Great Wall Hover is a line of Chinese crossovers from the largest Chinese automaker Great Wall. These are one of the few cars from China that began to be sold en masse in our country and found a large number of fans. Let's figure out what these somewhat contradictory crossovers are.
Hover crossovers have a huge advantage - low cost
History of the brand
Let us note right away that the negative attitude towards everything made in China has practically become obsolete. Today, cars from this country have become much better in quality, it is easier to find spare parts for them, and at a price they are much more attractive than their competitors.
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Initially, Great Wall specialized in the production of pickup trucks, but gradually production was expanded to other types of cars and their components. Today, crossovers from this Chinese company include the M2, M4 and H6 models. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Great Wall Hover M2
This crossover began to be produced in 2010. The start of sales was quite successful, as a result of which it was decided to begin supplying it to other countries of the world, including Russia.
The first thing that catches your eye is the unusual appearance of the Hover M2. It seems too angular and even square, which gives rise to assumptions about its clumsiness and clumsiness. On the other hand, this appearance partly speaks of the masculinity and brutal character of this compact urban crossover.
The Hover body is straightforward, simple and angular, but some of the lines are smoothed out due to plastic linings that can be mistaken for the body kits of an SUV. There is no practical benefit from such a solution: with a more or less strong impact, the linings successfully fly off and break.
The M2 dimensions are as follows: height – 1720 mm, width – 1744, length – 4011 mm. We also note the low ground clearance for a crossover, which is only 165 mm.
Despite the fact that the crossover interior is quite spacious, the trunk cannot be called spacious: its volume is only 330 liters, which increases to 1100 liters with the rear seats folded down.
It is also difficult to call the technical characteristics of the Great Wall Hover M2 top-end. Manufacturers do not offer a choice of any engines other than a 105-horsepower gasoline engine with a volume of one and a half liters. The good news is that it consumes relatively little 92-grade gasoline: just over 9 liters in city traffic, 6 liters on the highway and 7.5 in the combined cycle. The low-power engine is no different in agility: it accelerates the crossover to one hundred in 16 seconds. But there is all-wheel drive (plug-in) and a five-speed manual transmission.
Dimensions
Hover H3 is a real classic frame SUV designed for five people. It measures 4650 mm in length, 1800 mm in width, 1745 mm in height and 2700 mm between the axles. The ground clearance is impressive. There remains 240 millimeters between the bottom point of the bottom and the ground. The car is based on a ladder-type frame made of high-strength steel. The front suspension is double-wishbone torsion bar independent with anti-roll bar. At the rear there is a continuous axle with coil springs. Hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers are installed all around. The trunk is quite roomy. By default, with the backrests of the rear sofa raised and loaded under the top shelf, it can accommodate up to 420 liters of luggage. If you sacrifice the rear seats and fold the backs of the second row, you can get up to 2022 liters of free space.
Test drive Great Wall Hover M2 (+ video)
The test drive shows that in reality the Great Wall Hover M2 does not fit within 16 seconds to a hundred: if the acceleration up to 70 is still at the very least frisky, then the car has difficulty gaining the remaining 30. However, in city traffic this may be enough. Connecting all-wheel drive slows down somewhat, and 16-inch wheels are clearly not enough even for minor off-road conditions.
The suspension is not soft, although MacPherson struts are used here. As already noted, the crossover has low ground clearance, which is at the level of conventional passenger cars, so you will feel and hit the smallest bumps and stones.
The crossover has ABS and EBD, the front brakes are ventilated, and the steering wheel is equipped with a power steering.
What really pleases the Great Wall Hover M2 is the price. The most modest of the three trim levels costs 519,000 rubles, and the top one, which includes leather trim, a sunroof and other options, costs only 566 thousand.
Great Wall Hover M4
In China, the Hover M4 is simply incredibly popular. The Russian market is just beginning to test this Chinese crossover.
The car's square appearance has been preserved from its predecessors, but it is noticeably more trimmed and smoothed out. At the front, the crossover is decorated with a massive bumper, elegant foglights and a large false radiator grille. Dimensions allow us to call the M4 compact: its width is 1728 mm, its height is 1617, and its length is 3961. Ground clearance is now 180 mm, which is a very average figure for off-road travel.
The salon, as manufacturers assure, is decorated only using high-quality materials. Russian users will soon find out what high-quality materials are for Chinese designers.
