Great Wall Steed (2012-2017) Review

Great Wall became the first Chinese car brand in the UK when it launched its Steed pick-up truck, which we're reviewing here, in 2012. Described by the brand as a 'robust and highly practical pick-up', it appealed to value-focused buyers thanks to its low list price and comprehensive warranty. 

Forget today's range of relatively expensive and powerful pick-ups with plenty of high-end luxuries: the Great Wall Steed is a no-nonsense workhorse designed to do a job, and not to flatter with soft-touch plastics and a car-like driving experience. 

The Great Wall Steed is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine with 143PS and 305Nm of torque, which is combined with a six-speed gearbox, plus selectable two and four-wheel drive which can be switched on the move. Economy is adequate (but hardly impressive) with an official 34mpg average, while insurance should be cheap with group 7 and 8 ratings.

The Steed, which is called the Wingle in its home market, was on sale in Australia from 2009 under the V-Series name. While the brand was unknown in the UK at launch in 2012, the low price had plenty of appeal for those after a no-frills working vehicle that provided a cheaper alternative to the likes of the Isuzu D-Max.

The Steed was originally sold through a network of 40 Great Wall dealers across the country with the brand promising 'standards of customer service that will break new ground in the pick-up market.' However since 2017, its UK importer has halted new orders and the dealer network has been forced to close, leaving some serious question marks over the value of the warranty.

While the Great Wall Steed is a decent effort and the price appeals, it feels considerably dated alongside competitor pick-ups, even those that have been on sale for several years now. And with the dealer network basically gone, finding workshops and garages willing to support the six-year-warranty has become increasingly difficult.

A rival to the SsangYong Musso, not much else can compete on price with the Great Wall Steed, with the likes of the Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi L200 and Toyota Hilux all costing significantly more on the used market. 

While Great Wall does try and market the Steed as a pick-up you could use for work and for home life, in reality it lacks the refinement and comfort you'd want in a family car. That said, it is fairly spacious inside with plenty of room for rear passengers and reasonably comfortable seats. Again, it's not particularly upmarket, but there is an honest and straightforward feel to the inside of the Steed.

There's a simple, traditional layout and although it's all fairly generic, the quality seems reasonable. However some of the finish, on areas like the leather steering wheel, marks it out as a considerably cheaper product than most pick-up rivals. The driving position is decent, though, and there's good adjustment in the drivers seat. Leather is standard, as are heated seats, so there is a a small hint of luxury.

The load bed is around 1.4 metres long and easy to load thanks to the standard folding tailgate, although the rear bumper section feels very flimsy when you stand on it. It doesn't fill you with much confidence in the rest of the exterior trim - especially when you consider this is a vehicle that should be suited to tough work, with a towing capability of 2000kg with a braked trailer.

One thing the Steed does have in its favour - aside from the cheap price - is good standard equipment levels. Even the standard S model has 16-inch alloys, a full size spare, air conditioning, heated front seats and leather upholstery. Very impressive given the price. There's no integrated stereo but you do get an Alpine CD player which is easy to work, albeit with quite fiddly buttons.

The Great Wall Steed is an old school pick-up designed for proper off road work, so it comes with a ladder-frame chassis strengthened and braced by reinforced middle cross-members, plus an impact-resistant rear beam and a reinforced cargo bed.

This means good strength off road and an impressive ability to cover difficult terrain, although we wouldn't say it's better in that respect than modern pick-up rivals. 

Like most modern pick-ups, though, the Steed has an on-demand four-wheel-drive system so that in normal driving, it's essentially rear-wheel drive for greater efficiency. Then if it detects a loss of grip it will push power to the wheels with traction. You can also select permanent all-wheel drive which works up to 12mph.

What really lets the Steed down is the on-road driving experience. The Great Wall lacks refinement and although the 2.0-litre diesel engine is fairly strong, it's also noisy and coarse when pushed. It's certainly not helped by a below par six-speed manual gearbox which is sloppy and lacks precision, especially when you try and change gear quickly. As a result you have to be deliberate and slow if you want smooth changes. 

The steering is fairly poor, too, and requires a lot of lock to tackle tight corners. It's  acceptable enough on the straight ahead, though, and is light enough when it comes to parking. But in corners the Steed does not feel settled or composed. The ride is also pretty poor, and the Steed bounces and crashes over every bump and pothole. It'll be better fully-laden, but is still outclassed by pretty much every modern pickup. 

It's better on the motorway, but still far from quiet or relaxed, with lots of wind and engine noise. The brakes could also be better - the pedal is soft and requires the brakes themselves aren't that responsive. There's better news with the engine, however.

Like the rest of the Steed, it's not exactly the last word in refinement or modernity, but it does have reasonable poke with 143PS and a useful 305Nm of torque which peaks from just 1800rpm. It's by no means fast - 0-62mph takes about as long as it does in a cheap city car - but its economy is reasonable at 34mpg.

The Great Wall Steed is cheap to buy used, but not exceptionally cheap to run. The biggest issue will be parts supply: since the dealer network has dried up, and not many of these were sold in the first place, you might find it tricky to get it fixed if it goes wrong. 

Having said that, fuel economy is adequate with an official 34mpg average, while insurance should be cheap with group 7 and 8 ratings. The long warranty from new also shows that Great Wall was pretty confident the Steed would be dependable to own. 

If you're after a pickup truck for work or recreation, but affordability is the absolute priority, choices don't get much better than the Great Wall Steed. 

Prices for the Steed start at just £6,000 for a 2014 example with 75,000 miles on the clock,  rising to around £12,000 for the newest examples with the least miles. That's vastly cheaper than any similarly aged competitor: you'll have to settle for a significantly older and more well-used example.

Standard equipment is also decent when you consider the price. All versions get air-con, four electric windows and heated front seats. There's no 'infotainment' as such, but there is an aftermarket radio with Bluetooth, USB and MP3 connectivity. 

Step up to SE spec and you get a hard-top canopy over the bed, additional chrome trim and rear parking sensors.