The Great Wall Safe (Chinese: 长城赛弗) was an SUV built by Great Wall Motors from 2002 to 2009. It closely resembled the second-generation Toyota 4Runner, on whose platform it is considered to be built, and it sold well in China at launch because of its low price.
Great Wall Safe at a glance
| Maker | Great Wall Motors, China |
|---|---|
| Production | 2002–2009 (from 2001 according to Russian sources) |
| Class | SUV, body-on-frame |
| Design basis | second-generation Toyota 4Runner |
| Petrol engine | 2237 cc, multi-point injection, 105 hp |
| Gearbox | five-speed manual |
| Drive | rear-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive |
| Front suspension | independent, torsion bar |
| Rear suspension | dependent, coil springs |
| Tyres | 235/70 R16 |
| Turning circle | 12 m |
| Related model | Great Wall Deer, the pickup version |
Built from the English and Russian Wikipedia articles on the Safe; the two give slightly different start dates for production.
History of the Great Wall Safe
A 4Runner under a Chinese badge
The Safe was one of Great Wall’s first SUVs and the model that established the company in that market. English sources describe it as closely resembling the second-generation Toyota 4Runner, on whose platform it is considered to be built; Russian sources say it was made using the technical documentation of the 1989 model year Toyota 4Runner. Its pickup version was the Great Wall Deer. Like the Deer, it was successful in China at the date of its launch, chiefly because it cost little.
Mechanical layout
The Safe was a body-on-frame SUV with a 2237 cc petrol engine with multi-point injection and electronic control, producing 105 hp. The gearbox was a five-speed manual. The front suspension was independent and torsion bar sprung, the rear was a dependent axle on coil springs, and four-wheel drive was a part-time system available as an option. Front brakes were discs and the rear could be drums or discs. The car rode on 235/70 R16 tyres and had a turning circle of 12 metres.
Versions and Russian assembly
The Safe was built in both four-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive forms, with factory indices CC6460DY and CC6460FMK20 for the four-wheel-drive cars and CC6460D and CC6460FMK00 for the rear-drive ones. The letter D marked Euro-2 cars and FMK Euro-3. Early cars had a transfer case with mechanical selection, later four-wheel-drive cars an electrically operated one. Interiors came in beige with a black dashboard or in grey. In Russia the Safe was assembled from Chinese kits, and Russian-built “Great Wall SUV” cars used the chassis of the Hover with a lower floor, rear disc brakes, automatic front hubs and electric transfer case control.
Design and features
- 4Runner-derived platform: a proven Japanese layout under a low-cost Chinese body.
- Part-time four-wheel drive: rear-wheel drive in normal use, with a low range for off-road work.
- Simple mechanical specification: torsion-bar front suspension and a coil-sprung live rear axle.
- Russian assembly: built locally from Chinese kits for the Russian market.
Great Wall Safe versions
- Safe four-wheel drive: indices CC6460DY (Euro-2) and CC6460FMK20 (Euro-3).
- Safe rear-wheel drive: indices CC6460D and CC6460FMK00.
- Early cars: mechanically operated transfer case.
- Later cars: electrically operated transfer case.
- Russian-built Great Wall SUV: Hover chassis with a lower floor and rear disc brakes.
The pickup version of the Safe was the Great Wall Deer, and the company’s later SUV was the Hover. More cars are in the Great Wall collection.
Video: Test drive Great Wall Safe
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- Great Wall Safe, English Wikipedia: production, 4Runner basis, drive layouts
- Great Wall Safe, Russian Wikipedia: engine, suspension, versions, Russian assembly
