Great Wall Motors to launch X240 SUV in Australia

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors will release its first passenger car in the Australian market later this year to complement its V240 and SA220 medium-duty commercial utes.

Named the X240, the car will be a rebadged right-hand-drive version of the Chinese-market Hover crossover.

Based on the Toyota 4Runner's chassis and with a body borrowed from the Isuzu Axiom, the X240 isn't a particularly fresh design. The engine - Mitsubishi's 4G64 2.4 litre petrol inline-four - isn't terribly new either, but Great Wall importer Ateco Automotive will be banking on keen pricing and respectable base equipment levels to sell the X240.

Pricing details and a precise launch date are still unknown, but expect the X240 to land in dealer showrooms before the end of 2009.

According to documents submitted by Great Wall to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the X240 will be sold in just one mechanical configuration.

The Mitsubishi-based 2.4 litre petrol four cylinder is the only engine that will be offered, and will produce 90kW of power. A five-speed manual gearbox will be standard.

The Australian-market X240's tare weight will be a hefty 1830kg, and airconditioning, power windows, front and rear foglights, dual front airbags and ABS are expected to be standard equipment.

The X240 will spearhead the arrival of more Great Wall passenger cars, with the X240 set to be joined by a version of the Chinese-market Florid five-door small car by the end of this year.

Single-cab variants of the already-launched V240 and SA220 dual-cab utes will also make their way to Australia soon.