Technical Problems Delay Great Wall SUV Launch

China's Great Wall Motor Co. says it will delay the debut of its Haval H8 SUV for three months to fix eight product and performance deficiencies, Bloomberg News reports.

The problems include excess noise, unacceptably long brake pedal travel, insufficient steering resistance and little discernable difference between "sport" and "economy" engine operating modes.

Great Wall unveiled the new H8 at the Guangzhou auto show in November and had expected to begin selling it early this year. An analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein says the vehicle's rollout also had been "unofficially" delayed last year.

News of the latest setback caused Great Wall's stock price to plunge about 11% to a five-year low. Analysts opine that the carmaker, which has been praised for its frugality and exceptionally high operating margins, may need to invest more on product development and engineering.