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05/06/2008 11:46 AM - (SA) China on track! 060608
JDPower, founder of JDPower and associates the global marketing information company, was questioned recently about the Chinese motor industry's quality status. His response was that the Chinese are at present testing the global market and are five years behind the rest of the world, but as with Japan and Korea they would learn and could become a significant ro?le player in future years. Well how correct was Mr Power I found out when I test drove some of GWM's products in China. Well test drive is a bit of an overstatement, as many of you are probably aware China does not allow foreigners to drive on their roads so I was restricted to a small test track within the company's grounds. Despite the rather limited size, the track provided high speed banking, very tight bends, varying gradients and road surfaces from smooth to very rough. Amongst the various models I drove was the Hover and the compact Peri. The Hover which is available in South Africa is a stylish but rugged looking CUV which has all the right features to make it a strong contender in this sector. Available in two or four wheel drive models the Hover is powered by a Mitsubishi 2.4 litre petrol engine delivering 93kW @ 5250 rpm and 195 Nm of torque at 2500 rpm. Diesel as an option should become available towards the end of the year. ABS and EBD are standard as is power steering and the Hover is built to meet all safety standards. The interior is spacious and well appointed featuring automatic climate control with pollen filter, electronic instrumentation, electric windows and full leather seating with fold flat rear to increase cargo load. During my short drive the Hover felt to be a solidly built vehicle with good handling and stability and a high level of comfort and at the current pricing is well worth a look. The Peri on the other hand is a compact car with a high specification level. Driven by a Mitsubishi derived 1.3 litre engine that produces 65kW 2 6000 rpm and 115Nm of torque between 4200 and 5200 rpm and coupled to a five speed manual gearbox, the Peri should prove to be a very capable little car. Featuring ABS and EBD, dual front airbags and claimed to meet the highest safety standards the Peri also has hydraulically assisted power steering. Interior finish is very tidy with a well laid out dashboard and controls and clear instrumentation. Storage bins and cup holders are prolific, adding to storage space so vital on a compact car. Styling is very Eurocentric right up to the roof rails, and an interesting SUV version is also on the cards. On road the Peri felt solid and easy to handle with ample power to push you along at a fair pace. Over the heavily rippled sections of the track there was no sign of shake or rattle and it handled a thirty degree gradient with aplomb. Due for release in the near future the Peri could set the cat amongst the pigeons in the small car sector, pricing which is not available at present is likely to be extremely competitive. Fit and finish of the vehicles, which were both off the assembly line and not prepared press cars, showed a marked improvement over previous offerings and push the benchmark for other manufacturers from China. Granted there were one or two minor points but overall the Great Wall products are very close to European and Japanese standards. It goes along with the Great Wall Motor Company's philosophy of "Improving little by little everyday". JDPower's prediction of five years would appear to be an overestimate, the rate of development to bring the vehicles up to world standard by Great Wall Motor Company is to say the least phenomenal and will put them on target for becoming a global player by 2010 within easy reach.
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