GWM WEY 03: PHEV with 136 km of electric range!
Who is Great Wall Motor?
Hold the phone, Great Wall Motor? What is that? GWM has been making inroads in Europe for some time. The brand is responsible for the GWM Wey and GWM Ora. In China, GWM is the market leader when it comes to premium SUVs. The brand was founded in 1984 in China. The brand produces SUVs, 4×4s, passenger cars and pickups. GWM is also working with BMW with the joint venture Spotlight Automotive. This branch develops and manufactures battery-electric vehicles. GWM also works with Continental, Bosch, Webasto, BorgWarner, ZF and Hella. By 2022, the brand sold 1.07 million cars worldwide.
GWM Wey 03
OK, so the GWM brand is now introducing the Wey 03. The SUV is slightly shorter than 4.7 meters, 1.73 meters high and has a wheelbase of 2.74 meters. The plug-in hybrid powertrain consists of a 34 kWh lithium-ion battery, good for an electric driving range of 136 kilometers. The battery can fast charge at 50 kW.
Plug-in hybrid powertrain
The strongest powertrain with AWD is complemented by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine with 150 kW (204 hp), mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Combined system power comes out to 325 kW (442 hp) with maximum torque of 685 Nm. The GWM Wey 03 sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 230 km/h. Consumption according to the WLTP test standard is 0.5 l/100 km, resulting in CO2 emissions of 15 g/km. Small note: you then have to charge the battery continuously, because with empty battery, the gasoline engine has to work extra hard to drag the extra weight of the battery.
Important step
Steffen Cost, GWM’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) in Europe, said, “The introduction of the GWM Wey 03 to the European market marks an important step in our European expansion strategy. In addition to power and precision, the GWM Wey 03 integrates advanced technology and robust safety features.”
Also a front-wheel drive version
The SUV gets lane keeping assist and blind spot monitoring, among other features. The starting price in Europe for the premium version with front-wheel drive, 270 kW (367 hp) and 500 Nm of maximum torque has not yet been determined, but will be between 45,000 and 50,000 euros. The price of the PHEV is not yet known.
Smaller than Wey 05
GWM also plans to come to Europe with the larger Wey 05. Compared to the GWM Wey 05, the GMW Wey 03 is about 20 cm shorter and 7 cm narrower. Thanks to the entry-level version with 2WD, it enters a price segment well below the GWM Wey 05. However, the luxury version with AWD is equipped with a powertrain as powerful as that of its bigger brother.
