The best looking Chinese pick up trucks
We often get asked ‘What pick ups are on the market in China?’ and we can safely say ‘LOTS!’
There are many a Chinese pick up manufacturer, many of the picks up available in China are based on older Isuzu chassis designs, and usually pack Mitsubishi motors under the hood, some of them happen to be 2wd, others 4wd. In this article, we will look at a selection of the best lookers. If any of our readers think we should add in a pick up, then please leave us a comment!
Big Diesel God
The Big Diesel God is by far the China Car Time favorite! The looks are inspired by a Chevy pick up, but the technology is Japanese (either a Mitsubishi gasoline, or a Toyota diesel under the hood) with a Chinese price (around 70,000rmb) We wrote about the Big Diesel God in lots of details here. The diesel God also comes in a great range of colors, which is great for fashion divas and urban cowboys, like us. Honestly, if pick up trucks werent banned from the city center in working hours, we’d have one already.
Great Wall Wingle
Great Wall has several different pick up trucks, to be fair they are all ok vehicles, but their latest model the, Wingle, stands out from the otherwise bland pick up truck range with its cute styling that packs a punch! The Wingle is powered by a 2.8l self developed engine from Great Wall, Great Wall created the engine with help from Bosch. The 4wd models have the option to switch to 2wd and 4wd when required, a unique function in Chinese pick up trucks.
Foton SaPu
Click for a bigger picture.
Information on the SaPu is limited, but it is a good looking pick up truck. Foton tell us its around 60,000rmb and has a 2.3 and a 2.8 diesel engine, as well as a 2.2 petrol engine.
Zhongxing Grand Tiger
The Zhongxing Grand Tiger, along with the Big Diesel God, is one of our favorite Chinese pick up trucks. Its got everything, looks, power, and a cheap price. We’ve posted previously about the Zhongxing Grand Tiger.
Are there any other cool pick up trucks we should add in to the list?
I now know that God is a Chevy Colorado, not the one that made all things..boy is this going to piss off my priest tomorrow during mass, and a Grand Tiger is a Toyota, but what is a Wringle? I think I got one back in the 70’s at a 7-11 with a java…kinda looked like a twinky but had white frosting on the outside with nothing in the middle…Kinda like the Chinese Wringle, Now I know. One things for sure none of them can haul a 4′x8′ piece of plywood in the bed, but then again I guess unless you’re on the chicoms B-ball team the ceiling in a house is under 6′…I miss those ol’ stamped out trucks the Asians were famous for, the old Datsuns and Toys. I hate the plastic bumper Fords and Rams knock offs, might as well be a car.
Its a comment, Jim, but not as we know it.
It’s Wingle, not Wringle.
And I really did not understand your sarcasm or humour
Mememe,
Wringle or wingle? what is either? A pixie a dragon or?. Me no know sailor.
Y’all,
Maybe after careful thought maybe I need to explain myself. A real pickup has a separate frame and body. A car is “unibody” and has a limited capacity and strength (that’s why they haul people). I’d bet both the Wingle and the GOD are unibody. The God is a reverse engineered Colorado with a Japanese derived drivetrain. The Wringle looks like an SUV crossover that’s been chopped in the rear (like the Honda Ridgeback, ugh!). The Grand Tiger may or may not be a Tundra knock off, but from what I can see at least has a frame. My sarcasm is why copy others? It’s okay to improve upon, but when you almost copy a car (or truck) verbatim it shows a lack of creativity and direction, and a deeper problem. Here in the US a lot of the trucks are becoming more like cars and it shows in the sticker price and in the falling sales with those who want a real truck (One that will haul 1500-2000# and last 150,000+ miles). The world doesn’t need more cars dressed up like trucks. That’s my point too many players chasing the wrong market. IF the CEO’s in China want to beat Nissan, Toyota and the GMC’s start with the basics. Make them (trucks) tough (like steel bumpers), long lasting and above all dependable like a tank (please not like my BJ 2020) JC
Now do we understand?
You have to keep in mind the development costs and it’s so much cheaper just to copy. I think we’re all aware that most pickups in China are based off of the ancient Isuzu chassis (remember the Isuzu Pup?) or the Toyota Hilux (aka the Tacoma). So think of the God as a Pup with the front of a Chevy Colorado. The Wingle looks like it’s using a copy of a more modern Isuzu D-Max chassis (Isuzu helped GM design the Colorado and Canyon) and the front is from a VW Concept called the Magellan http://www.avtoprostor.ru/netcat_files/171_6.jpg I think the rest of the world gets along fine without massive pickups. Properly developed unibody frames can work just as well as body on frame. The new Jeeps (including the Wrangler) are unibody. In all honesty, in the foreign markets is where you can get a really “tough” pickup. Just look at Ford of Argentina http://www.ford.com.ar/ford2007/indexFull.html The F-100 (not a typo) has a four banger and manual, all on a single or double cab. Do we really want the Chinese to drive the same vehicles as us Americans? Can you imagine with a massive population like that and that many vehicles. Gas prices would be outrageous. I’d rather they drive a Ford Courier or Renault Kangoo. I’m with you that if Chinese automakers want to be competetive, they need to be dependable and long lasting. China would be wise to follow Deming like Japan did. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Edwards_Deming
M0L0TOV
I agree that the chinese aren’t us…But lets be frank, they have sights on the US market just like the japs and koreans did in the 70’s and 80’s. That’s where the money is (here). I kinda do dread the day when we see chinese cars here, will it be the end of GM, DCX and Ford? I’m a QA manager with a large specialty auto supplier and we can’t compete with 15 dollar a month labor, nor should we try. I think the thing that will limit them into to US market is quality…I think the first 1 or 2 entries may fail. IE like Daewoo? Sure the price will be REALLY cheap but as you well know we’ve (US) gotten used to cars that last and last. As far as a good pickup, I know many a farmer here in the rice belt that would love to have a farm vehicle that’s bare bones IE a work truck with rubber mats and only A/C.
