Line-up includes GWM P500 luxury double cab and Haval H7 SUV
28 February 2024 - 16:14
by Denis Droppa
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Conrad Groenewald, COO of GWM South Africa, announces the upcoming Haval H7 SUV at the company’s brand renewal conference. Picture: DENIS DROPPA
Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) has undergone a name change and is embarking on a product offensive in SA this year with new SUVs and bakkies.
Having operated as Haval Motors SA since 2017, the local distributor reverts to the original GWM banner it used upon first entering the country in 2007. The company will continue to sell GWM one-tonne bakkies while its SUV ranges will be split under Haval, Tank and Wey brands, and its electric cars will carry Ora badges.
The first Ora, the 03 hatchback, was launched in SA in 2023, while the firm’s dedicated off-road marque made its local debut this month with the Tank 300, a hard-core off-road 4x4 with a ladder-frame chassis sold in three 2.0l petrol turbo variants priced from R725,950 to R851,950.
At GWM’s brand renewal conference in Johannesburg on February 27, COO Conrad Groenewald announced the larger Tank 500 luxury seven-seater will arrive later this year as a competitor to vehicles such as the Toyota Prado and Ford Everest.
He said other new offerings from Haval in the second quarter of 2024 will be the Jolion Pro and the H7.
The Jolion Pro is a sportier incarnation of the brand’s compact SUV, while the H7 will become it’s new flagship. Larger than the H6 and going up against rivals such as the Honda CR-V and BMW X3, it will be available in 2.0l petrol turbo guise (170kW/380Nm) with a choice of two- and all-wheel drive, and a 179kW/530Nm petrol-electric hybrid in two-wheel drive only.
The P500 is previewed before its local launch. It will be GWM’s largest and most luxurious bakkie. Picture: DENIS DROPPA
On the bakkie side, the GWM P500 luxury 4x4 double cab will be launched in the second quarter of the year as the brand’s flagship bakkie, positioned above the one-tonne P-Series.
It will be powered by a choice of a hybrid 2.0l petrol turbo powertrain with outputs of 255kW and 648Nm or a 2.4l turbo diesel with 135kW and 480Nm. It will feature a deluxe interior with a panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable rear seats with heating, and wireless charging at the back.
With a length of 5,440mm the Chinese double cab is larger than rivals such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. It has a novel electrically-operated split tailgate that can flip down in one piece in the traditional way or open horizontally in two sections, like barn doors.
The P500 has a tailgate that can open in the regular way or split horizontally. Picture: DENIS DROPPA
GWM will provide pricing and more details of its new products at launch.
The company’s luxury Wey sub-brand is also under consideration for SA but not before 2025, GWM marketing head Bianca van Staden says. Wey was launched in 2016, focusing on premium crossovers and SUVs based on Haval models.
GWM, founded in 1990, established the Southern Africa subsidiary in 2007 with single and double-cab bakkies that were later named Steed 5.
In 2017 it transformed from a national distributor to a wholly-owned subsidiary of GWM and sales spiked with the introduction of Haval SUV models and the GWM P-Series bakkie range. It has grown to become one of SA’s top 10 brands in new-vehicle sales.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
NEW MODELS
GWM to bring latest bakkies and Havals to SA
Line-up includes GWM P500 luxury double cab and Haval H7 SUV
Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) has undergone a name change and is embarking on a product offensive in SA this year with new SUVs and bakkies.
Having operated as Haval Motors SA since 2017, the local distributor reverts to the original GWM banner it used upon first entering the country in 2007. The company will continue to sell GWM one-tonne bakkies while its SUV ranges will be split under Haval, Tank and Wey brands, and its electric cars will carry Ora badges.
The first Ora, the 03 hatchback, was launched in SA in 2023, while the firm’s dedicated off-road marque made its local debut this month with the Tank 300, a hard-core off-road 4x4 with a ladder-frame chassis sold in three 2.0l petrol turbo variants priced from R725,950 to R851,950.
At GWM’s brand renewal conference in Johannesburg on February 27, COO Conrad Groenewald announced the larger Tank 500 luxury seven-seater will arrive later this year as a competitor to vehicles such as the Toyota Prado and Ford Everest.
He said other new offerings from Haval in the second quarter of 2024 will be the Jolion Pro and the H7.
The Jolion Pro is a sportier incarnation of the brand’s compact SUV, while the H7 will become it’s new flagship. Larger than the H6 and going up against rivals such as the Honda CR-V and BMW X3, it will be available in 2.0l petrol turbo guise (170kW/380Nm) with a choice of two- and all-wheel drive, and a 179kW/530Nm petrol-electric hybrid in two-wheel drive only.
On the bakkie side, the GWM P500 luxury 4x4 double cab will be launched in the second quarter of the year as the brand’s flagship bakkie, positioned above the one-tonne P-Series.
It will be powered by a choice of a hybrid 2.0l petrol turbo powertrain with outputs of 255kW and 648Nm or a 2.4l turbo diesel with 135kW and 480Nm. It will feature a deluxe interior with a panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable rear seats with heating, and wireless charging at the back.
With a length of 5,440mm the Chinese double cab is larger than rivals such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. It has a novel electrically-operated split tailgate that can flip down in one piece in the traditional way or open horizontally in two sections, like barn doors.
GWM will provide pricing and more details of its new products at launch.
The company’s luxury Wey sub-brand is also under consideration for SA but not before 2025, GWM marketing head Bianca van Staden says. Wey was launched in 2016, focusing on premium crossovers and SUVs based on Haval models.
GWM, founded in 1990, established the Southern Africa subsidiary in 2007 with single and double-cab bakkies that were later named Steed 5.
In 2017 it transformed from a national distributor to a wholly-owned subsidiary of GWM and sales spiked with the introduction of Haval SUV models and the GWM P-Series bakkie range. It has grown to become one of SA’s top 10 brands in new-vehicle sales.
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