Great Wall Motor

Despite the continued decline in overall new car sales, brands from China are posting triple-digit growth – namely Haval and MG. For the month of July the overall market slid 2.8 per cent, with the year-to-date figure 7.7 per cent down on the first seven months of 2018. However, SUV specialist Haval recorded a 164.2 per cent increase on July 2018 (albeit off a low base) to 140 registrations, while its YTD tally of 783 vehicles is up 155 per cent on the same period last year.

High-spec versions of Great Wall’s new ute will land in Australia with a payload rating almost 500kg less than the established players offer, thanks to its new five-link rear suspension. Launched in Shanghai, the new ute carries bears the hefty weight of expectation from head office. Forget about Ssangyong and LDV, the company wants it to be a “top three ute” in the global market, which would have it rubbing shoulders with the all-conquering Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux on the sales charts.

Great Wall wants to scale heights no Chinese brand has before, setting its sights on the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux with its all-new dual-cab ute. UPDATE: The story has been updated with details about towing capacity and more detailed power outputs, following clarification from Great Wall.

The BMW Group and Great Wall Motor have signed a joint venture agreement to produce electric vehicles for Mini in China, under the company name Spotlight Automotive Limited. Along with the upcoming electric Mini models, the joint venture will also produce EVs for Great Wall, with the facility to be located in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, north of Shanghai.

Great Wall has launched a single-cab-chassis version of the Steed, priced at a bargain basement $17,990 before on-roads, or $18,990 drive-away if you have an ABN. It’s been a while in the making, with the Steed dual-cab launching under factory distributorship in September 2016, priced between $24,990 and $26,990. A base version has long been necessary. The ute you see here is now the cheapest in Australia, $7000 cheaper than an equivalent Toyota HiLux WorkMate diesel.