Most Popular Pickup in China Offers Strong Value

With all the attention auto makers are giving China lately (especially General Motors), have you ever wondered what the top-selling Chinese pickup truck looks like? Well, it’s called the Wingle (although we’re not sure why) and it’s produced by Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors. 

The Wingle has been the number one selling pickup truck in China for a couple years and looks to have a very strong 2011 as well. Great Wall Motors reported sales volumes of 10,165 trucks for September, bringing the total for the first nine months of 2011 to 90,982 units.

A Great Wall spokesperson said that the vehicle has delivered strong performance in sales volume, growth, and market share since its inception because consumers recognize quality. What else would you expect a product PR person to say?

The midsize trucks are equipped with a high-pressure common rail turbocharged diesel engine made in Germany. Dealers offer an attractive warranty and “complete care” service coverage.

Wingle pickups have developed solid markets in several developing countries across Africa and the Middle East and are beginning to develop traction in Italy and Australia. Export volumes of Wingle pickups are reported to total nearly 22,000 units so far this year, and reports are that they would like to do even more.

Depending on packaging, pricing for the Wingle, as you might expect, is quite low, making it the least expensive “ute” (as they call the compact/midsize pickups Down Under) in Australia, starting near $21,000 (which is less than $22,000 in U.S. monies). There has been no word at this time at importing the midsize pickup truck to the U.S., but with other OEs reassessing the segment's long-term strength, we're guessing that could change quickly.