Chinese automaker Haval keeps pretending it is an animal farm: after naming its large SUV DaGou, which translates as ‘Big Dog’, it has now announced a new model called Chitu, which means ‘Red Bunny’. Possible references include a 2002 book and a 2007 animation, media report.
The car is between 4,450 and 4,470 mm long, between 1,841 and 1,898 mm wide, and 1,625 mm tall with 2.7 meters between the axles. The curb weight lies somewhere between 1,499 and 1,874 kilograms. Tires come sized 225/55 R18, and the roof can be panoramic or plain black.
Like the Chulian SUV (means ‘First Love’), the Chitu has Lemon Architecture underpinnings, but it looks very different from that one. The lights all around are new, there are no ‘tears’ under the main lamps, and the body panels and details are largely new as well.
We expect the model to hit the showrooms with the same engine as the Chulian, namely the 1.5-liter turbo-four mill (GW4G15K) rated at 150 PS (148 hp / 110 kW) and 220 Nm (162 lb-ft) of torque. A seven-speed DCT drives the front axle in this setup. Chinese media claim it may also get a turbo engine with the same displacement (GW4B15C), rated at 184 PS (181 hp / 135 kW) and 235 Nm (173 lb-ft). Other powertrains sourced from the DaGou and H6 models may appear in the list later on, and a hybrid spec is possible, too.
In essence, the Chulian (see video) and the Chitu are envisioned as the successors to the Haval H2 and F5 models.
The car is expected to break cover at the Auto Shanghai show on April 19, 2021.