IOL Motoring Staff
Chinese budget brand Great Wall Motors has added a dash of crossover spice to its C10 hatchback line-up with the C20R, fully kitted out for the urban jungle with a chunky new grille, a new airdam with built-in foglights, black wheel-arch trims, roof rails and SUV-style front and rear bash-plates.
16” alloys are standard, as is raised suspension, giving the C20R a vertiginous 172mm of ground clearance.
The driver's seat is adjustable for height, as is the steering wheel, and air-conditioning, electric power steering, power window and mirror adjustment, remote audio controls, aluminium-look pedals, height-adjustable headlights, rear parking sensors and a radio/CD/MP3 sound system with auxiliary and USB inputs are all part of the package.
Practicality is ensured by rear seats that slide fore and aft, recline or fold forward, as well as a double-floor cargo bay layout.
MOTORVATION
Nothing new here: GWM's familiar 1.5-litre variable-valve petrol four, rated for 77kW at 6000 revs and 138Nm at 4200rpm, drives the front wheel via a five-speed manual gearbox, at a quoted cost of 7.7 litres per 100km and 179g/km of CO2 emissions.
Dual front airbags are standard, as are ABS with EBA and EBD, remote central locking and an alarm/immobliser, all for R154 900, which includes a three-year or 100 000km warranty and, for the first time on a GWM in South Africa, a three-year or 45 000km service plan.