Saddle Up

Dual Cab 4x4s Don’t Come Much Cheaper Than a Great Wall Steed, but Is It Any Good?

- Fraser Stronach

THE GREAT Wall Steed dual cab you see here currently sells for just $24,990 drive-away no-more-to-pay, yet it offers the safety and convenience of on-demand 4WD where even the most expensive Toyota Hilux or Ford Ranger has to make do with relatively primitive part-time 4x4. The Steed also comes with rear disc brakes, a feature only found on the most expensive Ranger, the $80K Raptor, and VW Amarok V6 models, the least expensive of which is twice the price of the Steed. Inside the Steed you’ll find leather, heated front seats and a whole host of other upmarket equipment.

Sound too good to be true? Let’s find out.

POWERTRAIN AND PERFORMANCE

THE STEED’S 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel claims a modest 110kW and 310Nm but benefits from the fact that the Steed isn’t a particularly heavy or big ute – being more the size of an older generation ute like the Nissan Navara D22 or the last of the Holden Rodeos – so the performance is a little better than you may expect, even if its highway overtaking performance is limited.

The engine is mated to a six-speed manual (there’s no auto option) and off-idle is a bit soft, but it becomes energetic enough with a few revs on-board, helped by the fact maximum torque is on tap over a 1000rpm-wide band that stretches from 1800 to 2800rpm. The gearing isn’t overly tall, either (50km/h/1000rpm), so once up to highway speeds it holds the taller gears on hills without much fuss. The engine is quiet, smooth and surprisingly refined, while the gearbox offers light shifts but not a notably precise shift gate.

ON-ROAD RIDE AND HANDLING