GWM: A guide to everything you need to know

We’ve looked at several Chinese brands in our series of manufacturer guides over the past few months, and while GWM is another, it’s a slightly different story to those stealing headlines at the moment.

GWM was the first Chinese brand to launch in Australia at a large scale, and its success largely paved the way for the plethora of brands from the country now on sale here. It also holds the distinction of several firsts for Chinese automakers, partly helped by the brand’s relatively long history that stretches as far back as the 1970s.

Unlike a lot of other Chinese brands in Australia though, GWM is not going all-in on electric vehicle (EV) technology just yet. Instead, it’s putting a lot of work into internal combustion engines, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids, all of which dominate its Australian lineup.

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There is still work happening in the EV space in the background, but Australia is yet to see most of it – bar the quirky Ora hatch, of course.

GWM has also spread out into several key segments, with SUVs as well as more rugged off-roaders and utes among Australia’s favourites.

That’s helped it to second-place on Australia’s sales charts among Chinese brands, though MG still holds top honours.

Ever wondered what’s gone into getting GWM to where it is today and how it stacks up in the hierarchy of global Chinese brands? Here’s everything you need to know.

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What is GWM?

Great Wall Motor (GWM) is a Chinese automobile manufacturer headquartered in Baoding, Hebei, China. Though technically founded in 1984, the company has roots as far back as 1976.

Wei Deliang, uncle of the current GWM chairman Wei Jianjun, founded an agricultural vehicle repair workshop in Baoding through a collaboration with the local government of the Nandayuan Township in 1976.

This was called the Great Wall Repair Factory, and by 1984 the workshop had begun producing its own commercial vehicles, initially based on a vehicle by the Chinese Beijing Automobile Works company. These vehicles included a small truck called the CC130 and an SUV-type car known as the CC513.

When vehicle production began, Wei Deliang changed the workshop’s name to Great Wall Industry Company. At a similar time, Wei Jianjun began working in metal fabrication companies, and jointly founded the Taihang Dongwei Automotive Suspension company with his father in 1989.

In that same year, Wei Deliang died in a car accident, leaving the Great Wall Industry Company to revert to local community ownership as a result of the partnership with the Nandayuan Township.

At a time of limited trained personnel and mounting debts, the Nandayuan Township sought a new director to run the company on their behalf. Wei Jianjun applied for the opportunity to pursue his interest in cars, and was appointed director for five years in 1990 – leaving his father’s company in the process.

Shortly after assuming the role, Wei Jianjun began developing passenger cars and taught himself automotive engineering with his team. Great Wall subsequently had multiple models in production by 1993, though they bore strong resemblance to multiple other existing cars.

There was the CC1020, which took after the sixth-generation Nissan Cedric sedan, and the CC1020S, which resembled an eighth-generation Toyota Crown.

Several other passenger cars followed, but a change in national regulations forced Great Wall to shift away from such vehicles before 1995. Wei Jianjun steered the company to then focus on developing a pickup, and by 1996 the Great Wall Deer was launched – based on the Toyota HiLux.

The success of the Deer, largely due to its competitive price and appropriate build quality, made Great Wall China’s leading pickup manufacturer, and in 1997 the first Great Wall pickups were exported to the Middle East.

The Nandayuan Township privatised the company in 1998, forming the Great Wall Motor Group. Wei Jianjun owned a 25 per cent stake, which was increased to 56 per cent for the Wei family by 2001.

As GWM expanded its pickup range with the Sailor and SoCool, alongside introducing SUVs like the Safe, Sing, and Pegasus, the company was struck with a supply chain crisis when its sole engine supplier partnered with a competitor.

In response, Wei Jianjun established the Great Wall Internal Combustion Engine Company and invested in equipment for independent engine production. He followed it up by forming more than 10 holding companies for the production of various vehicle parts

When GWM made an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in late 2003, it became the first private Chinese manufacturer to become a public company.

It subsequently introduced the Haval CUV (previously Hover) in 2006 that was exported to markets in Asia, South America, and Russia, while that Haval platform also supported the Wingle pickup that saw export success.

