Wuling Hongtu: the microvan that became the Chevrolet N200

The Wuling Hongtu is a five-door, five- to eight-seater microvan built by SGMW, the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture of SAIC, Liuzhou Wuling Motors and General Motors. Codenamed LZW 6381B3, it was the first Wuling product developed in-house rather than derived from Mitsubishi designs. The cargo version travelled further than most Chinese vans of its time: it was sold in Singapore as the Wuling Journey and Sunshine and in Latin America, North Africa and the Middle East as the Chevrolet N200.

Wuling Hongtu at a glance

Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Hongtu.

History of the Wuling Hongtu

An independent SGMW design

The Hongtu was a departure for Wuling. The company’s earlier models were based on Mitsubishi designs, while the Hongtu was developed independently inside SGMW, the joint venture between SAIC, Liuzhou Wuling Motors and General Motors. It was a conventional microvan in layout — a short, boxy five-door body with the engine under the front seats and a live rear axle — but it was Wuling’s own work, and it carried the internal code LZW 6381B3.

Engines and running gear

The Hongtu used Wuling’s own B-series four-cylinder petrol engine of 1.2 litres, coded LAQ. With 86 PS (63 kW) at 6,000 rpm it moved the 1,095 kg van to a claimed 135 km/h, enough for the light commercial work the model was intended for. Suspension was by MacPherson struts in front, with leaf springs or coil springs at the rear depending on equipment level; brakes were discs in front and drums at the rear, and the only gearbox offered was a five-speed manual. Airbags and ABS were available at extra cost rather than fitted as standard.

Sunshine, Journey and Chevrolet N200

A cargo version of the Hongtu was sold outside China under several names. In Singapore it was marketed as the Wuling Journey and the Wuling Sunshine, carrying the model code LZW 6381C3 — the one-letter difference marking the older 1.1-litre LJ465Q3-1 engine, itself based on the long-serving Suzuki F10A. With only 53 PS (39 kW) it was considerably slower, with a top speed barely over 105 km/h.

Sales in Latin America began in July 2008, when the van entered the Peruvian market as the Chevrolet N200. The N200 was given a different grille and prominent Chevrolet badges, and from August 2009 it was sold through GM’s distribution network in Latin America, Africa and the Arab countries. The same vehicle therefore appeared on three continents under two manufacturers’ names, a reminder of how closely the Chinese microvan market was tied to Western partners.

Design and features

• Independent design: the first Wuling not derived from a Mitsubishi, developed inside the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture.
• Five to eight seats: a short five-door body that could carry a family or a load depending on the version.
• Wuling’s own engine: the 1.2-litre B-series LAQ four, rated at 86 PS.
• Simple chassis: MacPherson struts, a leaf- or coil-sprung rear axle, front discs and rear drums.
• Export names: Chevrolet N200 in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East; Journey and Sunshine in Singapore.

Wuling Hongtu versions

• Hongtu LZW 6381B3: the passenger microvan with the 1.2-litre 86 PS engine.
• Cargo version: the load-carrying body sold abroad alongside the passenger van.
• Wuling Journey and Sunshine: Singapore-market versions with the older 1.1-litre LJ465Q3-1 engine and 53 PS.
• Chevrolet N200: the Latin American, North African and Middle Eastern version with its own grille and Chevrolet badges.

More vans and light commercials from the same maker are in the Wuling collection; the Chevrolet-badged version belongs with the Chevrolet models.

Video: Wuling Hongtu / Chevrolet N200 sliding door

Video by kvornanthe2nd on YouTube.

Sources

• Wuling Hongtu, English Wikipedia: design, engines, export names, Latin American sales