New GM and SAIC crossover hits the market: unusual design for little money

The SUV the size of the Toyota RAV4 is offered in only two trim levels, and their composition cannot be called outstanding. But this is a hybrid.

The new crossover of the Wuling brand, revealed for the first time in the spring, went on sale today in China. The local name of the five-door is Xingyun, but in English it sounds like Nebula. Well, let us remind you that the Wuling brand is part of a joint venture between the American concern General Motors and the Chinese company SAIC.

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The SUV has a rather unusual appearance. Wuling Nebula got a flattened “nose” and LED strips of running lights framed in chrome; The main headlight units are mounted lower, and they are also enclosed in shiny — and massive — frames. The taillights were made in the form of a narrow die. The crossover also received a rectangular radiator grille, into which 171 LEDs can be built-in. Finally, you can optionally order a bright body color.

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In its dimensions, the five-seater crossover is comparable to the Toyota RAV4. The length of the “Chinese” is 4610 mm, width – 1810 mm, height – 1670 mm, wheelbase – 2700 mm. The SUV always sits on 17-inch wheels.

The interior features a two-spoke steering wheel and vertical air vents. It was announced that the seats have an additional soft layer (+20 mm). The tidy is visually combined with the multimedia system display, but these are separate screens — there is an air duct between them. There is a narrow touch strip under the central touchscreen. Nebula also has extraordinary door opening handles — you have to pull them up.

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The SUV is available exclusively as a HEV hybrid, that is, without the possibility of charging from the mains. The installation included a gasoline aspirated 2.0 (136 hp) and an electric motor, the total output is 177 hp. and 320 Nm. Front-wheel drive only. Claimed fuel consumption is 5.5 l/100 km on the WLTC cycle.

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At the moment, Wuling Nebula has only two trim levels. The base includes LED optics, heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, a 7-inch display in the dashboard, multimedia with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a rear view camera, a keyless entry system, air conditioning and cruise control. The second version also includes a panoramic sunroof, all-round cameras and the aforementioned diode radiator grille.

The basic crossover costs 89,800 yuan, which is equivalent to approximately 1,186,000 rubles at the current exchange rate. The top version will cost 105,800 yuan – that’s about 1,400,000 rubles. For example, the price of a purely gasoline Haval H6 of the previous generation in China starts at 98,900 yuan (1,306,000 rubles).

The brand has not yet announced plans to sell Nebula in other countries. Meanwhile, later the new crossover may well turn into a Chevrolet model for poor markets, because the GM concern often “borrows” cars from its joint venture with SAIC. In particular, the current Chevrolet Captiva SUV is a clone of the now defunct Baojun 530 (the Baojun brand is also part of the joint venture).