Great Wall Motors chairman Wei Jianjun has officially launched his new WEY luxury SUV brand and unveiled two exciting new concept vehicles at the Guangzhou Motor Show.
Aimed squarely at the growing audience of affluent younger buyers in China, the eponymous WEY brand promises to usher in a new era of luxury SUVs.
Production versions are expected to be launched at the Shanghai International Motor Show in Q2 of 2017.
Boasting the latest automotive technologies, the WEY brand will be positioned higher than the best-selling HAVAL brand and promises to put luxury SUVs within reach of more customers.
"Great Wall is a company that will never be satisfied with sales figures. We will always look to make more breakthroughs. Our ambition is to make luxury SUVs more affordable for customers and gain worldwide recognition for desirable products made in China," said Chairman Wei.
Chairman Wei introduced WEY CEO Jens Steingraeber, an industry veteran with more than 30 years' experience at Audi, where he headed up projects including the renowned R8 and TT sports cars.
Mr. Steingraeber said the launch represented the culmination of four years' hard work by a dedicated 1600-strong team and an investment of more than two billion dollars.
Two concept SUVs were unveiled to the media throng – the W01 and W02. The W01 sits atop a platform measuring 4800mm while the W02 platform is 4400mm long.
Various technologies have been promised for the new WEY luxury SUVs including:
- Lane Departure Warning
- Lane Keep Assist
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Intelligent rear-view mirror linked to a camera with an 80-degree viewing angle
- Virtual instrument panels, and
- Plug-in hybrid powertrains
The brand is also investigating the potential application of autonomous driving systems and brainwave technology to future models.
HAVAL suggested the launch signalled exciting times ahead for China's leading SUV manufacturer.
At this stage the WEY range of luxury SUVs will only go on sale in China. The WEY team will explore the potential for the brand expansion. Given the rise of SUV sales, we believe the brand would have enormous appeal.
There will be more releases from the Guangzhou Auto Show in the next few days about the WEY brand.