The Great Wall Coolbear (Chinese: 长城酷熊) was a subcompact car designed with a high seating position, so that its driver sat upright as in a small van. Great Wall aimed it at the Kia Soul, the Scion xB and the Nissan Cube, and offered two petrol engines.
Great Wall Coolbear at a glance
| Maker | Great Wall Motors, China |
|---|---|
| Class | subcompact car with a high seating position |
| Petrol engines | 1.3 litre and 1.5 litre |
| Rivals named by the maker | Kia Soul, Scion xB, Nissan Cube |
| Side and rear styling | close to the first-generation Scion xB |
| Front styling | close to the Toyota F3R concept car |
| Crossover version | Great Wall Haval M2, a lifted version sold under the Haval sub-brand |
| Layout | front engine, front-wheel drive |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Coolbear.
History of the Great Wall Coolbear
A small car with a tall body
The Coolbear was conceived as a subcompact car with an unusually high seating position. The idea was the same one that made the Kia Soul, the Scion xB and the Nissan Cube popular: a short car with a tall, boxy body that gives more room inside than its footprint suggests. Great Wall listed all three as the Coolbear’s competitors, which says a good deal about the market it was aimed at.
Copied styling
The design was assembled from other makers’ cars. The side and rear of the Coolbear are similar to the first-generation Scion xB, and the front is a close copy of the Toyota F3R concept car. The car was offered with a choice of two petrol engines, 1.3 and 1.5 litres.
The Haval M2
A few years after the Coolbear went on sale, Great Wall launched a lifted crossover version called the Great Wall Haval M2. It was marketed under the Haval sub-brand, which Great Wall used for its SUVs, and it kept the basic body and engines of the Coolbear but raised the ride height and gave the car a more rugged look.
Design and features
- High seating position: the whole point of the car, giving a more upright driving position than a conventional small hatchback.
- Boxy body: short overhangs and a tall cabin, in the manner of the Scion xB.
- Two petrol engines: 1.3 and 1.5 litre units.
- Haval M2 spin-off: a lifted crossover version sold under the Haval name.
Great Wall Coolbear versions
- Coolbear 1.3: the smaller of the two petrol engines.
- Coolbear 1.5: the larger engine.
- Great Wall Haval M2: the lifted crossover version sold under the Haval sub-brand.
The Coolbear shared its market with the smaller Great Wall Peri, and the Great Wall Hover was the company’s larger SUV. More cars are in the Great Wall collection.
Video: Great Wall Coolbear
Video by Большой тест-драйв on YouTube.
Sources
- Great Wall Coolbear, English Wikipedia: design, engines, Haval M2
