We set out to give the latest version of GWM’s Steed 5 quite a stern test. At the price (under R250 000) and given its specification, there is little doubt about those elements of the buying proposition. The question is, however, whether the Steed 5 has matured enough to now also make sense to those looking for a leisure vehicle, rather than just a cut-price workhorse. After all, this particular model boasts all-wheel drive (rare at the price) and a cabin with leather and all the “toys”. Is the Steed 5 a practical “family” vehicle? Is it comfortable on longer drives? Can it actually go off-road? Will anything break or fall off?
To find out, four taller-than-average CAR testers piled into the cabin and set off for Ceres (about 150 km from Cape Town). There, the plan was to drive it up the snow-covered Matroosberg mountain, made very slippery by recent rain and snow, and with lots of sharp rocks to avoid, too.
Ride and cabin comfort
Previous versions of the Steed had very firm suspension, and this appears to have been improved on the latest model. Of course, it’s still firm, and sudden bumps or road imperfections are still transmitted to the cabin, but everyone who had a chance to spend time in the back commented that the ride quality, “was actually not that bad.” More of a problem is the angle of the rear backrest. It is bolt upright, which gets uncomfortable after a while. One tester also commented that the angle makes the fitting of child seats a bit tricky.
The situation in the front is better. The basic facia design is copied from Isuzu and it has to be said that, in terms of perceived quality at least, the Steed 5 is impressive. Unlike most vehicles from that country, it also doesn’t have that characteristic Chinese car smell. The general layout of the controls is good and there is a welcome absence of bizarrely textured trim plastics (common to Chinese vehicles).
The standard features list is comprehensive and includes leather upholstery, remote central locking, power steering, electric windows and mirrors, a CD/MP3 player, steering-wheel mounted audio controls and dual front airbags.
Turbodiesel engine
The big news under the bonnet is GWM’s new four-cylinder 4D20 diesel engine, which is shared with the marque’s H5 SUV. This in-house developed engine meets EURO 4 emission standards, and develops 110 kW at 4 000 r/min and 310 N.m of torque between 1 800 and 2 800 r/min. It features high-pressure common rail direct injection, a variable-geometry turbocharger (VGT) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Power goes to the rear wheels (or all four, when 4H or 4L modes are selected) via a six-speed manual transmission.
It’s quite a clattery unit at idle, but smoothes out nicely when it gets going. Bizarrely, the unit in the Steed felt more refined than the one we previously sampled in the H5, and the six-speed transmission was also far slicker. There’s good punch low-down, and the performance figures are not bad for this kind of vehicle (at this kind of price). For what it’s worth, our best 0-100 km/h time was 14,2 seconds and we recorded a 154 km/h (tested) top speed. Tractability is surprisingly good – it even pulled our 40-60 km/h test in sixth gear without jerking in protest. Importantly, it’s also quite economical. GWM hasn’t made any fuel consumption claims, but the Steed 5 used 8,9 L/100 km on our 150 km+ fuel test route.
Tackling the rough stuff
Upon arrival at the Matroosberg, we took on another passenger and headed up the extremely tricky “road”. Visibility was poor and previous vehicles had done some damage to the surface – plenty dislodged rocks. Four-wheel drive is engaged using conventiently placed push-buttons on the facia. The Steed 5 is fitted with chunky looking Savero HT Plus 235/70 rubber on 16-inch alloys, and the vehicle is claimed to have a ground clearance of around 190 mm. While visibility was simply not good enough to drive all the way to the top, I would still rate the surfaces we did traverse as some of the trickiest I’ve ever tackled. The Steed 5 did well. There’s good low-down torque and combined with the low-range transfer ‘box, the engine never stumbled. If I had to criticise something, I’d say the engine braking isn’t quite sufficient (even in low range) for steep downhill sections. But, overall, an impressive showing.
Summary
This particular version of the Steed 5 was perhaps the most impressive GWM product we’ve tested to date, and this includes the H5 and recent C10 hatch. Ultimately we still don’t know about the long-term reliability of particularly the turbodiesel engine under the bonnet, but for what it’s worth the vehicle felt robust during our test term. During our strenuous braking tests, for example, the Steed pulled to a halt consistently in around 3,2 seconds (from 100 km/h). We performed ten such stops in fairly rapid succession and there was zero fade and no smell, either. All things considered, I think the argument that a used vehicle from a “known” marque at the same price make more sense, is starting to wear a bit thin.
Specifications
Model:GWM Steed 5 Double-Cab 2,0 VGT 4×4 Lux
Price: R242 990
Engine: 2,0-litre, four-cylinder, turbodiesel
Power: 110 kW @ 4 000 r/min
Torque: 310 N.m @ 1 800 r/min
Warranty: 3 years/100 000 km
Fuel Consumption: 8,9 L/100 km (CAR fuel route).
