LDV G10 v Toyota HiAce 2015 Comparison Can the bargain Chinese upstart really take the fight to Toyota’s top seller? LDV G10 v Toyota HiAce Crew Comparison Test

TOYOTA’S HiAce has dominated Formerly a British concern, LDV was of three wheelbases and has volumes Australia’s medium segment for purchased in 2010 by ’s SAIC starting from 6.4 cubic metres. years, but now its traditional rivals Motor – a state-owned automotive Here in Australia, LDV was handled have been joined by a new Chinese colossus. In addition to LDV (known as by White Motor Corporation until challenger. The LDV G10 has price and in most markets), the Shanghai- Ateco Automotive took over in 2014. the prowess of one of China’s largest headquartered group owns domestic Ateco is no stranger to launching auto makers on its side – and impressive brands and Automobile, emerging Asian brands – it gained specs and features to boot. Here we along with historic British brand MG. a foothold here for Kia before that examine the newcomer alongside a It also has joint ventures in place with company took distribution in-house. recently introduced five-seater Crew Volkswagen, General Motors and , Now it sells LDV here through a version of Toyota’s HiAce. and the company claims it produced a network of 44 dealers (and counting), Toyota’s HiAce has ruled Australia’s staggering five million vehicles last year. with representation in every state and medium van market for over 20 years LDV’s current V80 van can trace its territory. and it currently commands 43.5 per cent roots back to its British forbears. Now, The G10 van is in fact based on a of the 2.5-3.5t LCV market (VFACTS however, the V80 has been joined by people-mover platform, and here it’s data). Together with Hyundai’s iLoad, the G10 – LDV’s first clean-sheet effort sold alongside G10 people-movers in with the Korean’s 27.2 per cent share, under its Chinese parent. Smaller and both seven- and nine-seater formats. nearly three-quarters of the market is with a sub-2m roof height, the G10 is owned by the established Asian brands only available here in the one 3198mm DAVID AND GOLIATH – but now a Chinese newcomer has wheelbase and 5.2 cubic metre capacity, trucksales.com.au recently grabbed a entered the fray. while the V80 continues in a choice new G10 van and an example of Toyota’s

Reproduced courtesy of Carsales.com.au top-selling HiAce, although this review streaks around the dial, the van The front double-wishbone and rear isn’t a direct head-to-head comparison. accelerating hard from 2000rpm to beam arrangement on the HiAce also Toyota’s new five-seater HiAce Crew, 5500rpm. does a competent job, loaded or empty. introduced earlier this year, sports a The ZF auto isn’t the fastest-shifting The HiAce feels marginally more 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit we’ve seen but it does the job planted at motorway speeds, the Toyota engine mated to a four-speed auto, and it’s decisive in its selections. An also offering a degree more feedback while the two-seater G10 is powered electronic sequential mode is available, through its steering, but both machines by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with but after an initial fiddle we let it do its acquit themselves well. six‑speed auto. own thing in ‘drive’ mode. Both vehicles have a four-disc The HiAce Crew was part of a mild The G10 is a rocket when unladen, brake setup and both deliver entirely range update that also saw the arrival that’s for sure, and owners will be acceptable braking performance, of a revised, more powerful yet more thankful for the stability control although the HiAce has the upper hand economical 2.7-litre petrol engine. (especially in the wet). But the in terms of outright stopping power, Sadly a long-wheelbase version of performance continues with a load on while engine noise is appreciable in Toyota’s petrol/auto van – which is board, and up some decent inclines each under acceleration but sufficiently shorter than the G10 but also has a the G10 barely seemed to notice our subdued on a steady throttle. sub-2m height – wasn’t available, but test payload. They’re both manoeuvrable, too. The the HiAce Crew still serves as a useful The G10 is a rev-hungry machine HiAce Crew on test has a wheelbase comparison in terms of its construction, that favours top-end performance. That that’s 628mm shorter than the G10, finish and features. mightn’t sound ideal for commercial but even the Chinese van manages a We subjected both to trucksales. work, but the truth is it reaches that respectable turning circle of 11.8 metres. com.au’s van test loop, comprising top end so rapidly you’re never left Despite the HiAce’s snub nose, the busy industrial estate, motorway and struggling. distance from the front axle to the edge winding country roads – first empty, While we can’t draw fair comparison of the front bumper is 170mm shorter then with a 650kg test weight. with Toyota’s turbo-diesel, the HiAce in the G10. The G10 also has the shorter Price is traditionally the sharpest Crew churns out dependable grunt steering box – 3.5 turns compared to knife in the Chinese armoury and for from just off idle. It’s more relaxed 4.25 for the HiAce, which spells less ABN holders the G10 van is priced than the G10 but as capable as ever, and wheel twirling around town. at just $29,990 drive away. Compare while the four-speed auto offers a more that to just under $40,000 drive away limited choice of ratios its shifts are a COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE (including GST, ex Melbourne) for little faster. the direct equivalent HiAce (not the LDV claims a Combined ADR fuel For cabin comfort and features the HiAce Crew reviewed here), and that’s figure of 11.7L/100km for the G10 van, G10 is a clear winner, its people-mover a substantial difference. while the van’s trip meter at the end of origins delivering a higher standard With the dropping of the V6 engine our test showed 11.4L/100km. That was of appointments than you’d expect in the updated Mercedes-Benz Vito overly optimistic – the bowser revealed in an LCV. Cabin entry and exit is (click here for our launch report), the a figure of 13.2L/100km, giving a safe easy in the G10 – far easier than for G10’s four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine range of over 500 kilometres. Toyota the HiAce, which requires a degree of can lay claim to being Australia’s most claims a comparative Combined ADR contortionism. powerful van (on paper, at least). LDV figure of 10.5L/100km for its equivalent The G10’s dash is broad and says the engine produces 165kW and 2.7-litre petrol auto. expansive and the fit and finish of 330Nm, its output fed to the rear wheels the panels is decent. The centre of via a ZF-sourced six-speed automatic PEOPLE-MOVER ORIGIN the dash is dominated by a large 7.1- transmission. The people-mover origins manifest inch touch screen, which is hooked Ateco Automotive says both a diesel in the G10’s handling. The van adopts up to a comprehensive Bluetooth engine and a manual transmission are a front MacPherson strut/rear five-link multimedia system and reversing currently being looked at, but for now coil-spring arrangement and the ride camera as standard. The camera is a the turbo-petrol auto is it. is nicely compliant, lacking little of the quality affair with a wide peripheral harshness often found in LCVs. We view – it’s far better than the HiAce’s POWER PACKED feared the plush nature might translate equivalent – while pairing a phone is On the road, the G10’s output to a roly-poly ride with a load, but that fuss free. instantly grabs attention. Responsive wasn’t the case – the G10 remained Other standard G10 features include and largely lag-free, the tacho needle composed through the bends. a comprehensive trip computer, air-