As in the M2, the trunk here is disappointing: 285 liters will likely seem small to many. The situation, of course, can be saved by folding rear seats, but whether the version for Russia will have such a function is not yet clear.
The technical characteristics of the Hover M4 are not high. The engine has a volume of one and a half liters and actually produces 104 horsepower, although for Russia it was prudently certified as 99 horsepower. Fuel consumption in mixed mode is at the level of 8 liters per hundred kilometers. The car should accelerate to 100 in 13 seconds, however, these are only official data.
It is expected that versions of the crossover with manual and automatic gearboxes will be supplied to Russia. It is reported that in the future the engine range may also be expanded to include a 92-horsepower 1.3-liter gasoline engine.
At the moment, there are three configurations of the Great Wall Hover M4. The cost of the youngest of them is 549 thousand rubles. This includes:
- Two airbags;
- Combined upholstery;
- ABS;
- 16-inch alloy wheels;
- On-board computer;
- Central locking;
- 4 power windows;
- Radio tape recorder.
The average configuration is complemented by a leather multifunction steering wheel and parking sensors on the rear bumper. The price of the Great Wall Hover M4 in this version starts at 558 thousand rubles. The top-end configuration, costing from 596 thousand, includes single-zone climate control, a sunroof, a rear view camera, heated front seats, electric drive and heated mirrors. The standard radio has been replaced with a multimedia system.
Video test drive Great Wall Hover M4
Great Wall Hover H6
The Hover H6 was supposed to start selling in Russia in March last year, but due to increased demand for the crossover in China, factories were unable to produce the required number of cars. With the launch of new production facilities, the problem was solved, and H6 came to our country at the end of the summer of 2013.
The new Great Wall Hover was created based on a new corporate style, which should make it easier to recognize the car in city traffic. The appearance of the crossover is very modern and relevant. In its class, the H6 has the largest dimensions: height – 1690 mm, length – 4640, and width – 1825 mm. The ground clearance remained at the level of many members of the family - 180 mm.
It is noted that the Hover’s interior is not decorated in a Chinese way at all. High-quality materials are used here, the interior is thoughtful and ergonomic. The light-colored floor upholstery is disappointing, but for Russia it could well be replaced with a dark one.
The trunk has an unusual two-story design, but the shelf can be removed if desired.
Review of Great Wall Hover 2.4 (2008)
After a heated debate caused by my first, superficial, description of Hover, I received questions from uaz-pickap and from shmakals with the following content:
“Yes, actually nothing is described. Only purchase and delivery history. Is he framed? How's the steering? by height by reach? The principle of operation of all-wheel drive (what is it?) Seats - what adjustments? Transformer salon? What is the comfort: especially when driving at high speeds - is it noisy or not? Crickets? How does the suspension work in the pits and through the police? Wipers - is there a relay pause? All sorts of hiding places, niches, glove compartments, security. ? Interests everything."
“I would like to hear real feedback from someone about the technical and operational characteristics of the hover. for now we are only discussing the color of lipstick.”
I'm grateful for these questions, as I haven't really touched on these aspects of exploitation. I wanted to answer there, but decided to post the answer in a separate topic, anticipating that the discussion would be here too.
I will try to answer the questions already posed in order to somehow maintain the sequence of presentation.
The hover is a frame one, the steering is soft, like any hydraulic booster (electric is definitely softer), it requires reverse rotation of the steering wheel at steep turning angles to return to the original straight position, but it does not return completely on its own. It’s adjustable only in height, someone wrote that it’s inconvenient, they say, you can’t reach the pedals and the gearshift lever so that your knees don’t rest on the floor, so I’m 182cm tall, I can reach everything perfectly without discomfort, a girl 170cm can also control it freely Hover, but she doesn’t like the fact that the steering wheel doesn’t return to its original straight position and after the electric booster on the Corse it’s much more difficult for her.
All-wheel drive is activated by the 2H-4H-4L lever; on H2 diesels and all H3s, instead of a lever, there is already an automatic rotary lever. When you switch the lever to the 4H or 4L position, something there automatically engages all-wheel drive (I’m not good at how it works, but the instructions say so), you have to wait 3-5 seconds for the operation to be completed and the 4WD icon to light up. Switching is only possible when the car is stationary, but the craftsmen on the Chinamobile forum have long come up with a button that allows you to switch the lever at speed. I didn’t do it for myself, because... I’m not a big fan of “shit”, and if there is a need, I’ll stop and turn it on in advance.
