GWM says no to Lexus-rivalling luxury sub-brand in Australia... at least for now

GWM’s line-up in Australia is growing rapidly, but the company still has an entire luxury sub-brand it says it won’t be bringing Down Under. At least not yet.

The brand is called Wey, and it sits above Haval in its international catalogue. Wey products are set apart from the Haval SUV range by their luxurious appointments, high-end interiors, and more powerful plug-in hybrid set-ups. It is also different from the off-road focused Tank sub-brand.

The range launched in Europe in 2022 and consists of the Wey 01, 03, and 05 SUVs. The Chinese catalogue adds the Wey 07 upper mid-sizer and 80 people mover, both of which were able to be sampled by Australian media at a drive event before the Beijing motor show. The brand’s range is entirely made up of ‘long-range’ plug-in hybrid drivetrains.

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The Wey 03 uses a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine (150kW) and two electric motors on each axle (120kW and 135kW) to produce a combined output of 325kW/685Nm. It also has a large 34kWh battery, allowing a purely electric driving range of 136km according to the WLTP standards. On top of this, it allows both DC charging at 50kW (for a 10 - 80pc charge time in 38 minutes) and AC charging at 11kW (for a 0-100 per cent charge time in 3 hours and 12 minutes).

Its nine-speed dual-clutch automatic and motor combo also allows a 0-100km/h sprint time in a claimed 5.3 seconds.

GWM’s line-up in Australia is growing rapidly, but the company still has an entire luxury sub-brand it says it won’t be bringing Down Under.

If you were hoping for a luxury hybrid offering to undercut the likes of Lexus and Genesis though, don’t hold your breath, at least not yet. Wey hopes to conquer the European market, and as such, its range will focus on left-hand drive to serve both China and the EU.

GWM Australia already has its hands full, at least in the short term as it expands its range to include the just-launched Tank 500 luxury off-road SUV, up-sized Cannon Alpha ute, updated versions of both the Jolion and H6, as well as potentially the addition of the ruggedly-styled H9 seven-seat large SUV and Tank 700 flagship V6 plug-in hybrid.

Wey products are set apart from the Haval SUV range by their luxurious appointments, high-end interiors, and more powerful plug-in hybrid set-ups.

Speaking to media at the Beijing motor show, Australian GWM communications boss, Steve Maciver explained: “We’re satisfied with the brand strategy we have right now of having Haval SUV, GWM ute, and Tank off-road - we think it’s a good offering for Australian consumers. We don’t think that Wey, at the moment, is something we need. We are looking at other options within the Haval line-up, the H9 potentially being an expansion on that - We’ve got the Tank 400 and 700 as options that could stretch that price again and there’s no desire to stretch that any further at this stage."

Maciver said a “no” for now isn’t necessarily a “no” forever. After all, the brand is building from a strong base year-on-year both in terms of sales and its average price, which it expects to notch up further in the coming years as it introduces more expensive products to its line-up.

Wey hopes to conquer the European market, and as such, its range will focus on left-hand drive to serve both China and the EU.

So far in 2024, GWM has moved over 10,000 units representing a 24.5 per cent jump. It is sitting in 12th place this year, but is trailing Subaru by only a handful of sales. The pack gets tighter in the top 10, with Tesla, MG, and Isuzu Ute separated by only a few hundred sales each. Its strong sales are largely thanks to the Jolion small SUV, which is in third position in the small SUV segment behind the MG ZS and Hyundai Kona.

Despite putting solid numbers on the board, the H6 mid-sizer is more a middle-of-the pack offering in its much more congested segment, although has a nearly 50 per cent hybrid/combustion split according to the brand.

The brand is called Wey, and it sits above Haval in its international catalogue.

Given these plans and sales trajectory, the next 12 - 18 months should be big for the brand, as it vies for a top-10 sales position.