Chinese bakkie maker GWM has given its Steed workhorse a few upgrades. Here are details andspecifications.

The GWM Steed has been around for quite some time and while the arrival of the GWM P-Series has stolen nearly all the limelight, the Chinese brand wants the Steed to remain relevant to the workhorse portion of the market.

GWM has announced the new and upgraded Steed will be hitting dealerships from the middle of December and this model will be replacing the outgoing Steed 5, Steed 6 and Steed 5e.

The changes and upgrades are substantial with spec updates, some design work and a revised engine. There will be two grades on offer; S and SX, and both a single-cab and double-cab derivative. Customers will have a 6-speed manual gearbox paired to a diesel engine. Speaking of engine, there are increases of 5 kW and 15 Nm (now 110 kW and 320 Nm), and the torque is available 400 rpm lower. Lag is said to have been reduced, with improvements to throttle response.

Impressively, GWM has addressed the safety issue after the AA NCAP results showed poor performance from the Steed. Research and development workin both locally and China has seen improvements with the addition of dual airbags and anti-lock brakes as standard across the range.

In December last year, the AA released NCAP results that didn’t bode well for the Steed even though the very base model was tested. The vehicle in question was the entry level without Airbags or ABS. Taking this extremely seriously, the R&D and product planning teams both domestically and in China, jumped to action and just 12 months later we bring you a vehicle that is not only updated, but moreover even more safe than ever before. With the launch of this new generation Steed, we are delighted to announce that all our Steeds now come with dual airbags

Visually, the updated GWM Steed has a new-look front grille and bumper, the latter being colour-coded. The cabin gains a black trim change.

GWM Steed Levels of Trim

SGrade:

Power Steering

Outer tie down Hook rail

Remote Central Locking

Dual Front Airbags

Radio AM/FM with USB

Power adjustable mirrors + Electric windows

Manual Aircon

16-inchSteel Wheels

Electronic 4WD (2H, 4H & 4L modes): 4×4 Model Only

Note: Upgrade vs previous Steed version without Airbags & ABS +EBD

SX Grade (In addition to the above spec on S Grade):

Front & Rear Fog lamps

Rear Bumper & Rear park Distance Sensors*

Guard Rail (Single Cab only)

Partial Leather seats & Steering

16-inch Alloy Wheels + Tyre Pressure Monitor*

ABS + EBD

Power adjustable mirrors + Electric windows

Auto Aircon (Double Cab Only)

Chrome plated Front Grille & Door Handles

Note: * – Upgrade vs previous

The model line-up for the 2022 Steed is split as follows, Single Cab will be available in 2.0 S 4×2 6MT; 2.0 S 4×4 6MT; 2.0 SX 4×4 6MT, again only in diesel derivatives. The Double Cab offering is 2.0 SX 4×2 6MT and 2.0 SX 4×4 6MT.

Pricing for the new GWM Steed will be announced in due course, with the brand adding that aservice plan is available as standard only on the Double Cab version (3 years/40 000 km), however, an optional purchase service plan is available for Single Cab. The new Steed will continue from its predecessor offering a warranty of 5 years/100 000km.

Further Reading

Big Bakkie drag race

GWM King Kong – the bakkie to rule them all