GM China Launches $9,000 Pickup With Fold-Down Bed Sides That'll Never Make It to America
By: James Gilboy, The Drive (MSN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
If you really need a truck, there's no better option for most of us than the cheapest one that'll get the job done. Conveniently, the country from where we source shocking amounts of our everyday goods, has one it'd be glad to sell us, were it not for things like crash and emissions testing or that whole Chicken Tax thing. That truck is the Wuling Zhengtu, and it'll only set Chinese buyers back the equivalent of $9,035.
© Provided by The Drive If you really need a truck, there's no better option for most of us than the cheapest one that'll get the job done.
Built by one of General Motors' local joint ventures, the Zhengtu (pronounced jong-too according to Google) comes in a couple of inches taller than a 2021 Chevrolet Colorado, but about a foot shorter and narrower. Within those modest dimensions, it fits a five-seat crew cab and a nifty bed of the sort Canoo thinks will catch on with Americans.
© General Motors/Wuling Motors
Its hinged, reinforced sides can fold down flat like a traditional tailgate, or hang all the way downward for oversize loads. And sizable they'll have to be, as the 79-by-60-inch bed is actually five inches longer than the Colorado's long bed at 74 inches, and two inches wider--15 if you measure between the wheel housings.
Power comes from a 1.5-liter gas engine producing a paltry 99 horsepower and unspecified torque, which are sent to the rear wheels in the least-expensive model (it's unclear if higher trims offer four-wheel drive), via a five-speed manual transmission. Those ponies won't haul the Zhengtu up to highway speeds very quickly--if it can reach them at all--but it will apparently return up to 33 mpg.
Wuling hopes that its "youth-type pickup truck" with its apparently real chrome-plated grille, eight-inch infotainment screen with voice commands, and an interior that "meets the same noise, vibration and harshness standards as passenger cars" will appeal to younger drivers with their "new-generation lifestyle of 'pragmatism + hedonism.'" (That's a direct translation via Google.)
© General Motors/Wuling Motors Wuling Zhengtu
Speaking as a late Millennial bordering on Zoomer, what I find attractive about the Zhengtu isn't its flashy chrome or tacky touchscreen, but its distraction-reducing manual and bargain-basement price tag of $9,035. Sure, its only shield between me and lifelong medical debt (or death) is its antilock brakes, and it'll probably fall apart as fast as a Dyson vacuum.
Besides, when the drivetrain does go, I can stick in a Harbor Freight motor to pick up the slack. Maybe I'd even cage it and race it in the 24 Hours of Lemons like a friend does with his 1950 Dodge.
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In spite of the title there's a link to the Canoo website saying that the new feature very well make it to the USA via Canoo
The 600-HP Canoo Electric Truck Is a One-Size-Fits-All Rig for Adventurers (thedrive.com)
No politics please
that 600hp version in the link reminds me of some of the 60's vw's. fords, and chevys.
I like some of the features but I demand a quality product with an engine worthy of buying.
"Power comes from a 1.5-liter gas engine producing a paltry 99 horsepower."
when the drivetrain does go, I can stick in a Harbor Freight motor.
LMAO !!
OMG ... LMAO !!!
Because science can’t measure a number that small.
The fold down sides are interesting though. I can see it being a great convenience to be able to load the bed from the sides. I don’t know how wide this thing is with the sides out, but it’s hard to imagine driving a truck down the road that way unless it started out pretty narrow to begin with.
article says the bed is 79 long by 60 inches wide , im assuming ( i know i shouldnt) thats with the sides extended . might fit one 3x3 hay bale on it , but the engine size makes me wonder if it would move at all.
I currently drive a 2009 Silverado with about 75,000 miles on it, no way would I get this "toy".
lol Me either I have a 08 GMC 290 HP 60 K miles and I want more power.
IMO: 99 hp is sick Joke !
I think it is cute but considering the tariffs you know who placed on Chinese imports, it would not be worth it to me to get one.
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Number one:
It's a GM product. Will never own another GM as long as I live. And their trucks suck, too.
Number two:
Refer to Number one
Even the price tag doesn't swish my skirts up. And you're gonna need a lot of hamster feed to power that damn thing
'Nough said.
My father was greatly respected by GM in his role as a GM. This GM is not the GM he grew up with and loved.
I was just teasing TG.
lOL what company is ?
My dad retired from Keystone Steel and Wire Company many years ago. He hated his job in the end but stayed with it for his retirement, a few years later my parents had to join a class action law suite to even retain part of his retirement benefits.
The bottom line is. The bottom line for THE COMPANY.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ ......... period.
Trout, I've had 4 pickups in my life. A 82 Chevy, a 95 GMC, a 99 chevy and my current 08 GMC. Never had a problem with any of them.
I used to own and operated a residential moving company, I actually wore out the first truck but accidentally wrecked the second one. I used those first two trucks doing Professional residential moving constantly for years, those two trucks were very dependable work horses and made me a lot of money with very little maintenance or repairs.
I bought this 08 GMC in 2010 and have not had a single problem with it in 11 years and 60 k miles.
