When we talk about a $9k truck, or even an under $10,000 pickup, it’s the used car market that comes to mind. Nothing in the US comes close. The cheapest pickup truck in the US for 2021 is the Toyota Tacoma, and with some use of creativity that includes removal of the rear seats, you can have it for as low as $25,630.
That’s more than 2.5 times the $10,000 we mentioned earlier. Ford is also planning to bring out a small pickup for the US market, but it falls in the under $20,000 bracket. Which is exciting, but not as thrilling as $10k.
So if we tell you, that General Motors is bringing out an under $10,000 truck, you’d be all excited, right? So were we, till we realized that GM is bringing the Wuling Zhengtu pickup, only not in America, but China. And pop goes the balloon or the dream of a cheap truck on US soil. For now, the new Ford Maverick may be our best bet.
But China is getting to reap some cheap benefits. So this is what we know about the GM-made Wuling Zhengtu, and why we can only look at it from a distance, whilst the youth in China gets to get behind its cheap, $9k wheel…
What Is Wuling, and GM’s Role In It?
For a truck this cheap, it certainly has some big brands behind it. Three automobile companies joined hands to form SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile, as in SGMW, consisting of SAIC Motor, GM, and Liuzhou Wuling Motors Co Ltd. SGMW makes vehicles under the Wuling and Baojun marques, and one of their very popular models, one that is the best-selling in China, for now, is the "mianboa che", as in tiny “breadbox” vans. The Wuling sunshine sells more than 450,000 a year and SGMW claims it is the best-selling van in China today.
Out of the three automakers who are part of SGMW, it's GM that brings with it years and years of truck-making prowess. On the other hand, SAIC and Wuling know the Chinese market and its want’s inside and out. So let’s talk about the truck, the very first pickup from Wuling as a brand and as a company…
The Base Of The Very Basic Truck
The Zhengtu (pronounced jong-too), means Journey in Chinese, and while it may not take you a joyride, it does promise to take you from point A to B in relative comfort and get the job done.
The base model of the Zhengtu pickup starts at $9,034. Go up just a few dollars, $14 to be exact, and you can have the dual-cab version. Both the models come with the same 1.5-liter engine that makes 99 horses, and it comes with some very basic interiors. You cannot get plush for $10,000, even in China. But you do get plenty of ergonomic stuff from an entry-level truck, and it’s all cool.
The torque is unspecified for now, and the 99 horses go to the rear wheels for the base model, although it's unclear if there will be a 4X4 option on this later. The five-speed manual transmission does not promise high speed, but at 33 mpg, at least it offers good fuel economy.
If we speak about dimensions, the Wuling Zhengtu stands just a wee bit taller than a Chevy Colorado but is narrower and smaller in length as well. But it is still a five-seater and has one nifty bed that has all eyes on it.
The Wuling Zhengtu Boasts A Multi-Functional Bed
The bed is nifty and comes decently sized for a mid-size pickup. While it bears a traditional tailgate, the Zhengtu also has fold-down sides, which lets the driver carry large and wide cargo with way more ease than a normal pickup would allow. When hanging over the sides, the bed measures 79-by-60 inches in dimensions, enough to haul in a bed, if that’s you fancy.
Basically, the Zhengtu comes aimed at the Chinese youth, who want a truck for work and pleasure, do not have a cartload of money, and have no problems risking life and limb considering the Zhengtu does not come loaded with many safety features other than ABS.
It does have a chrome-plated grille and an eight-inch infotainment screen with voice commands and claims that the interior is no more or less comfortable than the normal passenger cars in China. And so, GM, Wuling, and SGMW hope that the Chinese youth will love it for its mix of “pragmatic and hedonistic appeal”.
It’s cool if chunky and manages to look good on the road. Plus, it also has the kind of size that can make it relatively maneuverable on busy roads. Will China take to it? That remains to be seen, but since this truck is unlikely to step out of its home soil, the US can only watch and wonder. As can the rest of the world.
Sources: Road&Track, Motor1