On June 6, the 212 Off-Road Huan Ta Rally closing ceremony was held in Qingdao. Han Qiaosheng, driver Han Wei, racing drivers from manufacturer and user teams, and event logistics staff gathered on site to review the full schedule of the 2026 China International Huan Ta Rally and share their experiences and gains from the 7,500-kilometer extreme off-road competition.
The 2026 Huan Ta Rally schedule was arduous, crossing Gobi desert, sand dunes, and gravel sections throughout. High temperatures, large potholes, and long-distance uninhabited area road conditions posed a severe test on vehicle stability and driver skills.
The rules for this year's T2.1 Production Group race limit participating vehicles to use original factory production chassis and powertrains, allowing only upgrades to safety accessories. In the 7,500-kilometer total distance, the 212 team competed steadily with the 2.0T original factory production T01 model, consecutively winning two first places and one second place in the key stages from SS10 to SS13 in the latter half of the event. Finally, they became the only brand in the T2.1 Production Group manufacturer teams where all members successfully finished, securing the second place for the manufacturer team in the category.
The participating vehicle T01 this time had no heavy rally modifications. It is equipped with the same powertrain as the Huan Ta - a 2.0T engine and a ZF 8AT gearbox. Tested throughout the event, it demonstrated strong low-end torque output, comparable to large-displacement models when climbing Gobi slopes and towing heavy loads. Paired with the BorgWarner heavy-duty transfer case, high and low-speed switching is swift. In 4L mode, torque can be amplified 2.64 times, achieving torque distribution as needed, ensuring stable power output for long-distance crossing with low failure rates.
In terms of body structure, the T01 adopts a body-on-frame paired with solid front and rear axles. The body remains undeformed when driving on bumpy off-road surfaces and large potholes; it reaches maximum torsional rigidity when reloading and crossing. The chassis underwent specialized optimization and tuning based on Huan Ta extreme road conditions, ready to adapt to various complex road conditions straight from the factory. Additionally, the entire vehicle body uses galvanized steel plates, undeterred by Gobi gravel scratches, and is not prone to rust. Furthermore, the T01 reinforced the top load-bearing capacity of the passenger cabin, with performance increased by 16%. Combined with the cage-style passenger cabin design, 540° panoramic image, dashcam, and emergency call rescue functions, it provides comprehensive protection for passenger safety.
At the celebration site, drivers and technical teams exchanged views on actual test performance regarding power systems, chassis structures, and body protection. Combined with combat scenarios such as Gobi slope climbing, heavy-load towing, and high-intensity bouncing, they summarized the pros and cons of the vehicle in long-distance off-roading.
Based on the actual test data accumulated from this Huan Ta event, 212 plans to launch original factory modification kits for off-road enthusiasts. Related products will go online through official channels later, helping ordinary car owners optimize vehicle off-road capability. At the event site, the brand announced subsequent off-road event layouts overseas and domestically. The Dakar Rally, Malaysia Sabah Rainforest Rally, Alxa T3 Challenge, and 2027 Huan Ta Rally are all included in the participation plan, adhering to the principle of using event testing to feed back into vehicle technology optimization.
Furthermore, 212 officially launched the 2027 Huan Ta Amateur Driver Recruitment Project. It will jointly build a professional off-road training academy with Han Wei, providing systematic driving training for ordinary off-road enthusiasts, connecting the pathway from zero-basic driving practice to participating in the Huan Ta race course. The 212 Brand will continue to dig deep into the mass off-road ecosystem, aiming to promote the popularization of off-road culture domestically, lower the threshold for ordinary people to participate in professional off-road events, and give amateur off-road enthusiasts opportunities to step onto national-level rally tracks.
The author of this article is Yu Tian from TiCheBang.
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