Chinese automotive company Haval has revealed that it is planning to get back into the Ute/Pick up market in Australia and says it will rival the Australian market-leading Toyota
HiLux and Ford Ranger with its own Chinese-made one-tonne Ute available in petrol, diesel and hybrid within two years.
The company revealed plans to local journalists last week saying the yet to be revealed pickup will be offered with a three-tonne braked towing capacity, eight-speed automatic transmission and a range of engine options including at least one electrified powertrain.
The utes is expected to arrive in 2020 and is a response to the growing global demand for one tonne pick ups according to the company’s spokesperson.
It is still not determined whether the new ute will be badged as a Great Wall, the company’s traditional commercial vehicle name plate or if it will wear the Haval brand like the range of SUVs now sold here under that nameplate.
Currently Haval still sells the Great Wall Stead ute in Australia however its sales figures have been meagre in recent times.
The spokesman revealed the company’s push into the light-commercial pick-up market will
be sized to compete with the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux, and that local input and feedback into the project will be vital given the local market’s healthy appetite for one-tonne utes.
He added that the company’s Australian arm was a source of a fair bit of market intelligence for the parent company because of the popularity of utes here and that the company would be looking at Ranger, HiLux and Volkswagen Amarok as a basis.”
Although petrol, hybrid and diesel powertrains are promised to be in the mix, it is still too early to predict which powertrains could be on offer. Haval’s recently updated H9 large SUV is motivated by a 180kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, but sister brand Great Wall also employs a 110kW/310Nm oil-burning powerplant with the same displacement.