GM trucks suck ? Really ? I didn't find that to be the case for me.
This 08 GMC that I have is a single cab, short bed and that little 290 HP runs it around like a sports car with a truck body.. Ever see a pickup drift? I have this one. It is cool as hell. lol
BUT< havin driven real sports cars most of my life as well I still want ... MORE Power .. lol
So I've been looking at a second ride, the Dodge Challenger scat pack SR/T it has more power ! 485 HP that oughta do it...lol
Drifting:
You know I'm just voicing an opinion outta my butt, right? I had a Chevy GEO when we first moved to Arkansas. Got a 5 speed...big mistake! There's a lotta hills around here.
I now have a Ford Ecosport after having owned 2 Ford Escapes. I'm going back to the Escape or getting one of those nifty small Jeep SUVs. Mr. Giggles has a 1/2 ton Dodge Ram that really does have a Hemi in it.
You're saying GMs suck because of a GEO?
Well, yes the GEO sucks bad.
I actually just don't like the interior of GMs, because they're made for people that can actually see over their dashboards... you know, regular sized people.
Ford trucks are pretty comfortable for me... or older GM trucks [like from the 1980s or older]. I've always loved Dodge trucks, but the newest ones, not too comfortable for someone my size; I'm stretching my legs and neck trying to reach pedals and see over the dash. Short people hate the "cab forward" designs, just sayin.
Not just because of the Geo, but every boyfriend I had that turned out to be an SOB drove an effin' Chevy truck.
My friends have a Chevy but it's lightweight and can't pull their new camper very well. They had a small pop-up until we bought a camper so they had to go buy a camper slightly bigger than ours. The problem is, they just didn't think about about that POS truck they have to pull it with.
Nuff said !
LOL... thanks
Dodge has always been badass with their vehicles. Well... maybe not so much in the mid 80s, but for the most part, they're the only ones really spanning the consumer bases. They're making money on those speed demons too.
LOl that'll teach em.... LOL
Next time get the bigger motor .... More power !!!
lol
challenger hellcat
They stole two off of the production line the other day, drove through the fences. one wrecked and hit a fire hydrant,
the other is in the wind.
"The man told local reporters the criminals seemed to be targeting – wait for it – Dodge Chargers and Challengers." We’re so shocked.
At least the thieves have good taste.
They have come a long way since the 70's
Everything was pretty much rusty junk with terrible suspension back in the day.
I need one of those!
The first car I ever bought and paid for was a Dodge Daytona. I loved that car. It took us from Alaska, down thru Canada to Colorado, then across the country to PA and then across the country again to TX. We were PCSing from Alaska to Texas.
I cried the day we traded in for a van.
Exactly!
Unless it's like a van as pictured below... I won't own one.
My uncle had a Dodge Daytona; it was a pretty cool car.
It was a Dodge convertible van. The kids were getting too big for the Daytona and we were due to leave Texas and go to Arkansas by way of Colorado and PA.
That van took us everywhere and it was great because there were 4 captain's chairs and the bench seat in the back folded down. It was the best for traveling with 2 kids, a dog, and a cat.
I hated those vans. My aunt and uncle had one, because they [at the time] had 4 kids... later there were 5; now they're grandparents to 12 or something.
I hated working on them, but at least the Dodges were all consistent in their shortcomings. Easy to diagnose & fix.
It's affordable. It helps people in China reach upward in financial status which is one of the reasons why China's economy is becoming stronger and stronger all the time. A middle class fairly comfortable life is affordable here in China that I could not possibly afford on my pension in Canada or the USA. For example, a haircut here costs me the equivalent of about US$1.75, a loaf of bread costs half what it does in America, potatoes cost 1/3 of their price in the USA, and my rent for a well furnished spacious three bedroom apartment in a major city with 2 balconies in a modern guarded building in an upscale area across from a subway station, next to all necessary shopping and amenities, surrounded by beautiful university campuses, including all utilities, TV cable, internet, etc. costs about 1/4 what it would in a similar area in America.
wow
I think I'll stay here though.
I never owned a truck, but I was never unhappy with the GM brand cars (a few different Pontiacs, a Buick, an Oldsmobile and a Cadillac) that I owned and drove during my 54 years of driving. However, I have to advise you all NOT to buy a Chinese vehicle. You know very well it will spy on you and send all your personal information up to the many Chinese spy satellites up there and feed the database of your life, and be a terrible threat to the national security of the USA.
Thanks Buzz, are chinese electrical auto parts included ?
PS: Ya should have tried a good old chevy. Most chevrolets really have been decent long lasting quality cars.
I have no idea.
Thanks
I have always question that type of product coming in from any country especially china. Hidden little data gathers.
Thankfully if I'm ever spied on, they would soon move on. But I understand that's not really what data gathering even is..
Who thought of this first?
Dunno
But I was watching Jonathon Knight's Farmhouse Restoration on HGTV
and lo and behold.
Maynard Tuckers drop down sides truck circa 1930
'Mercan Ingenuity