GWM entered Europe in 2006 with a series of small vans, marking the first time a privately owned Chinese manufacturer had exported cars to Europe on a large scale. Great Wall also debuted in Australia in 2009 through third-party distributor Ateco, bringing the V240 dual-cab pickup and X240 SUV.

Between 2006 and 2010, GWM introduced several models that drew criticism for supposedly copying other vehicles. Such vehicles included the Peri, which resembled the Fiat Panda, and the Voleex series, which were visually similar to several Toyota and Honda models.

Various legal disputes ensued, including one by Fiat regarding the Peri that was rejected in China. The sale of the Peri was subsequently prohibited in Italy. Nissan also claimed the Sing SUV had copied its Paladin.

Amidst the criticism, GWM debuted the Haval H6 at the 2010 Guangzhou Auto Show, which drew praise for being a unique design. The H6 would go on to become a major success for GWM, becoming China’s best-selling SUV for nearly eight consecutive years.

GWM was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2011 and went public again, which merged the ownerships of the Wei family and the Nandayuan Township into a single investment fund – the move established GWM’s current corporate structure.

The success of the H6 contributed to GWM’s profits increasing drastically, which led the company to concentrate on the SUV segment and phase out sedans and hatchbacks. GWM established the SUV-only Haval brand in 2013, which first appeared in Australia in 2015, followed by GWM shifting to factory-backed local distribution in 2016.

GWM introduced the Wey brand in 2017, named after the Wei family. It’s positioned as one of the company’s more premium brands, producing luxury vehicles based on Haval models.

While its focus was primarily on internal combustion vehicles, GWM had been conducting pre-research on electric vehicle (EV) battery production from as early as 2012. This resulted in the company’s first EV, the Great Wall C30EV, which launched in 2016.

GWM acquired a 25 per cent stake in the Hebei Yujie Vehicle Industry company in 2017, a key company in China’s low-speed EV market. The collaboration resulted in Linktour Automobile, which initially converted low-speed EVs into cars – though this was unsuccessful and ended in bankruptcy in 2019.

GWM had already spun off its battery business unit into an independent battery manufacturer in 2018, and in that same year GWM had created the Ora EV brand.

A joint venture agreement had also been signed with BMW, which established a company to produce electric Mini models in China for global export.

In 2019, GWM’s Russian factory in Tula opened, while GWM then purchased one of two General Motors India factories in a bid to expand into India in 2020, though GWM had cancelled its plans for investment in the country by mid-2022.

Also in 2020 was GWM’s purchase of the General Motors Thailand plant in Rayong province, along with Great Wall Motor’s official rebranding to GWM. The separate Tank brand was spun off in 2021, which was previously a model line within the Wey brand.

GWM opened its European headquarters in Germany in 2021, though this eventually closed in August 2024 due to low sales in the region. The company’s vehicles are still sold in Europe today, though local operations are controlled from China.

In 2023, GWM announced it would adjusting its brand strategy for export markets. Under the new strategy, GWM became a ‘master brand’, while the previously standalone brands of Haval, Ora, Tank, and Wey were downgraded to sub-brands.

This meant cars previously known as the Haval H6, for example, became known as the GWM Haval H6. GWM also began replacing the Haval logo on the rear of its vehicles in 2024 in favour of a GWM wordmark, first seen on Australia’s 2024 GWM Haval Jolion.

As of 2024, GWM operates 10 manufacturing facilities in China, three in Thailand, Brazil, and Russia, and several plants in countries like Pakistan and Ecuador that assemble vehicles from knock-down kits.

While GWM continues to source some more obscure parts from external companies, as well as components regarding engines and transmissions, the company continues to operate a significant internal research and development effort.

This is supported by a research and development facility in Yokohama, Japan, as well as another in Germany that is supported by the joint venture with BMW Group.

GWM’s global sales reached a record annual high of 1,233,292 units in 2024, dominated by the Haval brand with 706,234 units sold. Exports out of China also peaked in 2024, reaching 453,141 units for the year.

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What can you currently buy from GWM in Australia?

GWM currently sells eight distinct models in Australia: one EV hatch, five SUVs, and two utes.

All prices are drive-away, and most are currently discounted until June 30 2025. For more information on each vehicle, click on a model’s name in the table above to be taken to its dedicated price and specs article.

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Which brands does GWM compete against in Australia?

