Chinese vehicle manufacturer LDV/Maxus is to launch its first mid-size SUV as part of a raft of new model plans.

LDV Tarantula concept

The new model, unveiled in concept form at this year’s Beijing Motor Show and bearing the ‘Tarantula’ moniker, will sit under LDV’s D90 SUV passenger range already on sale in China and bring similar design cues but with “an edgier and more contemporary look and feel”, according to the brand.

Engine line-up will bring plug-in hybrid and a fully electric powertrain with a driving range of (373 miles) 600km, as well as traditional internal-combustion engines.

The Tarantula will initially launch in China under the Maxus badge but is expected to be made available in Europe as an LDV-branded vehicle. Mark Barret, general manager of LDV, UK & Ireland, said of the model: “This launch of this mid-size crossover will position LDV as a true challenger to more mainstream brands in a key market segment for commercial vehicles, and we are really excited by what we saw in Beijing.”

The new model will be joined by new EVs and an MPV, as per the manufacturer’s plan to launch a new model or variant every three months through to the end of 2020.

This includes a fully electric commercial vehicle, dubbed the EV31, as part of the next generation of full electric vehicles from LDV parent firm, SAIC. The EV31 platform will have two wheelbase options with a cargo volume of 4.8m3 and 6.1m3. It will also contain a 70Kw motor and two battery options, 35kW and 53kW, as well as a driving range of up to 200 miles on a single charge.

LDV will also launch an MPV, the G50, based on the platform that underpins the production Tarantula.

Barret continued: “LDV is a brand that does not stand still and each year is more exciting than the last with new vehicles, variants and innovations and we believe that LDV is the future of motoring.”