GWM Ora under discussion for Australia

Great Wall Motors is considering adding more sub-brands to its Australian portfolio, the company has revealed.

The Chinese car giant currently sells its ute models here under the GWM badge, while Haval is responsible for its SUV range. But there could be more on the way.

Speaking through a translator during the 2021 Munich motor show on Monday, GWM Ora Europe CEO Xianghua Qiao told Wheels the carmaker is eyeing an entry into the Australian market.

“Ora is a worldwide brand. Through the development of technology and also with [the] pressure of climate change, Ora will be successful in Australia because we focus more on green energy,” Xianghua Qiao said.

The Chinese firm used the motor show to announce the all-electric Ora Cat would be launched in the UK next year, confirming the model will be manufactured in right-hand-drive. The Ora Good Cat is currently sold in China for less than AU$35,000.

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In recent days, its parent company GWM registered three patent filings in Australia for different Ora models, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the original Volkswagen Beetle.

In early July 2021, GWM Haval filed patents in Australia for an electric Ora SUV, based on a Wey model sold in China.

Xianghua Qiao says the Chinese carmaker is continuing to monitor the Australian market.

“GWM already has a presence in Australia and it depends on the market’s development. Maybe in the future we can see Ora on Australian streets.”

The comments solidify statements made by the company in June 2021, which suggested Ora models could be here as soon as 2022.

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But Ora isn’t the only GWM sub-brand being considered for local shores, with Wey Europe executive vice president Johnson Qiang revealing to Wheels Wey is also being assessed for the future.

“I think Australia will be our potential market, but today we are more focused on Europe.”

The GWM subsidiary is wary of expanding too quickly, and wants to establish itself as a more luxurious alternative in the burgeoning field of Chinese vehicles.

“We want to be a premium brand in Europe and we want to make a big impact globally. We have to go step-by-step to choose our next market,” Johnson Qiang said on Monday.

“We have two strategies: this year we launch in Europe, in 2023 we launch in the US.”

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Australia could be next on the agenda – either launching Wey in its own right, or falling under the Haval banner of SUVs.

Another Great Wall Motors spin-off, Tank, is understood to be under consideration for Australia.

The company unveiled two new models in recent weeks: the Tank 400, which is expected to compete against the Toyota Fortuner, and the Tank 500, which appears to be taking the Toyota LandCruiser Prado head on.

The company recently brought the smaller Tank 300 to Australia for evaluation, allowing Wheels to drive the prototype on a closed off-road course.