13-09-2012

Despite the anticipated arrival of China’s vehicle manufacturers en masse, Great Wall’s Steed is one of the few to be introduced to the UK market, and we were luckily enough to be able to road test it.

The Great Wall Steed provides commercial vehicle owners with an alternative they have not previously had - a truly affordable commercial vehicle.

The Steed is on the market at just £13,998, which makes it the lowest priced double-cab, 4x4 pick-up available in the UK, undercutting equivalent vehicles such as the Mitsubishi L200 by nearly £3,000.

The trend in the sector in recent years has seen manufacturers across the board improving the quality of their vehicle’s interiors, increasing the number of features and making them more comfortable. However, this has also had the effect of driving prices upward, leaving a gulf at the budget end of the market.

One sticking point for the Steed is likely to be the British perception of Chinese build quality, which certainly has a long way to go to establish a similar reputation attributed to Japanese vehicles. In an attempt to allay these fears, Great Wall have introduced fixed-price servicing on the Steed and a three year or 60,000-mile warranty.

In terms of the drive, the Steed’s 141bhp, 2.0 litre diesel engine is certainly not the most refined engine we’ve come across, sending vibrations through the steering wheel and gear stick, but once it’s up to cruising speed the ride is fine. In terms of the power output, we were not able to test the Steed with anything that came close to the manufacturer’s 2,000kg weight limit, so its performance with a full load still waits to be seen.

As you would expect from a vehicle at this price, the interior is fairly basic. Fixtures and fittings can at times seem a bit loose and the stereo system is certainly not going to win any prizes for its audio and aesthetic qualities, but it does the job, which rings true of the Steed overall.

The trim levels are excellent in both the S and SE models, with heated leather seats as standard. An alarm, Bluetooth connectivity, adaptable 4x4, ABS, EBD and driver and passenger airbags also come as standard.

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