Interior seat adjustments and transformation. This was one of the reasons for choosing Hover; from the background we remember that the car was considered as a means of transportation on the Krasnodar-Baikal-Krasnodar route. The front seats are adjustable only for forward and backward reach, this is a feature of the frame body, the driver's seat is automatic in the luxury version, and the passenger seat is manual. The backrests are similar, the driver's seat has adjustable back support, which is also a convenient feature. There are enough seat adjustments to allow a person of average height (165-185) to sit comfortably, stretch his legs and not rest his head on the ceiling. The rear seats are adjustable only by the angle of the backrests. There is a lot of space for rear passengers, very much - this is with the front seats fully moved back, about 25 cm between them. Those. I calmly sit in the back seat and at the same time not only do not rest my knees on the back of the front seat, but I can also sit reclining.
The rear seats are folded as follows: the front ones are moved forward a little, the rear cushions are raised and placed vertically against the front backrests, then the headrests are removed and the rear backrests are laid horizontally, forming an absolutely flat floor with the trunk. The front seats slide back. Headrests can be used instead of pillows. By laying down an air mattress we get a wonderful double bed approximately 180cm long. It was enough for me to stretch to my full height.
Comfort and noise: it’s difficult for me to compare with cars above the middle class, so I’ll describe it as it is. There is noise - the engine is audible after 3000 rpm, as on many other cars, the tires are audible depending on the road surface, the transmission is not audible. The doors close without rattling, but not with a dull heavy click, but with a slightly louder sound. The stones and water in the arches are slightly audible, but maybe I didn’t pay attention to it? As a result: it is quite possible to get by with standard sound insulation, but if you bring it to deathly silence, then you simply need a complete sizing of the car. For the average person, this is quite normal. In the car we speak in exactly the same tones as in a stationary car, without raising our voices. I can’t hear the engine at XX at all; sometimes, without looking at the tachometer needle, I try to start it again.
There are crickets, where would we be without them? More than once has been written about them and how to remove them. The rear telescopic shelf creaks, sometimes the rear door, I didn’t pay any more attention. It can be easily eliminated by laying thin rubber and adjusting the supporting “fungi”. If you have hands and are not lazy, five minutes of work.
The suspension is like any frame. After passenger cars, it allows the driver to relax and forget about the condition of the roads anywhere. I take extraordinary pleasure every time I get behind the wheel, drive and experience a feeling of joy when getting out of the car. For one simple reason - I just don’t think anymore about going around potholes, potholes, bumps, slowly crawling on gravel and dirt roads, stopping in front of and diagonally passing speed bumps. An important point is the cost of spare parts. I have already pointed out that they are equal to the cost of VAZ cars. I bought front shock absorbers for 2400 a pair (Kayaba gas-oil), struts and stabilizer bushings - 1200 rubles. set, spark plugs - 300 rubles, NGK set, air filter - 115 rubles, petrol - 200 rubles. If you have to change the ball ones at some point, they cost 300 rubles/piece, rear springs — 1000 rubles/piece, a set of all silent blocks is about 4000 rubles, polyurethane springs — 6000 rubles. This cost of spare parts allows you to simply not think about the condition of the roads when driving.
There are no self-blocks in bridges; they are installed independently at the rate of 500-600 per bridge. There is a field for activity for those who wish. There is a video about this on YouTube. You can lift the car with springs from the rear, torsion bars from the front, they make super-monsters, but in a different way.
Next, the wipers. The front ones have three operating modes: slow with an adjustable interval from 7 to 13 seconds, fast and very fast. The rear one has one speed “fast” and a separate button for watering. The rear buttons are located inconveniently, while moving you have to look at them to hit them with your finger, I’m thinking about moving them up to the place of the light switch in the cabin. The front wipers clean the glass well, visibility is sufficient, the most important thing is that the last drop of water does not drain from their upper point of intersection of trajectories after cleaning the glass, which always infuriated me on the Corse. No matter how many times there are three, a drop will always flow down and leave a mark.