GWM primarily competes against other Chinese manufacturers in Australia, but because GWM offers a broad range of vehicle types, direct rivals are segment-dependent.

Against the Ora are small Chinese EVs like the BYD Dolphin and MG 4, though comparisons could also be drawn against the incoming Hyundai Inster. These cars all start at less than $40,000 before on-roads, though the Dolphin is the cheapest at $29,990 before on-roads.

The GWM Haval Jolion is up against the Chery Omoda 5, Chery Tiggo 4, and MG ZS out of China, as well as the Hyundai Venue, Kia Stonic, and Mitsubishi ASX. Starting prices for these cars are all below $30,000 before on-roads.

Similarly, the H6 competes with the MG HS, Chery Tiggo 7 Pro, and BYD Sealion 6 PHEV, among many others in the mid-sized SUV segment.

The Tank 300 and the Tank 500 also go up against the LDV D90, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, Toyota LandCruiser, and Hyundai Santa Fe.

In the ute world, GWM’s Cannon competes with vehicles like the JAC T9 and LDV T60, as well as segment favourites like the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max, and Mitsubishi Triton.

It’s still considerably cheaper than the rest though, starting at $35,490 drive-away for single cab-chassis models, and $39,490 drive-away for dual-cabs.

The Cannon Alpha sits at the very top of GWM’s local range, and its big proportions put it in a unique space. It’s larger than the Cannon and stalwarts like the Ranger, but not quite as colossal as a Ram 1500 or Ford F-150.

It’s getting a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version though, which makes it a direct rival for the similarly sized BYD Shark 6. Ford’s Ranger will also be a competitor once it receives its PHEV powertrain later this year.

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How popular is GWM in Australia?

GWM was Australia’s second-ranked Chinese vehicle brand in Australia for 2024, beaten in sales by only MG.

MG was the only Chinese brand to record more than 50,000 sales in 2024, managing a total of 50,592 compared to GWM’s 42,782. Even so, GWM was well ahead of BYD (20,458), LDV (16,022) and Chery (12,603).

It even beat established western brands like Subaru, which had 40,604 sales for the year, and Volkswagen, which managed 36,480. GWM was only around 3000 units behind Nissan.

GWM’s best-selling vehicle continues to be the Haval Jolion, which also trends towards the top of its VFACTS segment. With 14,238 sales across 2024, the Jolion was beat by only the MG ZS and Hyundai Kona.

Its worst-selling car is the Ora, which is understandable given it’s a quirky EV hatch with obscure styling. It’s also undercut by key rivals on price.

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What’s next for GWM?

GWM is gearing up for what it calls a “new model onslaught”, with seven vehicle launches locked in for 2025 and a similar amount of new products expected in 2026.

There aren’t any new EVs planned to sit alongside the lone Ora hatchback though, as the larger Ora Sport seems to remain under consideration for a local launch, but hasn’t been locked in.

So far this year, we’ve already seen the updated Cannon and the PHEV version of the H6 GT, while the Tank 300 Diesel arrived in March.

The Cannon Alpha PHEV is due to arrive in Australian showrooms in the next few months, which will go up against the BYD Shark 6 but with the addition of key off-road gear like front, rear and centre locking differentials.

GWM will refresh its Haval H6 soon too, which will feature revised exterior styling, a new interior centre console, steering wheel, and a larger 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. This model will initially be offered in petrol and front-wheel drive hybrid trims, with all-wheel drive hybrids and a PHEV coming later in 2025.

The first all-new model coming will be the Haval H7 in the third quarter of 2025, which will sit somewhere between the H6 and the Tank 300. It’ll feature 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid and 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol powertrains.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, GWM will add a PHEV powertrain to its Tank 500 lineup, which will be the same powertrain seen in the Cannon Alpha PHEV.

Overseas, we’ve also seen GWM show off a 4.0-litre V8 engine for the first time, which is supported by twin turbochargers and PHEV technology. This could be used in a version of the Tank 300, which has also been shown off in a hardcore off-road version called the Tank 300 Hooke.

It’s also been reported GWM is interested in taking on large American pickups with a pickup of its own, while the brand is also supposedly working on more powerful turbo-diesel engines to go after Ford’s two Australian favourites.

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