The Chinese company Great Wall plans this year to expand the model range sold in Russia with a super-successful (in its homeland) Hover M4 crossover. This model has broken all sales records in the Chinese market, and also, according to many experts, is able to compete for buyers in our country.
Last year, the Chinese company Great Wall increased sales of its cars in Russia by 112%, but this year it plans to break this record, and the main stake is on the Great Wall Hover M4 crossover, which has already become a real bestseller in China. It is difficult to judge what will come of this, it remains only to take a closer look at the new product.
Outwardly, the Great Wall Hover M4 crossover may seem unprepossessing and unnecessarily simple, but the body contours are still smoothed and rounded. True, the feeling that initially it was a "square" car, which was slightly trimmed, still remains. The front part of the Chinese designers has ennobled a massive bumper with a large false radiator grille in the lower part and stylish slots for foglights, but "spoiled" by a nondescript insert that spreads over the bumper between the headlights.
At the back, everything is simple, you can only highlight the sports tailpipes of the exhaust system, and the lamps of an intricate shape. The dimensions of the Great Wall Hover M4 crossover are very compact: the length is 3961 mm, the width is 1728 mm, the height is 1617 mm, the wheelbase is 2383 mm, and the ground clearance is 180 mm. The curb weight of the vehicle is 1106 kg.
According to the Chinese developers, they used only high-quality materials in the interior decoration, but it is difficult to judge whether these statements correspond to reality, since the car has not yet been tested in Russia. As for the layout, the front panel looks quite modern, elegant, and even a little un-Chinese, which should appeal to Russian buyers. An obvious disappointment can be called the data on the capacity of the trunk, the volume of which is only 285 liters, but, most likely, versions with a folding rear seat will be delivered to Russia, which should significantly increase the volume of the luggage compartment.
If we talk about the technical characteristics of the Great Wall Hover M4 crossover, then initially at the Beijing Motor Show this car was presented with two variants of power plants, but later on there was only one engine left on the Chinese domestic market, with which the crossover will most likely come to Russia. We are talking about a four-cylinder gasoline aspirated with a working volume of 1.5 liters (1497 cm3). This engine is equipped with a 16-valve intake / exhaust system with multi-point fuel injection and variable valve timing. The maximum power of the power unit reaches 104 hp. (for Russia, it was prudently certified as 99-strong), and the peak torque is 138 Nm. On the dynamics of acceleration of the Great Wall Hover M4 crossover - the manufacturer promises that this car will reach 100 km / h in 12.9 seconds, and its maximum speed is 172 km / h. The average fuel consumption of this power unit should be about 7-8 liters per 100 kilometers.
In the basic configuration, the 1.5-liter engine will be aggregated with a five-speed manual transmission, but it is also expected that in our country the manufacturer will offer buyers an additional choice between a continuously variable variator or a four-speed automatic transmission. It is also possible that the second engine, presented in Beijing, will arrive in Russia. This is a gasoline unit with a displacement of 1.3 liters and a capacity of 92 hp, while having 118 Nm of torque.
The drive for this crossover in Russia is assumed only for the front wheels.
The front suspension of the Chinese crossover Great Wall Hover M4 is completely independent and is based on MacPherson struts. At the back, the developers used a semi-independent design, led by a torsion beam. Disc brakes are applied on all four wheels, supplemented by ABS, EBD and Brake Assist systems.
Chinese developers have taken great care of the safety of the driver and passengers. First of all, we note that the Hover M4 has a monocoque body with special zones of programmable deformation in the front, which should guarantee the safety of passengers and the driver in a head-on collision. Usually, Chinese manufacturers do not go broke on such useful things, but Great Wall plans to bring its new product to the European market, and, therefore, will have to pass Euro NCAP tests, in which success cannot be achieved without programmable crumple zones. Also note that the basic configuration of the crossover includes belts with pretensioners and two front airbags.
Options and prices the Great Wall Hover M4 announced in late spring 2013. The cost of the Great Wall Hover M4 as standard (2 airbags, ABS, 16 ″ alloy wheels, combined seat upholstery, on-board computer, air conditioning, central locking with remote control, 4 power windows and a radio tape recorder (CD, MP3 / USB, AUX) will amount to 549,000 rubles.
In the "middle" configuration "Luxe" Hover M4 is offered at a price of 558,000 rubles (here the "base" will be joined by a leather multifunction steering wheel and rear parking sensors).
The cost of the top-end configuration "Elite" is 596 thousand rubles (here, instead of "just an air conditioner", one-zone "climate control" and additionally: a rear-view camera, an electric sunroof in the roof, heated front seats, heated mirrors and electric drive, and instead of a radio tape recorder - multimedia system with DVD and Bluetooth).
