The 2021 Ford Bronco has taken over the internet by storm with its looks and potential
Chinese automaker Wei, under Great Wall Motors, has teased its upcoming P01 five-seater compact SUV. It is aimed to be an affordable offroader with enough practicality to be a decent choice for urban driving conditions.
Teasers reveal its key exterior highlights such as full-LED headlamps and tail lamps, squared wheel arches, minimal curves, full-size spare wheel and general rugged characteristics. The Chinese automotive industry has made almost a complete recovery from COVID-19 despite being the pandemic’s epicentre.
In fact, Chinese automakers have introduced or launched several products — from affordable crossovers to luxury EVs — while most other markets were trying their best to stay in business. As COVID-19 lockdown protocols were eased in our country back in early May, Indian automakers started seeing a considerable rise in sales figures. However, the numbers are nearly half the usual or pre-COVID market trends.
Wei P01 Design & Features
The Wei P01 sports a shell in line with the Ford Bronco Sport’s aesthetics. It was only a few days back that Ford Motor Company unveiled the new-gen 2021MY Ford Bronco in 2-Door, 4-Door and Sport formats. The American offroader range has grabbed overwhelming attention and interest on the internet to an extent that its official booking page crashed for a brief period.
From now on, it would be difficult for other manufacturers to design and develop a product with similar principles without hearing statements about its ‘inspiration’ from the Bronco line. For instance, almost every relatively affordable modern-day offroader before the new Bronco was compared to the Jeep Wrangler. Examples even include the Mahindra Thar.
Coming back to the Wei P01, specs and other vital information remain unknown. Notable details include its tail lamp cluster formed by Wei’s company logo, rear offset licence plate, roof rails that seem sturdy and useful; black six-spoke alloy wheels, square ORVMs, three-slat radiator grille, etc. Interiors have not been revealed yet.
Wei P01 Mechanicals
Various sources state that it features a double-wishbone independent suspension at the front and an integral bridge-type setup behind. More details will be revealed in the days to come. The Wei P01 would most likely be a China-only product with a few badge-engineered examples under Great Wall Motors.
Great Wall Motors India
Great Wall Motors has already announced its Indian debut at Auto Expo 2020. Subsidiary brand Haval will also sell its premium SUV lineup in the country. The company is setting up a manufacturing plant in Talegaon, about 45kms from Pune city.