The Chinese GWM arrives in Spain with combustion as its flag

If Chinese brands definitively make a place for themselves in Europe, Spain will have been, without a doubt, their great gateway. If we take the data so far this year as a reference, we can certify that, in our country, the Chinese car is already a frequently repeated option among the best-selling vehicles in each category.

To give some data, among the 10 best-selling electric cars there are three Chinese cars, according to ANFAC. Among the 10 best-selling plug-in hybrids there are five Chinese cars. And among the 10 best-selling non-plug-in hybrids there are two other Chinese cars. That is to say, combining all these categories, one in every three cars sold is Chinese.

Without any doubt, The plug-in hybrid is where it has to gain the most ground the chinese car Western manufacturers have chosen to go electric in many cases and the Chinese do not pay tariffs as it does with electric ones. At the same time, the product they offer is much more equipped and much cheaper (equaling size, equipment and/or power) than the European, Japanese or American ones.

It is no coincidence that the non-plug-in hybrids It is the least fertile ground for Chinese cars. Here, Toyota dominates strongly (four of the five best sellers are theirs) and the Westerners have filled their offer with microhybrids that add up in this category even though the savings are ridiculous.

But he MG ZS and the Omoda 5 They have already entered the list of best sellers. Both cars are from companies that are very clear that they manufacture all kinds of technology, that they are not there to close doors. Betting on an audience that in many cases has been left orphaned of really cheap options among Westerners or those who are disenchanted with its rise in pricethey are very clear that there is a market niche to exploit.

That’s exactly where GWM attacks. Great Wall Motors is the latest Chinese company to arrive in Spain. It does so, for now, with the ORA 5, a car that will be sold in purely combustion format, with hybrid and electric versions. With a groundbreaking starting price, it is very clear who it is targeting. And seeing the success of MG or Omoda/Jaecoo, it certainly seems that the pool has water.

What is GWM and what does it offer?

GWM, acronym for Great Wall Motors, is an automobile group created in 1990 with headquarters in Baoding, Hebei (China, of course). The company sells itself as “a global mobility technology company” and has different subbrands that, we will see later, if they arrive in Spain.

During the presentation we were assured that we would see “the future of what is to come”at which time they showed us the huge SUVs with a more classic flavor (but full of technology) that they sell under the Tank brand or the luxury minivans that they sell under the Wey name. But no specific landing dates or any other details were indicated.

What is certain is that the company arrives with the Pray 5. This is a kind of compact SUV with soft shapes on the outside and that seems well finished on the inside. During the presentation we could only verify that it is a car that seems well executed inside, made of humble plastics and that does not offer great luxuries but is well finished. We also couldn’t test its infotainment system, so we can hardly say that the first impression was good.

Yes, we were told that the car will arrive with an intelligent voice assistant, a 14.6-inch central screen and a 10.25-inch instrument panel, connectivity with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, remote control of some functions from the mobile phone and USB-A and C type chargers.

But perhaps the most interesting thing is that this car will come with all types of engines, from pure combustion versions to hybrid and electric. The combustion option has a 1.5 turbocharged engine with 160 HP that starts at 19,950 euros. On top of that, the hybrid option electrifies that same engine and takes the set up to 223 HP. In this case it will be sold for 22,350 euros. The electric will be sold for 23,850 euros and has 204 HP and a 58.3 kWh battery signed by SVolt. All prices have launch campaigns and the electric one has the corresponding aid.

With these prices and this product, it is expected that the options with combustion engines will be the most interesting for the potential customer and this is where the brand seems to have the most hopes. And it was repeatedly warned that they are not a company that thinks about a single technology or a single type of product. The goal is to continue expanding the range to reach the maximum number of potential customers possible.

Much more than the Ora 5

Although the Ora 5 will be GWM’s first car in Spain (it can already be purchased, in fact), the company aspires to establish itself with many other proposals.

That is why you have to know more about the company. GWM is particular because, unlike the majority of Chinese brands that only bet on what they call new energy vehicles (plug-in hybrid, electric and extended range electric cars) and a very specific engine (that famous 1.5T that the vast majority of cars come from there with a combustion engine are fitted with), this company offers other things.

For example, in your Tank you can find cars with V8 engine. and they have a motorcycle under the Souo brand with eight cylinders. Wei Jianjun, the owner of the company, is a lover of cars and big engines, which is why he continues to focus on offering engines that one has dreamed of all his life. And the first Tanks that we were able to see and touch, of course, are spectacular and are a direct rival to authentic off-roaders like the Jeep Wrangler.

But coming down to earth again, GWM wanted to demonstrate that it is a company that comes with the intention of carving out a serious niche in the market. This multi-energy proposal already suggests that they want to offer a wide range of products, by type of car and by price.

In fact, although the company now arrives in our country, it is already present in 170 countries and regions, with 1,500 dealers spread around the world. It is, therefore, one of those Chinese giants that many did not know but that already have a history behind them. In Europe, for example, is already offering its cars in Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Sweden, Iceland, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This year Spain and Poland will join and progress should continue in 2027.

This growth, they say, they want to be gradual and organic. They claim to have a spare parts warehouse in the Netherlands and another in Azuqueca de Henares (Guadalajara) and aspire to have 50 points of sale before the end of the year. Furthermore, right now they already have satellite design studios in Germany where, in the words of one of their designers, the demands of the European consumer are reported to adapt cars to this market.

To understand its size, the company already has 10 factories in China, it has another two in Thailand and Brazil and produces by assembling kits in other parts of Asia and America. In the Boading region of China alone, two plants have the capacity to produce 1.12 million cars annually.

For now, it remains to be seen what the European and Spanish embrace of the company is. We will have to wait to learn more about Ora 5 to give a more contrasting opinion about it. What is certain is that GWM is a different brand, which has very different business lines. We will see if they dare to bring them to our country. And if there is business for them.

Photo | GWM and Xataka

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