GWM, Haval sales hit new monthly high

China’s GWM broke its sales record in Australia during September thanks to improving supply levels and consumer appetite for affordable cars.

The company sold 3050 utes and SUVs in September, up 69.4 per cent, placing it 11th in market between Subaru and Isuzu Ute. This equated to monthly market share of 3.3 per cent.

Its top performer was the GWM Haval H6 with 1294 monthly sales, making it the sixth top-selling medium SUV in the country with 8.7 per cent segment share, comfortably outgunning the Honda CR-V (781) and Subaru Forester (687).

Next was the GWM Ute dual-cab with 946 sales, of which 936 units were more expensive 4x4s. This result saw it outgun the Nissan Navara (681) and Mazda BT-50 (448), and equated to 5.4 per cent market share.

Interestingly, another budget Chinese ute, the LDV T60, performed even better with 962 sales.

The final member of the GWM range is the Haval Jolion, which grabbed 810 September sales. It took sixth place in the Small SUV segment, finishing between the Mazda CX-30 (942) and Kia Seltos (772), while taking 8.2 per cent market share.

GWM’s year-to-date tally to the end of September is 16,371 sales, which puts it on pace for about 22,000 sales this year.

To put this YTD figure into context, GWM sits 15th in market, narrowly trailing Suzuki (16,911) but ahead of Tesla, LDV, Honda, Audi, and Renault.

Australia is one of GWM’s biggest export markets, and its local factory-backed distributor has a number of new products in the pipeline.

While delayed, we’re still expecting to see some or all of the GWM Tank 300, GWM Tank 500, and GWM Haval Dargo SUVs, the new Ora Good Cat EV, and the 260kW petrol V6-powered GWM Shanhai Cannon ‘premium’ pickup from 2023.

Moreover, CarExpert understands the brand could have a total of six or seven electrified cars in its line-up by the end of next year.

GWM announced in August that it wants 80 per cent of Haval sales globally to be plug-in hybrid or pure-electric by 2025, ahead of an end to internal-combustion drivetrain production entirely by 2030.

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