Chinese bakkie maker GWM has given its Steed workhorse a few upgrades. Here are details and specifications.
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 work in 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
S Grade:
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-inch Steel 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 a service 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.