There are hiding places, but they are few and inconvenient. Cup holder in tunnel with rubber liner. Hurray for the Chinese! The liner can be pulled out and washed, rather than trying to stick a piece of rag in to remove dust, as this also infuriated me on the Corse. The armrest is occupied by a CD changer and a small deep compartment for napkins or other small items. The front doors have pockets 4 cm wide; I can’t imagine what to put there other than a book so that I can get it out later. In H3 it seems they have already been expanded. At the top of the doors there are recesses for closing the doors - plastic cards and keys lie in them, but closing the door is no longer convenient. There is an eyeglass case above the rearview mirror, which when open covers exactly half of the mirror. I'm thinking of buying it and installing it in place of the top handle to the left of the driver's head, as I did in Corsa. For rear passengers there are 2 retractable cup holders in the rear of the tunnel, pockets on the backs of the front seats, I haven’t looked at the rest yet. The rear seats have mounts for installing child seats, welded to the body. In the luggage compartment, in addition to the top curtain, there are 4 powerful brackets for hiding and holding luggage, plus a pocket for a first aid kit and a niche for a jack, in my case carefully stolen by the previous owner or a car dealership.
There are only two airbags - driver and passenger. Judging by the crash test videos, they perform their function.
I didn’t say anything about the engine, but I’m correcting myself. The engine is obviously rather weak, the powerful pickup goes from 4000 to 6000 rpm, before that you need to work the gearshift lever for normal acceleration. After my former Corsa with a 1.2l engine and 80 hp. The dynamics are a little better, but sometimes the power is also lacking. Sufficient for the city, not always for fast overtaking. There are descriptions of installing superchargers that give excellent results. In general, I am satisfied with the engine; we must not forget that this is a big car, and not a puzoter or a nimble small car.
Let me summarize: the car is convenient, comfortable, but not thoroughly thought out. In terms of driving performance it can satisfy the average buyer. A reliable, time-tested suspension design allows you to confidently drive in any road conditions, moderate fuel consumption and the ability to install an LPG system make the cost of 1 km equal to that of a city runabout. Perfect for a family, for trips to nature or to the country, for traveling, mainly alone or as a couple without using hotels (for lovers of “wild” holidays). The large trunk allows you to put a stroller or two, a bunch of bags or suitcases and other cargo.
Yes, and in the H3 many of the ill-conceived issues have already been eliminated; I’ll especially go to the car dealership to look at it after my H2 for comparison.
I may not have described everything, ask questions and I will answer.
Technical characteristics of Great Wall Hover n6
Technically, the Hover H6 is well equipped. It is expected that it will be equipped with a choice of gasoline or turbocharged diesel engine. The gasoline unit has a volume of 2.4 liters, while developing a power of 147 horsepower. It is recommended to use 95 gasoline, which consumes approximately 8.5 liters per 100 km in mixed mode, about 7.5 liters on the highway, and 8.9 in the city. It is not yet clear whether this unit will be supplied to the Russian market; most likely, the choice of engines will be limited to a one and a half liter diesel engine.
An in-line turbodiesel is not much different from its gasoline counterpart. It produces up to 143 power, developing torque up to 2800. It consumes 8.5 liters of fuel in mixed mode, 8.7 liters in the city and 7.6 on the highway.
A choice of manual or automatic, as well as all-wheel drive, will be available.
The suspension (also with MacPherson struts) shows good dynamics on the asphalt, but on the dirt road it allows you to feel all the bumps in the road. The brakes on all wheels are ventilated, disc. BAS, EBD and ABS are present.
Specifications
Under the hood of the Great Wall Hover H3 there is a licensed gasoline engine from Mitsubishi with the factory index 4G63. It has an in-line layout, four cylinders, two camshafts, multi-point fuel delivery and a turbocharging system. Ultimately, such a unit is capable of delivering 149 horsepower at 4200 rpm and 250 Nm of torque in the range from 2400 to 4200 rpm. As a transmission, only a six-speed manual is offered. The manufacturer is only considering the possibility of installing a hydromechanical automatic transmission. Also, the car is equipped with a two-speed transfer case with a range. All-wheel drive, plug-in. By default, the drive wheels are rear, however, on off-road, you can rigidly connect the front axle.
Options and prices Great Wall Hover n6
The basic version of the Great Hover H6 with a gasoline engine and manual transmission will cost from 749 thousand rubles. For all-wheel drive you will have to pay about 70 thousand extra.
An all-wheel drive turbodiesel in the “Standard” configuration will cost buyers from 1 million 35 thousand rubles.
Bottom line
As you can see, Great Wall Hover crossovers are very controversial cars. Of course, they are not designed for off-road assault and cannot boast of top-end characteristics, but their cost is much lower than that of competitors, and the quality of assembly, finishing and components is constantly improving.
Having studied the reviews of the owners of Chinese crossovers, we can say that for the money these are very good cars, so whether to buy or not to buy Hover crossovers is a purely individual matter.
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