Great Wall’s diesel V200 utes make showroom debut

BEING Australia’s cheapest one-tonne ute has helped earn Chinese brand Great Wall’s hitherto petrol-only V-series a 5.1 per cent share and mid-table position in the 4x2 light truck market in just two years, with sales up 125 per cent so far this year – in a segment that has shrunk 12.6 per cent.

As first deliveries of the dual-cab 4x2 diesel variant – badged V200 – trickle into dealers, Sydney-based Great Wall importer Ateco Automotive is expecting to make an even bigger – albeit delayed – impact on Australia’s diesel-dominated one-tonner market.

Ateco’s Chinese brands spokesman Daniel Cotterill said: “We’ve been waiting for these for some time. We’d hoped to have them on the market much earlier.”Priced at $24,990 driveaway for the 4x2 and $27,990 for the 4x4, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel V200 carries a $2000 premium over its petrol equivalents.

Peak power and torque outputs of 105kW and 310Nm mean the diesel engine is gruntier and more powerful than the 100kw/200Nm 2.4-litre petrol and its six-speed transmission gains a ratio over the petrol’s five-speed.



Left: Great Wall V-series exterior and interior. Below: Great Wall X-series SUV.

The V200’s combined fuel consumption is 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres, compared with 10.7L/100km for the V240 petrol.

Mr Cotterill said Great Wall dealers have each received “one or two” 4X2 V200s and that more – including 4x4 variants – are on the boat.

He said the single-cab diesel V200 will arrive “later still”, as will the X200 SUV – which will receive the same powerplant as the V200 but with the option of a five-speed automatic transmission. Again, buyers can expect to pay a similar $2000 premium for diesel, although no price for the self-shifter has yet been confirmed.

“We’d hoped to have them on the market much earlier, which is why we haven’t really made any fuss about it yet,” said Mr Cotterill.

“When we’ve got stock in place there will be a formal announcement, followed by a spec-sheet, followed by advertising.”As GoAuto has reported, the Great Wall range received a MY2011 update in April which saw dual-cab utes and the X-series SUV receive new styling.

The SUV also scored more equipment including reversing camera, DVD player, Bluetooth connectivity and steering wheel audio controls. All MY2011 V-series utes had their towing capacity reduced from 2250kg to 2000kg.

Great Wall – Australia’s first Chinese vehicle brand – has sold 2667 utes year to date, an increase of 62.8 per cent, but SUV sales are flatlining at 1888. The brand’s overall YTD growth is a still-healthy 28.8 per cent in a market that has dipped 5.9 per cent so far.

Great Wall V-seriesdual-cab pricing:
2.4-litre petrol 4x2	$22,990
2.0-litre diesel 4x2	$24,990
2.4-litre petrol 4x4	$25,990
2.0-litre diesel 4x2	$27,990