![Great Wall's new Steed is available from $24,990 drive-away.](/web/20160913171216im_/http://www.drive.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/e/0/i/o/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gre0j2.png/1473635792025.jpg)
Great Wall is back. The pioneers of cut-price Chinese utes have returned to Australia with the Steed, a ute designed to offer a value-driven counterpoint to rivals from the likes of Toyota, Mitsubishi and Nissan.
But this time around, the Great Wall isn't Australia's cheapest 4x4 ute –Tata's Xenon is currently available for $22,990 drive-away, easily undercutting the $24,990 price tag of Great Wall's latest machine.
The new Steed is available with a choice of petrol or diesel power. Petrol customers get a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine that sends 100kW and 205Nm toward the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission for $24,990 drive-away.
![The ute features six airbags and a six-speaker stereo.](/web/20160913171216im_/http://www.drive.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/e/0/i/t/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gre0j2.png/1473635792025.jpg)
Great Wall's 2.0-litre diesel engine uses 9.0L/100km to produce 110kW of power and 310Nm of torque, driving the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission for $26,990 drive-away, or all four wheels for $29,990 drive-away.
All three models feature the same level of standard kit. Safety is accounted for by six airbags and stability control, which should help the new car improve on the two-star ANCAP safety rating of its predecessor.
You also get 16-inch alloy wheels, LED tail lamps, daytime running lamps, a leather—wrapped steering wheel and gearknob, climate control, a six-speaker stereo with Bluetooth and more.
The car is supported by a three-year, 100,000 kilometre warranty that includes three years of roadside assistance.
Prospective customers might be disappointed to find that there is no automatic transmission option, and that the Steed's maximum towing capacity of 2000 kilograms is well behind the 3.5 tonne payload of popular pick-ups such as the Holden Colorado, and its 171mm of ground clearance falls well short of the 230mm-plus offered by Ford's Ranger.
Then again, it is much cheaper than Thai-built rivals offered by established brands. Ford's cheapest four-wheel-drive dual-cab Ranger costs $43,290 plus on-road costs – well over $15,000 more than the equivalent Steed.
2016 Great Wall Steed pricing and specifications
Great Wall Steed petrol 4x2 - $24,990 drive-away
Great Wall Steed diesel 4x2 - $26,990 drive-away
Great Wall Steed diesel 4x4 - $29,990 drive-away
Engines: 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol or 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 100kW (petrol) or 110kW (diesel)
Torque: 205Nm (petrol) or 310Nm (diesel)
Transmission: Five-speed manual (petrol) or six-speed manual (diesel), rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 9.0L/100km (diesel)
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