The latest rugged concept to emerge from China is named the G318 and will be manufactured by Changan’s sub-brand, Deepal, established in 2022. This handsome, boxy SUV features off-road aesthetics and takes its name from a highway. The production version is anticipated to be priced at around 300,000 yuan (US$ 42,200) With an overall length of 4,750 mm, it’s roughly the same size as the extended-wheelbase Volkswagen Tiguan. It also comes with a 1.5-liter engine, but it doesn’t actually power the wheels. Instead, it is used as a generator and it charges the batteries.
Expected to be offered with two battery
size options, 18.4 kWh and 35.1 kWh, driving range has not been divulged yet.
However, it will be powered by a pair of motors that drive all four wheels.
Horsepower figures haven’t been officially communicated yet either, but China’s
Autohome reports that individually, the motors will be rated at 47 hp and 80 hp, respectively.
That may not matter for the SUV, the first
photos of which show it to be a pretty attractive vehicle. It gets C-shaped
DRLs with little eyelashes at the ends of them, as well as a set of off-road lights
on top — though the production vehicle may not keep them. Small silver sections
at the bottom of the front and rear bumpers are reminiscent of the underbody
protection that serious off-roaders employ, and work in conjunction with the
plastic cladding and the chunky tires to give the SUV an air of rugged
capability.
Although it is expected to get
body-on-frame construction, suggesting that Deepal wants it to be comfortable
off the road, the name appears to be borrowed from a highway, rather than a trail.
The 318 is the Chinese national highway that connects the Sichuan province
(starting in Chengdu) with Tibet. The road has become a popular route for road
trippers, who may be the people Deepal is aiming at with this SUV. Indeed, the
company hopes the G318 will be a good tow vehicle, and reports suggest that it
will be able to do tank turns in order to let buyers impress their friends.
When the production version hits the road, it is expected to compete with the
likes of the GWM Tank and the BYD FangchenBao.
