Great Wall Steed

Chinese brands Great Wall Motors and LDV have recently added a single cab body style to their respective Australian line-ups, enabling a lower entry price to market with Great Wall’s Steed kicking off at $18,990 and LDV’s T60 starting a little further upstream at $23,990.

These are both drive-away prices for ABN holders and relate to 4×2 versions for the two models – which have separate distributors in Australia – with a 4×4 driveline also available on both, priced at $20,990 d/a for the Steed and $26,990 d/a for the T60.

As seen on the dual cab version, the Steed single uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that delivers 110kW of power and 310Nm of torque through a six-speed manual transmission only.

Official combined-cycle fuel consumption is listed at 8.2 litres per 100km for the 4×2, or 8.6L/100km for the 4×4, despite the fact that the four-wheel-drive hardware makes the latter almost 100kg heavier at 1687kg (kerb weight) versus 1582kg for the rear-drive version.

Payload comes in a 1198kg for both driveline variants, while maximum braked towing capacity is 1700kg.

Standard safety features include dual front airbags, electronic stability control, a tyre pressure monitoring system, hill hold assist and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS system with electronic brake-force distribution.

Other notable inclusions on the standard equipment list are 16-inch alloy wheels (with full-size steel spare) and a locally sourced aluminium tray measuring 2400mm long x 1777mm wide, with drop sides for easy access.

LDV T60

The cabin has air-conditioning, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, fabric seats, leather-clad steering wheel and a two-speaker CD stereo. Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity is optional, while cruise control is unavailable.

The Steed is covered by a 3-year/100,000km warranty with 3 years of roadside assistance and capped-priced servicing.

Not to be outdone, the T60 has pulling power on its side, with its bigger-displacement 2.8-litre turbo-diesel turning out the same 110kW but a meatier 360Nm of torque. It also relies exclusively on a six-speed manual gearbox, and fuel economy is rated at 8.8L/100km for both the 4×2 and 4×4 versions.

Tipping the scales at 1630kg (4×2) or 1720kg (4×4), the T60 single offers a 3000kg braked towing capacity on both driveline variants and a payload of 1145kg on the 4×2 and 1255kg on the 4×4.

There is a variety of other specification detail points, including six airbags fitted standard (dual front, side and curtain), various safety/assist electronic systems (including a fatigue reminder and ‘attention assist’, hill descent control, hill start assist and rollover mitigation), adaptive front lighting, daytime running lights and 16-inch alloy wheels.

The T60 has an aluminium tray measuring 2550mm long x 1842mm wide, while cabin features run to cruise control, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, six-way driver’s seat adjustment and a Bluetooth-compatible stereo.

LDV’s warranty is for 5 years/130,000km with roadside assistance (and a loan car program) thrown in for the duration.