Meet the Haval ‘Big Dog Husky:’ an I4-Powered Crossover, Named by Popular Vote, Which Is Huge in China, and Can Do Tank Turns (Maybe)
China-based Great Wall Motor Company has masterminded some truly legendary model names. Its greatest hits include the “Coolbear,” “Mountain Sea,” and “King Kong Cannon.” Despite the genius of previous model names, when GWM rolled out a new Haval crossover, it let the people of China suggest and vote on a name. And the people didn’t disappoint. Let me present the Haval “Big Dog Husky” by Great Wall Motor Co.
What is Great Wall Motors?
Great Wall Motors (GWM) is the most popular brand of pickup truck in China. Its sub-brand, Haval, is the most popular brand of crossover and SUV in china. With markets in Australia, Asia, South America, and the Middle East, this automaker (established in 1984) is quickly becoming one of the most successful in the world.
Haval ups its game with a new crossover
For nearly as long as GWM has been building trucks, its been offering them with SUV bodies. Recently, it established the Haval sub-brand for its SUVs and crossovers. Though the company started with smaller vehicles, it is slowly moving upmarket. For the 2020 model year it developed an all- new vehicle on its crossover chassis.
The new Haval had a 110-inch wheelbase (the same as the midsize Land Rover Defender) and an aggressive, squared-off body. It is an eye-catching vehicle, to say the least. Haval decided to let its new crossover stand for itself. It presented the model with no model name, inviting the people of China to suggest a moniker.
The winner, by popular vote, was “Big Dog.” Haval fully embraced the name. In fact, it named each trim level after a different breed. So the top trim Big Dog is the Belgian Shepherd. And the entry-level of the crossover is the Big Dog Husky.
Can the Haval Big Dog Husky do tank turns?
Vehicles for the Chinese market tend to be a bit smaller than here in North America. So though the Big Dog is not the world’s largest SUV, it’s huge in China. But it’s not huge on power. The first generation was available with either a 1.5-liter or 2.0-liter engine, which made 169 and 211 horsepower, respectively. With the crossover’s 2022 redesign, Haval bumped its maximum output to 238 horsepower.
But what the Haval Big Dog lacks in power, it makes up for in technology. The 4WD version features nine all-terrain modes. It also offers two locking differentials, a rarity even in the U.S. And the entire Borg-Warner 4WD system is electronically controlled. Haval even advertises that the Big Dog can do “tank u-turns.”
The “tank turn” maneuver made headlines when Rivian released a video of its quad-motor electric truck reversing both motors on one side and spinning on a dime. I am not sure how the internal-combustion-powered Haval Big Dog could accomplish the same thing. But the second generation does have an available PHEV powertrain. So perhaps it is now capable of true tank turns! Old dog, new tricks.
Next, meet the “Alaskan”–a pickup truck engineered in Japan, built in Argentina, and sold in Colombia by a French company, or see a review of the Haval Big Dog in the video below:
