabin space and want to stretch your dollar a bit further, the LDV Terron 9 is well worth a look.

With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.

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