Great Wall Motor: Power Players

At the recent Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, Auto China 2020, GWM (Great Wall Motor) revealed an exciting line-up of new products set to appeal to customers all around the globe. Leading the assault are the show-stealing GWM POER PICKUP and the GWM 3rd Gen HAVAL H6 SUV. But before we open the doors and climb aboard, and then pop the bonnets and delve deep into the technical detail of the two newcomers, let's take a moment to find out more about GWM itself.

Fast Track Development

GWM (Great Wall Motor) was founded in 1984, with its headquarters in Baoding City, in China’s Hebei Province. Producing mainly pickup trucks, SUVs and new energy cars, GWM is one of China's fastest-growing automotive companies. It was the first to export its products to the global market, with a strong sales presence and in Australia, South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and many other countries and regions.

Revealing the scale of its ambition, in 2020 GWM transformed to a Global Mobility Technology Company, showcasing its ability to engineer cutting-edge automotive solutions for its four brands: HAVAL, WEY, ORA and GWM PICKUP. With Research and Development (R&D) facilities in Europe, Asia, North America, Japan, the US, India and South Korea, GWM is rapidly establishing itself as a significant player on the world market. Its first global model, the HAVAL F7, rolled off the production line at the company's Russian Tulskaya factory in 2019.

POER PICKUP – Spoilt For Choice

With the new GWM POER PICKUP, it really is a case of taking your pick, such is the vast range of options available. For example, in China, the POER is offered in three model versions – passenger, commercial and off-road. All are based on GWM’s new P71 Platform, which can support hundreds of models of various sizes, power outputs and drivetrains.

POER, which is pronounced as ‘power', stands for ‘Powerful, Off-road, Enjoyable and Reliable'. No less than 5,000 GWM R&D personnel spent three years labouring over 12,600 design manuscripts and more than 20,000 details, operating to an engineering precision of 0.001 mm to ensure the POER delivers the goods.

With its rugged, yet handsome four-door cab the POER looks right at home – whether that home is Kiwirrkura in the Gibson Desert, home to the most remote community in Australia, or the cosmopolitan streets of Sydney.

The business end of the POER is, of course, the versatile 1520x1520x540mm cargo box, complete with damped rear door, hidden pedal and ramp ladder slot, and available with a range of optional covers.

While the POER is designed to soak up the toughest terrain and everything that life can throw at it, that certainly doesn't mean you have to go without automotive luxuries and cutting-edge technologies. There's a choice of three different interiors and an impressively long list of features. These include keyless entry, on-button start, multifunctional leather steering wheel with shift paddles, 9-inch touch screen, leather seats, front seat heating and much, much more.

Numerous state-of-the-art safety systems include Level Two autonomous driving technology, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), semi-automatic parking, road traffic sign recognition, a reversing camera, 360-degree surround view, intelligent lane departure warning and six airbags – to name but a few.

There are two, 2.0-litre turbocharged engines to choose from – one petrol and one diesel – and both are offered with an 8-speed automatic transmission or a 6-speed manual. The 188hp petrol engine offers four driving modes – standard, economy, sport, and 4L – and features an advanced TOD smart four-wheel-drive system.

Exclusive to the Chinese market initially, the off-road version of the POER is equipped with seven driving modes, including 'off-road expert', in addition to front, central and rear axle differential locks. And with its rugged BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tyres, the off-road POER is all set to charge, creep, crawl or clamber over whatever challenge you encounter.

The diesel-powered POER focuses on optimum carrying capacity and reducing fuel costs. Two sizes, standard and long axle are available, with the wheelbase of the latter increased by 240mm.

3rd Generation HAVAL H6 SUV – Perfect For Family Adventures

Whichever angle you view it from, the brand-new third-generation five-seat HAVAL H6 SUV exudes a confident, sporting poise. At the front, the large, prominent grille is perfectly balanced by striking lower and side air intakes, full LED headlights and the integrated floating design engine hood. From the side, the roofline tapers back with an elegant, charismatic sweep, while the rear is equally distinctive, with LED taillights providing a unique light signature during the hours of darkness.

With a larger body size – the length, width and height are 4653/1886/1730mm, an increase of 53mm, 26mm and 10mm respectively over the previous model, while the wheelbase increases by 58mm – the HAVAL H6 offers excellent interior space.

Inside, form and function combine with an effortless interior design featuring a layered central panel, the straight lines of which create a sense of strength and depth. The HAVAL H6’s newly developed seats utilise generous soft padding, providing ample shoulder and lumbar support. Depending upon which country the stylish SUV is sold in, luxurious features, such as ventilation and heating function, are offered for the front seats, while the large rear seat cushions keep the whole family comfortable on even the longest tips.

While HAVAL’s designers and engineers have incorporated cutting-edge technologies, they’ve gone to great lengths to ensure everything is intuitive and easy to use. That’s why the central 12.3-inch screen features simplified physical buttons and functions such as Bluetooth, audio, telephone and more, can all be controlled via the multi-function steering wheel.

Features such as a virtual dashboard, full-colour head-up display, and HAVAL Virtual Manager help you concentrate on the driving. And at a later date, the company will introduce the HAVAL Intelligent Voice plus control system to the global market.

The front-wheel-drive H6 is offered with a choice of two responsive turbocharged petrol engines – a 1.5T and a 2.0T – matched with a smooth-changing 7-speed, dual-clutch transmission. Plug-in hybrid models and range-extended hybrid models, as well as four-wheel-drive versions, are also coming later.

Agile handling and a comfortable ride come courtesy of a new, highly versatile global chassis, featuring front McPherson independent suspension and rear multi-link independent suspension. The combination of HAVAL’s Armour Safety System and, depending upon the market, up to six standard-fit airbags help keep occupants safe on every trip.

Along with the POER PICKUP, the 3rd Gen HAVAL H6 SUV is poised to extend GWM’s reach even further around the globe. And with their numerous benefits, both are certain to win over a whole new customer audience.

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Please note, all images and technical descriptions relate to versions of the POER PICKUP and the 3rd Gen HAVAL H6 SUV sold within the Chinese market. Models sold within the global market may differ.