Great Wall's V240 ute has found plenty of homes in the Far North, mainly because of its sharp pricing.

Now the sector hots up with the facelifted model arriving and, more importantly, a diesel, the V200TDi turbodiesel model selling alongside the V240 petrol four.

Great Wall Motors has been here for two years now and is shaping up as a serious player in the light commercial vehicle market.

The Chinese maker currently outsells established brands like Isuzu and others, something that is nearly certain to accelerate with the diesel’s arrival.

Great Wall is expecting a spike in sales on the back of the diesel, especially considering the light pick-up market is about 80 per cent diesel.

In Cairns, Motoco regularly features in the top five regional areas in Australia for sales. At one stage it was leading.

In the 4X2 segment the Great Wall is currently running fifth with 33 sales to the end of September in Cairns, behind Mazda BT-50 (66), Toyota HiLux (64), Holden Ute (42) and Mitsubishi Triton (40).

In the 4X4 sector HiLux is king (160), with Navara (126) second and Triton (90) third. Great Wall is eighth (24).

THE DETAILS

The diesel V200TDi models are $2000 more than the petrol V240 with a price starting at $24,990 drive away for the 2WD dual-cab ute. Tick the 4WD box and it’s a still competitive $27,990 drive away.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre, DOHC turbodiesel engine (105kW/310Nm) with a variable geometry turbo matched to a six-speed manual transmission. It passes Euro 4 emissions regulations.

No automatic is available but it is under consideration. It uses 8.3 litres/100km on the combined cycle.

The payload is at 1000kg (the same as the petrol V240) while towing capacity is 2000kg on both the diesel and petrol crew cab utes.

The V200TDi meets Australian government safety requirements and comes with two airbags and anti-lock brakes. Other equipment includes leather upholstery, power windows and exterior mirrors, remote locking, alloy wheels, airconditioning, steering wheel audio controls, CD/radio/MP3 player, USB port, engine immobiliser and remote-control locking.

The Great Wall V200TDi is yet to be crash tested by ANCAP. It comes with a three-year/100,000km warranty and 24-hour roadside assist. A loan vehicle program is available if your Great Wall is out of action for mechanical repairs.

DRIVING

The facelift has done wonders for the V200, it looks smart and modern and could be mistaken for a Holden Colorado.

It has lost its geekiness, looks substantial and appears to be well put together.

The interior is basic and plasticky and while there’s leather, it has a vinyl appearance and feel.

The major disappointment with the V200 is the turbo lag. It’s probably the worst turbo lag I have experienced.

There’s just nothing from pick-up until the turbo spools up and then it takes off.

Pulling away from the traffic lights and side streets is painfully slow. So you must make allowances.

I also got caught out driving up a ramp in a car park and also on a steepish climb on Black Mountain Rd between Kuranda and Julatten when I had to engage 4WD to get moving.

However, once underway the diesel gets along OK and is more refined than some of its rivals.

Apart from one hiccup on Black Mountain Rd, the dual cab travelled the gravel road easily.

Underneath, there’s a ladder chassis with a torsion bar front suspension and elliptic leaf springs at the rear, with a combination of front discs and rear drums.

On the road it rides firmly but it isn’t uncomfortable in any way.

It bounced around a bit because there was no weight in the rear and didn’t feel as stable as the much more expensive HiLux, which I took over the same road a few weekends ago.

The six-speed gearbox has a longish throw.

The steering, while light, was quite slow and the turning circle a cumbersome 12m.

Fuel consumption seemed to be quite good. I used half a tank in nearly 400km, which included running around town, the Black Mountain run and along the Captain Cook Highway.

Wind and road noise levels were commendably low and the engine relatively quiet.

It didn’t want to rev to the redline but it was starting to loosen up by the end of the weekend.

The instruments were clear and the steering wheel was adjustable but the seats felt flat and offered little grip.

The diesel has more go than the rather under-done petrol four and fuel economy is better.

Although not as well refined as other more expensive offerings in the market, the V200TDi undercuts all of them by $6500-$12,000 comparing apples to apples. The tray is a decent size and there’s plenty of rear seat room for three. It whizzes along the highway with minimal fuss.

THE DECISION

I was looking forward to the diesel after I found the petrol a bit lucklustre.

Yes, I was disappointed with the turbo lag but I realise it will get better as the kilometres add up.

There were no major squeaks or rattles, nor any bits that fell off or big gaps in fixtures and fittings.

Apart from the cumbersome steering and the sluggish performance, it was adequate to drive.

It won’t meet the high spec safety crash ratings but there are dual airbags in the front and ABS brakes, although no Electronic Stability Program.

At the end of the day you get what you pay for and for the money the V200 is good value.

I liked the new front styling and overall, the V200TDi’s appearance will please most, even if it is a bit generic.

For a tradie on a budget, the Great Wall V200TDi is a value-for-money deal.

>> TEST VEHICLE COURTESY OF MOTOCO, CORNER OF LYONS AND MULGRAVE RD, WESTCOURT.

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