Review
The contenders
Great Wall Steed SE
The Steed is offered only as a double-cab in both S and SE guises. Both are powered by a 2.0-litre common rail turbodiesel unit pumping out 143bhp. Surprisingly this engine only meets Euro4 emissions standards.
Isuzu D-Max Yukon
The D-Max is the newest contender here and Isuzu has made no bones about the fact that it wants to lead this sector in sales. The model on test here is the 163bhp Yukon, which is the second of four spec levels.
Ford Ranger Limited
The model here is the mid-range Limited variant with 150bhp. The new Ranger comes in regular, super and double-cab formats and power comes from either a 2.2-litre diesel with 125bhp or 150bhp or a 3.2-litre unit wih 200bhp.
Volkswagen Amarok Startline 4Motion
We eschewed the top spec models for the more fleet-like Amarok Startline 4Motion. This double-cab is the lowest spec and
the 2.0-litre common rail turbodiesel powerplant pumps out 122bhp.
The 4x4 double-cab truck sector has evolved at an amazing rate in the past 10 years or so.
Look back to 2002 and you’ll see a world of vehicles that were slow (100bhp on average), noisy and quite unrefined.
In that year a momentous event occurred – the Government decided to class 4x4 trucks as commercial vehicles for the first time, allowing fleets to claim back VAT on their purchases as long as they offered a one-tonne payload.
At the time, benefit-in-kind tax on vans was minimal and a whole host of accountants, estate agents and solicitors started opting for these vehicles as company cars to save cash.
In return, the manufacturers obliged them by speccing up their offerings with alloy wheels, leather seats and air-con, as well as increasing horsepower and refining ride and handling capabilities.
In the past year or so, we have seen new vehicles being launched, such as the Volkswagen Amarok and Ford Ranger, which take the sector to ever more dizzying heights in terms of looks, refinement and off-road capabilities.
The latest newcomer is the new Isuzu D-Max which we tested in the June edition of Fleet Van.
However, the 4x4 sector is about to veer off in yet another direction with the arrival of Chinese manufacturer Great Wall. The Steed pick-up debuted at this year’s CV Show and is being pitched head-to-head against the opposition, but with red-hot pricing that no fleet manager
can ignore.
But can this new vehicle cut the mustard against the established contenders? Ever looking for new challenges, Fleet Van presents here its first-ever four-way shootout – between the Amarok, Ranger, Steed and D-Max – to assess which vehicle best suits today’s modern van fleet.
We look at a variety of crucial areas of fleet interest. And. as it turns out, all is not what it at first seems...
Look and feel
When it comes to looks, the Steed is way up there with the others in isolation. It has a chunky, macho look, complete with shiny silver metallic paint and chrome foot rails. But park it alongside the new Ranger and it’s a lower, less-imposing vehicle.
It also doesn’t feel as well built as the other three contenders.
Doors don’t quite snick shut as well as they do on the Amarok and Ranger and the panels don’t feel as thick as with the others.
The Amarok looks a tad ordinary against the newer opposition.
However, any shortcomings in the sartorial department are adequately made up for in excellent build quality.
All the panels fit nicely and doors close with a satisfying clunk.
The new Ranger simply screams style and is the best looking of the four. It sits higher than the rivals too, giving a commanding view of the road ahead. It also seems chunkier, with that hewn-from-rock feel.
The D-Max feels pretty chunky and well-built too, although not quite up to the Amarok’s German solidity.
In the cab
Despite its bargain basement price, the Steed has a very upmarket feel to its interior.
Leather seats are standard on both S and SE variants, while the dash is all silver and black as is de rigueur nowadays.
There’s plenty of room for both front and rear passengers and the seats are big and comfortable with plenty of sideways support.
Our test model came with a black roof lining which gave the vehicle a rather gloomy look.
We were not impressed, either, with the stereo, which is one of those fiddly little items with knobs and switches the size of pinheads, making it virtually impossible to adjust without the aid of a magnifying glass.
The Amarok’s cab is about what you’d expect from a German manufacturer – very little fuss and style, but immensely practical and very well built.
The seats are big and chunky and have lots of built-in lumbar support, which encourages the driver to sit in the correct position for long-term comfort.
There are no carpets on the floor, but as this vehicle is built for work rather than play, that’s good thing as floors can be sloshed out with soap and water after use.
If the Ranger looks stylish outside, it’s even more chic in the cab, with swirling lines on the dash and chunky black leather seats, which give huge amounts of back and side support.
There’s ample seating for three in the back and the centre piece pulls down to reveal a handy little table.
The cab of the D-Max is stylish yet functional and the driver and passenger seats are huge, with plenty of side support for when things get rough. The standard air-con proved its worth as we tested this vehicle on a few hot days this summer.
In the back
Our Steed SE featured both a load liner (essential to keep vehicles like this in good order) and a canopy, which is just about unheard of in
the sector. It’s a nice quality one too, with sep-arate openings at the rear for the window and the tailgate.
The Steed features a large step which looks very handy until you touch it. It’s made out of plastic and feels as though it might snap in half at any moment.
We’d be interested to look forward a couple of years and see how many of these steps are still in one piece.
The Amarok’s rear end was graced with a lockable tool chest which turned out to be a £323 option.
It looked good and chunky but meant there was little room left for any other cargo. although it does have the highest payload at 1,119kg.
We were also disappointed to see that the load liner, which is free on the Steed, D-Max and Ranger, came as an option too at £485.
