The original Great Wall Safe SUV is a very cool Chinese car, as we have seen several time before. This example, however, which I saw in Beijing in 2015, is extra cool. It was painted in a matte black shade, with darkened windows and a black grille.
The Safe was further fitted with jacked-up suspension and big off-road tires. In a way, it looks better than the standard car, and it will probably go nicely over the mountains to the north of the capital.
The Safe was Great Wall’s first mass market SUV. For the early history of Great Wall, please see this article by my good friend Erik. The Safe debuted in 2002 and was manufactured until 2009, with various updates in between.
The proud owner fitted a wing atop the rear window and the rear door was white, which may have been the original color.
Technically, the Great Wall Safe was largely based on the second generation Toyota 4Runner (N120). It is not exactly clear how Great Wall got the technology but it was most likely a semi-official deal, because the engine was sourced from Toyota too: a locally-made Toyota 491QE motor with 106 hp and 190 Nm, mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, sending horses to all four wheels. Price, in 2006, started at 88.800 yuan, which was a good deal for so much car.