I kinda like the funky little Perry, the 4wd Fiat knock off. As far as the new Wrangler its my wife’s next SUV, I drive a 06 2 door.
Happy Holidays from the middle of the country, peace on earth.
Jim - click the subscribe to comments box to get all of the comments sent to you rather than hanging around all day waiting for comment to come.
Thanks,
I just check when I’m surfing…Ash; Where is the Perry 4wd being sold? again thx, Jim
Jim Corty,
You are right with the quality problem, as you said the first one or two will fail. But I am ( or we are) fully aware that Chery already made themselves crystal clear that they only enter America once they satisfied all the requirements, and they said they do not want to make anything mistakes when entering America, so before entering American market, they will spend time organizing network, and study the American market and Toyota’s strategy.
But we should still hold your prophecy coz not everything is perfect and Chery is still very young, and maybe you are right that they may flop on the first few rounds.
Thanks.
Mememe,
I think a Chinese car company that gets into the US market has to do the following:
1. Set up a competent dealer network, not allowing sticker mark up or shady dealings (Use Saturn as a guide)
Any dealer not adhering to company policy will be forced to immediately turn-over stock and relinquish all monies…DO NOT hook up with multi plate dealers. They will steer away buyers to their higher profit margin car lines on the same lot…
2. 100,000 mile warranty on drive train, 50,000 mile warranty on other(s).
FREE towing, road side assistance, re-reimbursement for motels and meals, rent them a car if needed. Promptly return the repaired car to the owner’s front door after repairs are made, with a full tank of gas, clean.
3. Cars and light trucks that are reliable and SAFE, minimum 4 Star frontal/rear crash rating, side air bags later. Initially target a small targeted segment of the US market, IE a commuter car (that’s how Honda started). The pickup should functional and clean in design and mechanics. Durable and rust resistant. front wheel drive OK, with a conventional 4WD as option (like the Subaru Brat). Gas mileage would be important, 28-32 highway mpg the goal.
4. Choose names wisely. A pickup called GOD will offend most US buyers. Possibly name using number ID such as: HDT-150 (truck)would be okay for starters.
5. Start importing numbers that are realistic, do-able, target areas not prone to China bashing/backlash (IE avoid the US rust belt). DO NOT create a demand shortage, which increases sticker mark up or makes customers look to alternatives. There’s nothing that’ll piss off a potential customer faster than NO cars available, not even to test drive or sticker mark up.
6. Create finance arm for dealerships.
Please add your comments, and or opinions. For the China auto execs looking to hire here..I’m always willing to listen…
Wingle! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
M0L0TOV,
Just wanted to note a correction on your comment; The new Wrangler still uses a truck type frame. I was killing some time on X-eve (wife was a mall) and decided to go back a review the 08′ Wrangler…Both the 2 door and 4 door, 2wd and 4wd variations are frame type vehicles, just for the record. And they still use a straight rigid axle on the 4wd version no independent axle. Still a great rugged beast. That’s why a 4 year old Wrangler still commands $12,000 and Jeep Patriot is…an extended Dodge Neon (Crap).
Jim
Jim,
I am going to have to put up an article about the BJ style wrangler jeep in more detail. I think I did one way back, but It wasnt very detailed.
Here are some pics:
http://www.chinacartimes.com/wp-content/p1040833.JPG
http://www.chinacartimes.com/wp-content/p1040829.JPG
2 door, shorter wheel base, manual transmission, possibly 4×4? Id have to check.
To my knowledge there are no unibody pickups made by Chinese manufacturers yet. All are body on frame and most of those bodies, including the DaChaiShen seen above, are a generic Isuzu-based body. The Toyota Hilux-based body is less widely used.
Jim Corty no need for your priest to be concerned…, as it turns out his word for God is Tien Zhu and not shen.
Whoops I may have mispoke if you can call Geely’s little unibody pickup a real pickup.
Here’s a review of a Great Wall twincab from a South African magazine. http://www.cartoday.com/content/magazine/roadtests/pdfs/2007/06/01/GWMDCLux.pdf
Thats an interesting article, and worthy of its own post.
Thank you very much, mark!
Dear Sir\Madam,
RE: PLS SIS ITS VERY URGENT .
Am the Director of RICHDOH CO. LTD A CONSTRUCTION FIRM base in GHANA,WEST AFRICA,
And we here in CHINA to other FOTON HEAVY DUTY TRUCTS WITH 10 OR 12 WHEELLS FOR OUR CONSTRUCTIONS FIRMS .
WE THEREFORE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR FROM YOU EITHER BY MAIL OR PHONE CALL SO THAT WE VISIT YOUR COMPANY .
THEN ALSO YOU CAN CONTACTS ME ON +86-13662313447/ 13686888594 SO BY MONDAY WE CAN COME THERE DIRECT FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE ORDER .
BEST REGARDS.
RICHARD
hello people,
I’m sales manager of SG auto (China)
“Big Diesel God” is our product, formal name is “Plutus”
if you interest in this model, please feel free to mail me
xiazhigang@sgautomotive.com
http://www.sgautomotive.com/en
Leave your response!
Recent News
News Categories
Recent Comments
Pages
Other Sites We Like
Most Commented