Great Wall Steed 2017 review

Available only as a dual-cab ute with five-speed or six-speed manual transmissions and a choice of petrol 4x2, diesel 4x2 and diesel 4x4 drivetrains. It’s also only available in one well-equipped model grade, so every Steed buyer gets a burger with the lot. Albeit a Chinese burger.

Our test vehicle was the diesel 4x4 six-speed manual, which, at only $30,990, presents a compelling value-for-money comparison for those wanting a brand new ute who don’t have big dollars to spend. For example, the cheapest Ford Ranger dual cab 4x4 is the XL with 2.2 litre diesel and six-speed manual at $45,090, and the cheapest Toyota Hilux equivalent is the hose-me-out Workmate 2.4 diesel with six-speed manual at $43,990. 

Every Steed buyer gets a burger with the lot. Albeit a Chinese burger.

The Steed’s single model specification also includes numerous features and creature comforts you won’t find on rival entry-level utes costing 30 per cent more. There are lots of chrome body highlights, including roof racks, stainless-steel sports bar and door scuff plates, side steps, cargo bed liner, 16-inch alloy wheels with 235/70R16 tyres and a full-size spare, leather-appointed trim including steering wheel and gear-knob, heated front seats with six-way adjustable powered driver’s seat, electric-folding door mirrors with demisters and indicators, tyre-pressure monitoring and six-speaker sound system with touchscreen, steering-wheel controls and multiple connectivity including Bluetooth, to name a few. A tow bar, tonneau cover and sat-nav with reversing camera are optional.

There is an impressive list of standard inclusions on the single model grade.

The Steed is deceptively large. Compared to the Ford Ranger dual cab 4x4, it's 235mm longer, 50mm narrower, 40mm lower and its ladder-frame chassis rides on a 3200mm wheelbase, which is only 20mm shorter. Like the Ranger, it has double-wishbone front suspension and a leaf-spring live rear axle, but runs rear disc brakes where the Ford has drums. 

16-inch alloy wheels are also standard.

Off-road credentials include 171mm of ground clearance, an approach angle of 25 degrees, departure angle of 21 degrees and ramp-over angle of 18 degrees, all figures which are far from class-leading. Plus there's a large 14.5-metre turning circle (compared to Ranger at 12.7m and Hilux at 11.8m).

It has a relatively slim body profile when viewed from the side, which translates to a relatively short floor-to-roof height, reminiscent of utes past. This means shallower foot wells and higher knee/upper thigh angles that concentrate more weight on the base of the spine, reducing comfort on longer journeys. 

The rear outer seating positions are tight, particularly for tall adults, with limited head and leg room. For those sitting in the centre rear position, headroom is even less. And because the front doors are considerably longer than the rears (like the Amarok), the B pillar’s more rearward location impedes the ‘pathway’ to the rear seat, particularly for those with larger shoes.

The rear seating positions are tight and have limited head and leg room.

Overall panel fit is acceptable, but some areas of trim, like the crooked stitched seam across the dash-pad directly in front of the driver, affect perceptions of quality. 

The GW4D20B is a Euro 5-compliant 2.0-litre turbocharged common-rail four-cylinder diesel that delivers 110kW at 4000rpm and a relatively small 310Nm serving of torque between 1800-2800rpm.

The 2.0-litre four cylinder diesel delivers 110kW/310Nm.

There’s only a six-speed manual available, so an automatic option would broaden the Steed’s showroom appeal enormously. The 4x4 drivetrain uses a Borg Warner part-time dual-range transfer case with electronic dashboard control, and there’s no locking rear differential.

Great Wall claims a combined figure of 9.0L/100km and at the end of our test the instrument read-out was showing 9.5. That was close to our own figures, based on ‘real world’ trip-meter and fuel-bowser readings, which came in at 10.34, or about average for this segment.  

Based on those numbers, its 70-litre fuel tank should deliver a driving range of around 680km.

The Steed’s 1900kg kerb weight is relatively light for its size and with a 2920kg GVM it’s a genuine ‘one tonner’ with a maximum payload of 1020kg. It’s also rated to tow only 2000kg of braked trailer, but with a GCM of 4920kg it can carry its maximum payload while doing it, which is a practical compromise.