However, the rear tailgate is so strong that you could imagine launching a rocket from it, while the rear step is tough and sturdy too and quite up to the job. If you want a canopy like that offered as standard with the Steed, it’ll cost an extra £1,583.
The D-Max also features a load liner as standard fitment and there are plenty of load-lashing eyes liberally dotted about.
The rear step, too, felt chunky and hard-wearing.
The Ranger features a plastic load liner and also a bar on each side with movable load lashing eyes.
We were also pleased to see the addition of a handy 12v take-off in the load area, something the others didn’t have. Once again a canopy comes as an added extra.
On the road
Purely on drivability, the Steed suffers against the opposition. It is much more like 4x4 trucks used to be six or seven years ago, with clunky gear changes and an unnervingly vague steering set-up.
The Steed suffers from turbo lag too, a phenomenon we haven’t experienced for some years now.
Put your foot down and very little happens until the engine reaches the mid rev range, after which it surges forward in a lively manner.
However, once up to normal road speeds the Steed lopes along nicely and the suspension is set up so that it won’t shake your fillings out.
Seats in the front and the back are big and comfortable and even on bumpy roads, the Steed provides a smooth ride.
The Steed’s rough edges really showed themselves up when we swapped into the Amarok.
VW was aiming for a true car-like experience on road – and that’s exactly what the manufacturer has achieved.
Despite the Amarok owing 21 horses to the Steed, it has more torque and felt more powerful.
The engine is whisper quiet, while steering is pin-sharp and gear changes slick and smooth.
Even on rough B-roads, this truck felt exactly like a car and absorbed all the bumps and dips.
The Ranger’s ride and handling have improved in leaps and bounds over the old model, but we did feel that it wasn’t quite up to that of the Amarok.
Gear changes were annoyingly clunky on our test model compared to the German rival and, on some of the rougher roads, not quite as many lumps were soaked up, although once underway the engine thrums away quietly and smoothly.
The D-Max, too, suffered from an annoyingly notchy gear change and a slight last-generation vagueness in the steering department.
However, there was no lack of power and drivers certainly won’t get left behind in traffic.
Off the road
Despite not having driver aids such as hill-hold control like the Amarok, our off-road test at the Steed’s launch saw it act in a very competent manner in the rough.
The D-Max, too, lacks all this techno wizardry, but we put the vehicle through its paces on a demanding off-road course recently and our nerve gave out long before the truck’s ability ran out.
Both the Ranger and Amarok have a variety of self-help items as standard, so if serious off-road use is anticipated and drivers lack experience in the rough, then these are the vehicles to choose.
Fuel and CO2
The D-Max rules the roost on fuel economy and CO2. It has the most powerful engine on test, but it nudges ahead of the Amarok on the combined cycle at 38.2mpg against 37.2mpg.
It puffs out the least CO2 as well, at 194g/km against the second-placed Amarok’s 199g/km.
The Ranger trails on 224g/km (although the 125bhp version matches the Amarok).
Pricing and running costs
In terms of price the Steed is by far the cheapest.
Priced £15,998 ex-VAT in SE, our test model featured asilver metallic finish, chrome side steps, alloy wheels, a rear canopy with roof bars, leather seats, air-con and rear parking sensors as standard.
But the options list is spartan, limited to sat-nav, towbar and a few other odds and ends.
The Steed doesn’t even offer electronic stability control (ESC) as an option and that’s a big minus point.
It does have dual airbags even on the lower spec model, plus ABS and EBD.
The Ranger is priced £21,278 ex-VAT, making it the most expensive.
However, you get a lot for your money, such as ESC and Brake Assist, leather seats, chrome side rails, dual zone climate control, 17in alloys and Bluetooth hands-free phone with voice control.
And bear in mind a cheaper 125bhp option (£18,200) is also available, albeit at a lower spec.
The D-Max looks good value at £18,999 ex-VAT, and everything is included in the price with no extras on top. This includes ESC and ABS, front, side and curtain airbags, alloy wheels, chrome grille and bumper, side steps, air-conditioning and cruise control.
The Amarok, at first glance, looks great value at £18,795 ex-VAT. This price includes ESC traction control, electronic diff lock, hill-hold and side and curtain airbags.
However, we must add metallic paint at £450, load compartment covering at £485 and rear parking sensors at £271 to make a more level playing field which brings the price up to £20,000.
It’s not all about price, of course, and running costs alter the picture.
The Amarok and the D-Max tie for first place when depreciation, fuel cost and service, maintenance and repair bills are taken into consideration over four years/80,000 miles.
Both have running costs of 39p per mile (ppm), putting them just ahead of the Steed’s 40.56ppm. The 150bhp Ranger is cast adrift at a weighty 46.84ppm (although the 125bhp option is 39.74ppm).
Verdict
A narrow win for the Ford Ranger, although extra points come from the fact that it’s available as a single-cab – key for utility-type fleets.
The Amarok and Steed are offered only in double-cab format and if that is your criteria then the Amarok emerges as a clear winner thanks to its low running costs.
However, pitch it against the 125bhp Ranger and the Ford retakes the top spot on the back of its lower cost of ownership figures.
The D-Max makes a superb stand against its rivals, especially when you consider that the Rodeo it replaced was far behind the opposition.
The Steed should not be dismissed out of hand. For the price, this vehicle punches way above its weight and we were impressed with its general demeanour.
However, it’s a new vehicle from a new (to the UK) manufacturer, so we know little about its longer term reliability, which must be borne in mind.
