Suddenly, LDV vans are starting to look a bit funky. Well, this one anyway: the Deliver 7, a mid-sizer based on a whole new platform from the Chinese brand.
Case in point: the style arbiter of our house came home the other night after walking past the Deliver 7 in the driveway and announced: “I like that van. It’s got breeze blocks on the front”. Indeed it does.
Although the LDV’s fancy front grille reminds me more of the latticework you might find in an olde English tea shop, a very obvious reference to LDV’s UK origins (that’s Leyland Daf Vans, people). Still with me?
As a van - meaning a big box to put stuff in and take it out again - the Delivery 7 is pretty impressive. The load height at the side is low and at the back, barn doors are standard; they have two-stage opening and can be locked in place.
It’s 1390mm between the rear wheelarches, which means you can slide a pallet in there with a forklift. Chunky rubber lining is fitted to the floor as standard, there are 6 tiedown points and cargo-bay lighting.
Payload is good at 1295kg (beat that, “one tonne” utes) and the LDV can tow 2 tonnes.
As a purely functional load-carrier, you could put up a strong argument for the LDV against any of those fancy big-name rivals like Toyota Hiace, Ford Transit Custom and Volkswagen Transporter.
As a thing to drive and spend time in, a bit less so. There’s actually nothing drastically wrong with the driving experience, but where Toyota, Ford or VW vans are actually fun to drive (no really, they are), this one just gets the job done.
The familiar 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is pretty strong low-down and refined at a cruise, but raucous under load. It does take a bit of time for the turbo to spool up, and on a middling throttle it makes a noise a bit like a jet taking off… although there’s nothing to suggest that in terms of acceleration.
The 9-speed automatic is smooth enough, although it has a tendency to go a bit staccato if you suddenly change your mind about throttle pressure. But ask the question and the Deliver 7 can indeed pick up its sills and run with the best of city and motorway traffic.
The driver assists can be a bit naggy, with a slightly random speed-limit warning and fairly aggressive automated steering input. But it can all be turned off once you’ve started up, and the takeaway is that the Deliver 7 is fully equipped with all the active safety stuff, which is important to fleet operators.
It rides pretty well unladen, although the rear end can get a bit bouncy over urban ruts and judder bars; that’s to be expected in a commercial vehicle, which designed to have some weight over the back axle.
Cabin environment is a big thing for vans, given operators spend so much time in there. The Deliver 7 dashboard is styled to look quite car-like, with two-tone finish and faux-stitching around the place. It’s reasonably modern, too: the main instrument panel is still analogue (with a small digital information meter in the middle), but it’s given a lift by the slender 12.3in infotainment touch-screen atop the console. The cabin materials are pretty hard, but it does all look pretty good.
However, the digital readout between the main dials is too, too tiny. Initially I thought there was no indication of the adaptive cruise control speed when set, until I noticed a minuscule blue dot at the bottom of the display. Oh right, it’s got a number in the middle of it. I think. Really, you’d have to be the Six Million Dollar Man to see that clearly; sorry for the 1970s reference kids, it’s one for old(er) eyes.
What’s really missing is a cohesive approach to storage space. There are decent door bins, a glovebox and minor spaces here and there, but nothing that will securely house your phone, for example; if you’ve got it plugged into the projection port, you’ll probably have to just let it perch in/on the shallow quadrilateral knook near your left knee.
It’s weird, this. Because so many vans have so many clever storage spaces for working drivers: overhead cubbies, fold-down tables, dashtop bins. The LDV has very little of it.
It makes you wonder whether there’s an awesome centre-console in the people-carrying version in China (it’s called the V70 and even comes with VW-style two-tone paintwork) that simply gets removed in van configuration.
So the LDV Deliver 7 is not quite as slick as it looks in some respects. But it does look very slick.
That handsome face and very practical loadspace still pull it all together for a small-business or fleet that wants to make a good impression.
You can probably forgive a few foibles for the $53,990 price and 7-year warranty, when a Toyota Hiace with barn doors is $59,990, or a basic Ford Transit is $66,990. Even the VW Transporter, which is in runout as the new (Transit-based) one approaches, starts at $68,500.
How much is the LDV Deliver 7?
The short-wheelbase (tested here) is $53,990, but there's also a long-wheelbase version for $58,990.
What are the key statistics for the LDV Deliver 7?
The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel makes 123kW/390Nm and drives the front wheels through a 9-speed automatic. The load area is 6.3 cubic metres for the SWB model, with 1295kg payload; it's 2547mm long and 1800mm wide, with 1395mm between the rear wheelarches.
Is the LDV Deliver 7 efficient?
Depends what you're carrying in van-world of course, but the Deliver 7 rates at 8.8l/100km on NZ's RightCar 3P-WLTP regime.
Is the LDV Deliver 7 good to drive?
It's grunty enough once the turbo spools up and handles well, but it's as much fun as a Ford Transit or even Toyota Hiace. But it gets the job done.
Is the LDV Deliver 7 practical?
The loadspace is really good: barn doors as standard, rubber lining on the floor and good width between the wheelarches.
What do we like about the LDV Deliver 7?
Sharp looks will be a draw for many businesses, the barn doors and large loadspace really do deliver for a midsize van and the dashboard looks car-like and quite modern.
What don’t we like about the LDV Deliver 7?
It's desperately short of useful cabin storage space (especially for commercial operators), the diesel is a bit noisy under load and the driver assists (though commendably comprehensive) are a bit naggy.
What kind of person would the LDV Deliver 7 suit?
A small business or fleet that wants a van that looks good and offers maximum load-practicality for the lowest price.
