Great Wall looms larger

GOAUTO can reveal that Great Wall Motor's forthcoming launch vehicle, known to be a dual-cab ute using an alphanumeric name after GoAuto's exclusive report last month, will be called the SA230.

Just as importer Ateco Automotive has abridged Great Wall Motor to GWM in Australia, the Sailor dual-cab's name has been reduced to SA. The 230 refers to the 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine powering the vehicle from launch.

A 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine is due to come on line during 2009.

The news comes as GWM was last week barred from importing its Peri small hatch in Europe after a Turin court ruled that it was too similar to the Fiat Panda.

The Peri is due to come to Australia early in 2009, and while the Panda is not sold here, Ateco is also responsible for importing Fiat cars.

US industry journal Automotive News reported this week that Fiat was suing GWM both in Italy at China to keep the Peri compact hatch out of the European Union and China.

The report said the Turin court accepted Fiat's claims that the Peri was a Panda clone, ruling that GWM should pay a 15,000 Euro ($A24,400) fine for the first Peri imported in Europe – and 50,000 Euros ($A81,400) for each imported car thereafter.

The court case is still pending in China, while lawyers for GWM said the company would appeal the Turin court decision.

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