Great Wall Motors (GWM) has unveiled its latest addition to the Haval lineup and its big! This is the highly anticipated Haval P04 and it is touted to take the fight to the Toyota Land Cruiser, one of the most popular SUVs in the world. Is China ready to battle at the top?
With the first official image of the expected model out and ready to be analyzed, it seems like the Haval P04 will most likely be built on a new platform that is optimized for off-road performance, allowing it to handle the toughest terrains with ease. Reports suggest that the P04 will be based on the Great Wall King Kong Poer bakkie, also known as the GWM P-Series locally. The Name ‘P04’ is still an unofficial name but rumour has it that it may wear the ‘Haval H5’ badge to better align itself with the rest of the SUV lineup.
The Haval H5 was previously a mid-sized SUV that was sold in China from 2010-2018 before it got discontinued. The P04 may be the successor to the previously beloved H5 which had its time in the sun before the Chinese automaker became the local powerhouse we know of it today.
The P04’s engine line-up will comprise a single 2,0-litre turbo-petrol in two states of tune, 147 kW and 169 kW of power, transmissions are set to consist of a six-speed or an eight-speed automatic transmission. Compared to the outgoing Land Cruiser which is capable of producing a maximum power output of 225 kW and 700 N.m of torque, we’re hoping Haval will add a bit more juice to their performance numbers to even be considered a worthy competitor to the ever-venerable Toyota Landy.
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With the Haval P04 being marketed as a direct competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser, GWM has no choice but to pack the vehicle with advanced technologies and safety features to make it a highly desirable choice for buyers who are looking for a luxury SUV that can deliver high performance.
As a rival to the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Haval P04 will likely be priced in the same range as its chief competitor. However, GWM has not yet released pricing information for the vehicle. The anticipated new offering from GWM will give buyers another option in the highly competitive SUV market. It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against the Toyota Land Cruiser and other competitors in terms of performance, features, and overall value.
