Great Wall Motor returning to Malaysian market in 2022 – Haval H6, Jolion, Ora Good Cat EV expected models

Great Wall Motor (GWM) has announced plans to expand its business in Southeast Asia by adding Malaysia and three other countries to its regional operations this year. This was revealed by Elliot Zhang, president of Great Wall Motor ASEAN and Thailand, during a 2022 outlook briefing for the Thai market, Nikkei Asia reports.

“In 2022, we will continue to expand our business in ASEAN, with Thailand as the location for our regional headquarters. In an effort to expand further within the ASEAN region, we plan to launch GWM in four more countries, namely Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Singapore,” he said. The brand is currently present in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei.

The automaker entered Thailand last year when it acquired General Motors’s assembly plant, and it reiterated its intention of making the facility its manufacturing hub for Southeast Asia. “We already have our plant in Rayong, and we’ll continue to invest in the plant to be the hub to produce our products for the ASEAN market,” Zhang said.

The brand also outlined its growth strategy for Thailand, saying that it is set to launch five new models in the country and bringing sales in that market to 20,000 units this year, significantly up from the 3,702 units it did in 2021.

The company added that it will continue its expansion into electrification in Thailand, where it expects to see significant development in the segment this year. According to GWM Thailand MD Narong Sritalayon, Thailand’s total annual car sales is expected to reach 850,000 units in 2022, up 12% from the previous year, and of that total, 11.4% (or about 94,000 units) would be electrified models.

This would be more than double the 40,000 electrified vehicles sold in the country last year, he said. To grow the market, Narong said the company will invest in EV infrastructure, particularly in charging stations, which the company hopes to expand to 55 nationwide this year.

The brand’s market return to Malaysia is expected to see a trio of models being introduced here. This includes the Haval Jolion, which was sighted here last year and then again last month. In Thailand, the B-segment SUV is available as a hybrid, powered by an electrified 1.5 litre turbocharged four that makes a combined 190 PS and 375 Nm of torque, with a DCT sending power to the front wheels.

There is also the Haval H6, which in Thailand is sold in its plug-in hybrid form. It’s powered by a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine and electric motor, offering 243 PS and 530 Nm. The third model is the Ora Good Cat, which was previewed at an event last December. It was indicated at that point that the EV was coming our way, expected to be introduced by Go Auto this year.

GALLERY: Haval Jolion Hybrid, Thailand market

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