Haval Big Dog dead … for now
The box-shaped Big Dog SUV – yes, that’s its real name – from Chinese manufacturer Great Wall Motors Haval has had its chain yanked in Australia.
The Haval Big Dog SUV is no closer to Australian showrooms – despite being nominated as a strong possibility when unveiled locally during a special preview 18 months ago.
The Great Wall Motors Haval Big Dog – yes that’s its real name – has been put on the back burner for now as the Chinese car giant focuses on a mass rollout of other SUVs and utes.
Drive has been told GWM Haval is keen to broaden its line-up of hybrid SUVs – across the Jolion and H6 ranges, and other new models – and also expand its ute offerings before possibly introducing the Big Dog as a niche model.
The GWM Haval Big Dog is similar in size to – and based on the underpinnings of – the recently-released Haval H6 mid-size SUV.
As with the SUV on which it’s based, the GWM Haval Big Dog is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine (155kW/325Nm) paired to a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission, mated to front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive layouts.
The Haval Big Dog has just received a mid-life facelift in its domestic market of China, which means the local distributor could be waiting for the next-generation model in two to three years from now.
A spokesman for GWM Haval told Drive: “The Big Dog remains under consideration for the Australian market but for now our focus is on other similarly-sized models in our SUV range.”