Reproduced courtesy of Carsales.com.au conditioning, rear parking sensors and a sturdy vinyl cover and there’s internal PROMISING INTRODUCTION electronic tyre pressure monitoring. mid-height plastic protection. For what it is, it’s hard not to be For storage the G10 gets twin-deck The G10 comes with eight tie-down impressed by LDV’s G10. Comfy, door side pockets (with bottle holders), anchor points, but the rearward ones well-equipped and capable, it does sunglasses storage, twin slide-out cup are too far inboard – a reflection of the everything it’s meant to do reasonably holders and a large multi-compartment mounting points in the people- well and all for a bargain price. Of course, tray on the floor between the two front mover. Two are placed on the inside long-term reliability and durability are . It’s a handy thing, yet still affords edges of the wheel arches, effectively yet to be proven, and it will undoubtedly easy access should you want to slip shaving clearance by 80mm or so. There suffer in terms of resale compared to through to the load bay. are four small side lights in the G10’s the HiAce, which also comes with The G10’s driver’s seat offers six-way bay, but no overhead lighting. the backing of Australia’s top-selling adjustment and a folding armrest while LDV claims a payload limit of 1093kg automotive brand. the steering wheel is adjustable for tilt and an internal volume of 5.2 cubic Gaining a foothold in a mature (but not reach). The wheel also features metres for the G10, along with a braked market is a tough ask for any newcomer integrated buttons for cruise control, towing capacity of 1500kg. The claims and Toyota, Hyundai et al won’t be hands-free telephony and sound. for the long-wheelbase HiAce van (not trembling in fear, but LDV appears to Vision is excellent in both . The the HiAce Crew here) are 1070kg, 6.0 have a solid proposition in its G10. HiAce has narrower A-pillars but both cubic metres and 1400kg. have decent side mirrors. We were pleasantly surprised by the Overall, the G10’s ergonomics are G10’s overall construction quality. Sure, good, with all the various controls are there’s the odd rough finish here and placed logically enough, but the one there and some of the panel gaps are big omission – not shared with the appreciable, but on the whole it appears HiAce – is the lack of a dead pedal. to have been assembled with care and The G10’s lighter coloured seat fabrics consistency. This is also evident in the and plastics will mark easily, while neat and tidy engine bay. the carpeting doesn’t seem especially The G10’s white one-piece bumpers durable – floor mats are a must. will, however, suffer from the inevitable The HiAce cab, on the other hand, knocks and scrapes, while there’s no has a purely utilitarian feel, but its hard, top protection for the rear bumper to dark plastics have been assembled with ward off scrapes from ramps and day- care and will wear well; ditto the sturdy to-day use. vinyl flooring. Historically LCVs have lagged behind You sit up high in the HiAce – too their passenger counterparts for safety, high for this robust (188cm) scribe but the G10 scores stability control, – while you sit ‘in’ the G10, which antilock brakes, rollover mitigation, has more of a passenger-car feel. For electronic brake force distribution and storage, the HiAce has a centre console emergency brake assist, plus a front bin – it’s convenient but prevents access airbag for both driver and passenger. to the rear. The HiAce Crew gets most of those but misses out on EBD and rollover FIT FOR PURPOSE mitigation, while some HiAce models The G10’s load bay floor is on the still don’t get stability control. higher side at 680mm off the deck Both vans come with a three- (630mm in the HiAce), but it’s a spacious year/100,000 kilometre warranty and area (2365mm long by 1235mm wide by a fairly arduous six-month/10,000 1270mm high) with twin sliding side kilometre servicing interval. In this doors and a top-hinge tailgate. There are segment several vans’ service intervals no options for side door glazing or rear are pegged at 12 months and 15,000 barn doors. The G10’s load bay floor has kilometres.

Reproduced courtesy of Carsales.com.au