I have been hearing and reading a lot on the Great Wall Motors and the vehicles it has been unloading in Australia for the past 2 years.I have seen many tradies and ladies driving them.Till last year,they were only offered as manual ute’s and pick up’s and also as SUV. Now they have introduced them in auto,diesel and 4wd. It’s a great combination on paper and for $28,990 DA,it sounded great too. So,a test drive was on the cards! I also have a friend who’s planning to settle in Sydney and wanted an SUV when he landed here. Raj Singh from Parramatta Great Wall,Granville,called me and we made several appointments before finally meeting last weekend. He was extremely courteous and welcoming for a Sydney Sales rep.I have lived in countries all over the world and Sydney by far has the rudest customer service.They will get their acts together,when competition heats up. Raj quickly introduced me and the wife to his manager and then took us on a tour of the showroom. The showroom had Alfa Romeo,Chery and Citroen along with Great Wall. The one thing that strikes you first about the X200 Dsl Auto, is its simple yet “getting a second look” styling.I remember reading reviews where the reviewer found it too boxy or old styled! Well,each to his own.Like they say “One can’t compare apples and oranges.” And I found it hard to compare this SUV,at the price offered,with anything else in the market. Raj Singh is one of the many South Africans of Indian origin who have made Sydney their home. He quickly apprised us with the specs of the vehicle. Raj used to be with servicing before,but moved here to meet interesting people,he said.

New Kid On The Block(The Suv)

Getting in and out was easy for me at 170cms,and it wasn’t a fuss for the wife either who is a few inches below! Off we went for the TD,and I felt how light the power steering was.

Adjustable Power Steering

Now do bear in mind that my drive is an FG G6,and so everything is bound to feel different. I found the diesels clatter coming through,but then it was a cold engine,and it didn’t sound too agricultural. As Raj had warned me,there was a slight turbo lag from take off and stopping,but that can be adjusted if you squeeze the pedal right from take off. The indicator lever being on the left,like most European models,was a change. Inside,the seats felt a bit stiff compared to my cushion but it’s something that one gets used to.For the same reason I dropped the Mondeo,for the FG G6. The aircon was fine,but there are no vents for the rear passengers.

Simple But Neat Dashboard

Reverse sensors and parking cameras are standard on the X200,as are rain sensing wipers and auto lights.One has option of selecting drive in auto and manual as well. The wife drove in the back and gave her verdict that it was comfy for 2 adults and three would be a squeeze.Foot space was generous.

Ample Foot Space For rear Passengers

The boot space is decent and one can throw in a pram,and a bike with seats down.

Decent Boot

The vehicle did pull our combined weights uphill and arriving at 90km/h on the M4 was a breeze. Adjustments on drivers seat are electronic,and the steering can be adjusted up and down but not forward.

Light Steering

The 2.0 litre turbo diesel has power of 105kw and torque of 310nm arriving as low as 188rpm. Claimed fuel is 9.2l/100km.

Turbo Diesel Engine

In slippery conditions the AWD can be engaged with a 4WD Lock.

4WD For Slippery Conditions

I believe that Great Wall is soon going to touch the golden milestone of 20k in sales,which isn’t a mean achievement for a company which was welcomed with sniggers and skepticism. As history has shown,all companies like Toyota and Honda,started of similarly,but the advances made by Great Wall in such a short time is stupendous.

Great Indeed

Gut Feeling: Their logo says “Better Than Great” and I can’t help but agree. With the kind of features they are lavishly throwing in at a ridiculous price in today’s cut throat market,if they keep the prices competitive,there’s nothing stopping them.Way to go Great Wall Motors!! Good on you!!!

If you live near Parramatta,do call the friendly Raj Singh and take the X200 for a spin. You will see that this a competitively priced package.

Parramatta Great Wall Motors

Corner Church & Meehan Streets
Granville
NSW 2150

Phone: 02-8841 8388

Asta la vista