GWM Wey 03 (2024) review – A Chinese car….on gasoline!?

GWM – Who, What, Where?

You may have never heard of GWM. So time for a brief introduction. Great Wall Motors, founded in 1984 in China, has been making its money for years building SUVs, 4×4s, passenger cars and pickups. By 2022, more than one million Great Wall Motor cars drove out of showrooms worldwide. Now they want to conquer Europe, with de Wey and Ora as standard-bearers. The plan is to introduce four models: the Wey 03, Wey 05, Ora 03 and Ora 07. Just outside Rome, we got to make our first meters with the Wey 03.

GWM Wey 03

The Chinese SUV is nearly 4.7 meters long, 1.73 meters high and has a wheelbase of 2.74 meters. In terms of size, it takes on the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. The brand is modest and does not see itself as “premium. They consider the Volkswagen Tiguan and Cupra Formentor as competitors. The Wey family face is recognizable with a large grille, a vertical WEY logo in the center and an elegant design that has a French touch. In fact, the designer is from France and could be employed by DS in no time. The luggage compartment offers a generous 600 liters of storage space. Towing weight is at 2,000 pounds. All in all, then, a practical car.

Stylish

The exterior may look a bit traditional, but the interior is all 2024. Three screens, including a 14.6-inch infotainment screen and a 9-inch screen for climate control, show you all the information you need. Add a crystalline shifter, faux wood trim and diamond-patterned leather upholstery, and you’ve got a stylish interior you can say hello to. The seats are also very comfortable. They provide adequate lateral support in sharp turns and are soft enough for long trips.

subcutaneous

In the bottom of the car lies a battery pack with a capacity of only 34 kWh. For a mastodon of this caliber, that seems a bit thin. But perhaps we should have mentioned briefly that this is a plug-in hybrid. Yep, this Chinese car is not fully electric and still just has a gasoline engine under the hood. Namely, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine, producing 204 hp. Together with an electric motor, the system output reaches 367 hp. The version we are driving – the 4WD variant – also has an electric motor on the rear axle, giving it 442 horsepower. The result is an impressive 0-100 time of 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h.

Plug-in hybrid

Thanks to the large battery pack, you can drive up to 136 kilometers fully electric. Exceptionally far, for a PHEV. Like an all-electric car, it can also fast charge. Up to 50 kW. So, in the Netherlands, you can actually do almost all rides in the Wey 03 on electric power. One might wonder, then, what else the gasoline engine is needed for. For summer vacation and winter sports?

Conclusion

The Wey 03 is well put together. The interior looks beautiful and is equipped with all modern technologies. The car is practical too, with plenty of luggage space, a good towing weight and room in the back seat for three adults. Prices have not yet been announced, but count on at least 50,000 euros. But how does this Chinese drive? We’ll tell you about that in the video below: