SOMETIMES, it feels refreshing to throw the rulebook out of the window when re-designing car models.
In line with this, the P-Series’ light commercial vehicles are no longer as light as you know them! They have become bigger than the “traditional” bakkies. You will find the latest model to have a striking resemblance to its opposite number – the Isuzu, D-Max, Hilux and Ranger.
The workhorse 4×4 variant has made an instant impression on DRIVEtorque. It’s relatively quiet, well-appointed cabin and comfortable seating area are outstanding features of this beauty of a vehicle. It guarantees you a most pleasant drive over long hours, on any surface.
Its standard fare is an assortment of every feature you desire in a light commercial vehicle. They include a hydraulic power steering, adjustable steering column, steering wheel controls, 3.5-innch instrument cluster, two USB ports, 12-volt power socket, cruise control, amongst other attractive apparatuses.
When you talk of a new vehicle brand, you can’t of course leave out the most important factor of them all: safety. This latest P-Series comes complete with dual-crash bags, anti-lock braking, traction control as well as hill-start. You will never feel safer than in this new kid on the block.
How about putting it through a 4×4 obstacle to test its pulling power to master the course? We certainly won’t be disappointed too on that front.
We had the greatest pleasure of driving a new one, so to get it to the “sweet pot”, the leaf spring rigid rear suspension needed a bit of a run-on. For good measure, its front suspension is via a double-wishbone arrangement which follows through on the full range. It is important to note that we didn’t load the vehicle, so expect this to change with stuff at the back.
You will be asking: what of the engine, what should a potential buyer look forward to? Well, we can tell you that it has received a swift facelift. The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel provides ample power from the middle and upper reaches of the rev range, lacking a little under 2000rpm.
What type of the P-Series do you prefer? One with commercial or passenger configurations? If you’re looking for the commercial range, bear in mind that it comes with a single-cab derivative. Another useful piece of information is that all bakkies in the line-up are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel engine that produces 120kW-400Nm. This bakkie is fitted with either a six-speed manual, or eight-speed automatic transmission.
Drives often worry about the comfort of their occupants, especially in areas where the road network is a mixture of good and bad surfaces. The P-Series guarantees you an enjoyable ride throughout, on any type of roads, that is given. The quality of the ride, in fact, gets better when the loading bay is full! This vehicle, on off-road conditions, reveals its remarkable versality. It is still quite easy to operate there, even though its system is not as impeccable as the Mitsubishi’s SuperSelect II.
Let us now introduce the all-new and all-conquering GWM P-Series. The bakkie is a remake of an earlier version. The P-Series Commercial Single Cab is a brand-new addition to the range of robust, reliable and “workaholic” GWM bakkies that are built for true flexibility.
This iconic bakkie is powerful, not just automatically, but practically. To make your travels a most memorable experience, the Commercial Single Cab features a 6MT gearbox. It is available in 2WD or 4WD variants.
Turning to the standard safety features, again, you will find them to be satisfactory with the GWM P-Series Commercial Single Cab. The include a hydraulic brake assist system (HBA), traction control system (ASR/TCS), collision automatic unlock function and so much more.
A vehicle with versatile features is a sought-after, and a hit with modern drives. You can be rest assured that this vehicle will carry more load, due to its spacious interior. It is designed with generous space of one-ton load capacity, a real industrious car. The load bin has cargo size of 2480mm x 1520mm x 540mm. It’s load capacity renders it able to haul any equipment and trailers.
When you hear of this kind of space on a vehicle, you cannot imagine of it having such a vintage and rugged exterior styling like the GWM P-Series Commercial Single Cab.
This is a vehicle to cherish, a travel partner that you can trust, an all-weather friend of the road.
The comfort is next to none. Its interior is dark, with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 3.5-inch colour instrument cluster on top of smart technology, a modern car for the modern-day driver.
Think about this, you don’t have to worry about answering your calls whilst driving! It has cruise control and Bluetooth hands-free calling system for your convenience behind the steering wheel.
Every driver needs to feel secure when parking, reversing and maneuvering through tight ways. The GWM P-Series Commercial Single Cab’s comes two rear sensors and reverse camera, enables you to overcome the rear blind spots.
This a must-have bakkie for enthusiasts who look for versatility. It’s a workhorse with exciting tech on top of a vintage appearance.
• 17-inch aluminium rim wheels
• Bluetooth
• Hydraulic brake assist system
• Automatic door lock
• 12V Power outlet
The daytime running lamp (DRL) and fog lamps help make surrounding objects and vehicles more visible in low light situations with advanced visual effects.