The fully lined cargo bed is 1545mm long, 1460mm wide and 480mm deep. Like most dual-cab utes there’s not enough width between the wheel arches to carry a standard Aussie pallet, but it has four sturdy and well-positioned anchorage points for securing loads.

The fully lined cargo bed is 1545mm long, 1460mm wide and 480mm deep.

Cabin-storage options include a bottle holder and upper/lower storage pockets in each front door, a single glovebox, centre console with open storage cubby at the front, two cup holders in the centre and a box with padded lid at the rear that doubles as an armrest. To the right of the driver’s head there’s also a roof-mounted sunglasses holder with a spring-loaded lid, but it’s too shallow to be able to close the lid with a pair of Oakleys inside.

Back-seat passengers get overlooked when it comes to storage, as there are only slim pockets on the rear of each front seat and no bottle holders or storage pockets in the doors. And there’s no fold-down centre armrest either, which would be a useful place to offer at least two cup holders when the rear seat only has two occupants.

There’s a pleasant whiff of leather when you open the door, but the driving position is compromised by the high floor height and relatively shallow foot-well. For taller drivers this positions the knees  close to the steering wheel, even in its highest position, which can hamper turning, and comfort, at times. Ergonomically wonderful it is not.

The left footrest is well positioned but the vertical section of console right next to it has an uncomfortable sharp-radius edge where the upper shin and knee rest against it. And on the right-hand side, the window control panel at the front of the door-pull also has quite a hard edge where the right leg rests against it. Softer, larger radius edges on both sides would greatly increase driver comfort.

The power steering is too lightly weighted and remains vaguely linear in feel regardless of road speed. The gearing is also too low and requires excessive wheel-twirling relative to steering response, which is required often given its large turning circle and the number of multi-point turns needed as a result.

The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel’s lack of low-down torque is really noticeable below 1500rpm, as it falls off a cliff with what feels like zero turbo boost. The gearshift feel is also a bit notchy and the gear-stick itself has an annoying vibration in fifth and sixth gears.

We loaded 830kg into the cargo bed, which, with a 100kg driver equalled a payload of 930kg, or about 90kg short of its 1020kg maximum rating.

The ride quality when empty is acceptable if a bit harsh in the rear over bumps, which is not uncommon with leaf-spring live rear axles designed to carry more than a tonne. We loaded 830kg into the cargo bed, which, with a 100kg driver equalled a payload of 930kg, or about 90kg short of its 1020kg maximum rating. 

The rear springs compressed 51mm and the nose rose 17mm under this load, leaving adequate springing capacity. The ride quality also improved noticeably, with minimal decline in steering control and braking response. By keeping the revs up (and therefore turbo boost) it coped reasonably well with stop-start traffic. 

The Steed definitely felt more at home at highway speeds, however. In top gear with the cruise control engaged, it rumbled comfortably within the engine’s peak torque band, showing just 2000rpm at 100km/h and 2100rpm at 110km/h. Engine, wind and tyre noise were unexpectedly low, allowing conversations to take place at normal levels. 

The tyre-pressure monitor displayed in the driver’s information scroll works well (mandatory in the USA and EU) and adds considerable peace of mind, but the info menu should also include a digital speed read-out. A permanent display of the cruise control’s speed setting would be handy, too.

Given its small torque figure and the fact it had close to a tonne on its back, the Steed coped pretty well with our set climb (albeit with the right foot flat to the floor) powering up the 13 per cent 2.0-kilometre gradient at 60km/h in third gear at 2400rpm.

There is no ANCAP rating for this Great Wall so far but the 4x2 variant tested in 2016 achieved only two stars out of five, which is terrible. Still, this one is equipped with dual front airbags, front-side and full-length side-curtain airbags, a three-point seatbelt for the centre rear passenger (but no head rest), ISOFIX child seat anchorage points on the two outer rear seating positions and a top tether for the centre seat position. 

Active-safety features include Bosch electronic stability control with traction control, brake assist and hill start assist, but no AEB. There are also rear parking sensors, but rear view camera is optional (and should be standard).

Three-year/100,000km warranty and three-year roadside assistance. Service intervals and recommended (not capped price) servicing costs start at six months/5,000km ($395) then 12 months/15,000km ($563), 24 months/30,000km ($731) and 36 months/45,000km ($765).