The Great Wall Deer (Chinese: 长城迪尔) was the compact pickup that put Great Wall Motors on the map. Built from March 1996 to June 2013, it was styled after the sixth-generation Toyota Hilux and was the company’s first vehicle to be exported in quantity.
Great Wall Deer at a glance
| Maker | Great Wall Motors, China |
|---|---|
| Production | March 1996 – June 2013 |
| Class | compact pickup truck |
| Body styles | five, from single cab to extra long double cab |
| Design basis | sixth-generation Toyota Hilux |
| Replaced | Hongqi CA1021U3 coupe utility |
| Export markets | Middle East from 1996, Africa, Latin America |
| Related model | Great Wall Safe, the SUV version |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Deer.
History of the Great Wall Deer
From 1996
The Deer (Chinese: 长城迪尔) started production in March 1996 and was Great Wall’s entry into the small pickup market that Chinese buyers used as both a work vehicle and a family car. Its design heavily resembles the sixth-generation Toyota Hilux, the Japanese pickup that by then was the benchmark for the class. Great Wall built the Deer as a replacement for the Hongqi CA1021U3, a coupe utility that had filled the same role before.
Exports
The Deer began being exported to the Middle East in 1996, the first year of production, and later reached Africa and Latin America. Low cost was the argument everywhere it went, and the pickup’s simple mechanical layout made it easy to sell in markets where dealer support was thin.
Five body styles
The range was built around five bodies: an extra long single cabin, a one and a half cabin, a standard double cabin, a medium double cabin and an extra long double cabin. The double-cab versions turned the Deer into a five-seat family vehicle with an open load bed, which is why the model outlived most of its rivals. Production ended in June 2013.
Design and features
- Five body styles: single cab, one and a half cab and three double-cab lengths.
- Hilux-derived shape: a conventional body-on-frame pickup with a separate load bed.
- Export from the start: sold in the Middle East from 1996, later in Africa and Latin America.
- Long life: seventeen years in production, from 1996 to 2013.
Great Wall Deer versions
- Extra long single cabin: the longest bed with a two-seat cab.
- One and a half cabin: a small rear compartment behind the front seats.
- Standard double cabin: four doors and a shorter bed.
- Medium double cabin: a middle length between the standard and extra long double cabs.
- Extra long double cabin: four doors with the longest load bed.
The Deer shared its chassis with the Great Wall Safe SUV, and it was followed by the Wingle pickups. More cars are in the Great Wall collection.
Video: Great Wall Deer and Niva
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Great Wall Deer, English Wikipedia: production dates, body styles, exports
