Great Wall X240 ready to roll

GREAT Wall Motors has received official government approval to sell its Hover SUV in Australia, where it will be known as the X240.

The first Chinese SUV to be sold in Australia is now ready for an imminent local launch and will soon be available across the fledgling brand’s Australian dealer network, which is expected to number 60 by the end of this year.

The first Chinese-branded passenger vehicle expected to become available in Australia, a small car based on the Chinese domestic market’s Florid, is yet to receive Federal Office of Road Safety certification.

Nor has Australian Design Rule homologation been granted for any vehicle produced by Chery, which will also be imported by Ateco Automotive and had been expected to become the nation’s second Chinese brand.

Great Wall became Australia’s first Chinese brand in June, when it launched two dual-cab utilities in the SA220 and V240.

“There has been strong dealer confidence in the Great Wall brand so far, and the level of interest from potential dealers has been outstanding,” an Ateco spokesman told GoAuto.



Left: Great Wall Hover.

“Great Wall launched with 45 dealers across Australia in late June, and this network is expected to grow to 60 by year’s end.” Official ADR documents now reveal full local specifications for Great Wall’s third local model, the X240, which is based on Great Wall’s Chinese-market Hover.

Expected to be priced under $30,000 to undercut its most direct small SUV rivals, the X240 is based on Toyota’s 4Runner, which was originally classed as a mid-size SUV but is now actually similar in size to many ‘compact’ off-roaders currently on offer.

Riding on a 2700mm wheelbase and measuring 4620mm long, 1800mm wide and 1810 high, the X240 is longer overall than Subaru’s top-selling Forester but slightly shorter than Nissan’s big-for-a-compact X-Trail.

As we have previously reported, the five-door X240 wagon, like the V240 ute, initially will be only available with a Mitsubishi-sourced 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine delivering 100kW at 5250rpm and will come exclusively with a five-speed manual transmission.

The five-seat X240, which offers a decent 180mm of ground clearance, has a tare mass of 1830kg and a gross vehicle mass of 2305kg, translating to a payload of 475kg. It features four-wheel disc brakes and 17x7.0-inch wheels with 235/65 R17 tyres.

Other standard X240 equipment will include twin front airbags, ABS brakes, air-conditioning, power windows/mirrors, remote central locking and front/rear foglights, while a sunroof will be optional.

Watch this space for further details from the X240’s forthcoming local launch.