Prime
The GWM P-Series double cabin is high on safety, security and stability
What you need to know:
- Running on a 2000cc turbo diesel engine, the P-Series performs more like one built with a 3000cc engine. Engineered with capacity to drive through different road terrains, when driving on a slippery road, you may not need the 4WD system, but rather stability.
There are quite many safety features to fancy about the Great Wall Motors (GWM) P-Series Double Cabin luxury Pick-up. For comfort, it gives you a feel of a sport utility vehicle (SUV) because it is multipurpose. It has all the standard features you would find in an SUV to cater for motorists who love pick-ups.
My test drive of the P-Series Pick-up started at the newly opened GWM showroom along Old Port Bell Road to Kololo. When I started the engine, I noticed that the design of the luxury pick-up was focused on security, stability and safety of the driver and other occupants.
For instance, as I branched off Jinja Road to Kololo via Archer Road just after Jinja Road Police Station, I noticed that the P-Series has all-round sensors and cameras. If you’re inches to the edge of the road or pavement, an obstacle or when any other road user like reckless and impatient motorcyclists is getting closer to the car, the sensors turn on the camera live feed on the smart screen to give you the exterior car sorrounding to either stop or steer to safety. Simultaneously, a part of either side mirrors light orange while sounding an alarm to let you know that you’re about to knock an object. The smart screen is divided into 3D images where you can view the exterior right and left sides, front and rear of the car. At the same time, one of the cameras aims at where you’re steering regardless of whether you’re reversing or driving forward.
Much as it is a pick-up, the P-Series has approximately eight all-round airbags, including some within the car roof to protect the occupants in case of external impacts where the airbags are triggered. It has lane keeping sensors that help you stay in your lane. If you attempt to accidentally change lanes without indicating, it sounds an alarm to alert you that you’re getting out of your lane.
As I drove through potholes along Prince Charles Drive and Elizabeth Avenue, all within Kololo, the smart screen draws green lines within which it is safe to drive, but also red lines beyond which it is not safe to drive, while showing you the exact position of potholes and wheels. It is safe enough that even if you’re driving close to bushes, it will not only draw red lines beyond which you cannot drive but these lines are also accompanied with an irritating alarm.
Stephen Ddumba, the Sales Manager of Double Q that sells GWM pick-ups says that when driving at a high speed, the P-Series alerts you to slow down to avoid collisions, on top of having a photo sensor to give you a clear view of the road and weather environment ahead to warn you of hazards such as mist of dew that tend to blur driving vision.
“When on the road, sometimes you may not see all traffic signs. If you’re driving in an area where you need to observe a speed limit of 50km/hr, it captures the road sign and displays it on the smart screen to warn you to drive within safer speeds. When you go beyond the speed limit, it warns you of the speed you’re supposed to maintain,” Ddumba explains.
When parked, the steering wheel is very soft to turn with one finger. However, for safety, the higher the speed, the stiffer the steering wheel becomes, making the P-Series quite different from most vehicles on the market whose steering wheels are a constant. A stiff steering wheel prevents the car from unnecessary switching of lanes where it may end up in a road crash.
For a number of reasons, most motorists tend to drive beyond the mileage at which they are supposed to visit the garage. When the P-Series is due for service, you will receive a reminder on the dashboard that you are left with approximately 500km to your next garage visit to keep the car in a good mechanical condition.
Performance
Running on a 2000cc turbo diesel engine, the P-Series performs more like one built with a 3000cc engine. Engineered with capacity to drive through different road terrains, when driving on a slippery road, you may not need the 4WD system, but rather stability. It has an inbuilt 4WD but can also lock the double differentials. It can use 4WD system without locking the double differentials. Once it doesn’t lock the double diff, the 4WD becomes useless. You can also drive it in sport and economy modes, where economy is driving at your pace, for example when you want to save fuel without need for much power and torque. When driving, you may sometimes enjoy the ride and forget about your safety. The vehicle allows you set a speed limit and when you drive above it, you receive an alert with the set speed, much as it can be adjusted to your preference.
OTHER FEATURES
Other features If driving when fatigued or tired and you doze off, the emergency braking system sets in by holding and locking the wheels, only when turned on. When you take long, it engages electronic parking without your command to stop the car. The driving mirror has a universal serial bus (USB) port where you can insert a flash disc to record your journey. This helps to make journey reviews such that in case of a collision, you can review which road user was at fault before apportioning blame. When driving at a fast speed and you slow down, you cannot control the infotainment volume or change the radio channel. It prioritises safety by giving you an exterior live feed of the car exterior through the smart screen. Until it is clear to drive is when you can use the steering wheel to control the radio system.
