Great Wall on the Russian market: Ora on sale, Wey on the way
The Chinese company Great Wall Motor, still represented by the GWM, Haval and Tank brands, has announced the expansion of its business in Russia. Firstly, sales of electric vehicles under the Ora subsidiary brand have started today. It was created in 2018 specifically for battery-powered cars, and they are already sold in some European countries.
The first-born in Russia will be the Ora 03 hatchback, which debuted in 2020 and is known in China under the name Ora Haomao, and in Europe as the Ora Funky Cat. A five—door the size of a Kia Soul (4235 mm in length) is made in retro style, an electric motor with a capacity of 171 hp is installed on the front axle. The claimed power reserve is “up to 500 km”, the maximum speed is 150 km/h, and the first “hundred” Ora 03 gains in 7.6 seconds. The chassis is simple — McPherson at the front and semi-independent suspension at the rear.
Prices are also announced: 3 million 899 thousand rubles for a standard hatchback and 3 million 999 thousand rubles for the Ora 03 GT version, which features an aggressive exterior body kit (other bumpers, spoiler and other decor). The equipment includes ventilation and a massager in the front seats, a panoramic roof, two 10.25-inch screens (instruments and media system), a complex of electronic assistants and much more. Tank brand dealers will be engaged in sales of Ora electric vehicles, hatchbacks have already begun to arrive to them.
Secondly, the Great Wall Motor company announced the launch of another Wey sub-brand on the Russian market. It was founded in 2016 and is considered the most prestigious in the internal hierarchy of the company. The first model on the Russian market will be the Wey 05 crossover, known in China as Wey Mocha or Mocca, and in Europe as Wey Coffee 01. This is a large car, comparable in size to the BMW X5 (length — 4875 mm). It was first introduced at the very beginning of 2021, and last spring underwent a facelift. However, only the pre-reform model will come to us so far.
Wey 05 has a hybrid power plant that includes a gasoline turbo engine and two electric motors (one on each axis). The declared maximum power in the Russian specification is 295 hp, but the detailed characteristics of all engines have not yet been made public. Sales should begin in the first quarter of 2024, prices will be announced closer to the start of sales.
In conclusion, some official statistics. For the whole of 2022, the Great Wall Motor concern sold 1.06 million cars worldwide, of which about 33600 copies were sold in Russia. However, already in the first nine months of this year, we have sold 8,4500 cars! The Haval Jolion remains the most popular model in our country: 36430 crossovers sold. In second place is the larger F7 and its coupe—like version of the F7x – a total of 21240 delivered cars. Haval Dargo closes the top three with 9769 cars. All these models are produced at the Haval plant in the Tula region. Recently there were rumors that Great Wall is negotiating the creation of another production site in the Leningrad region, but the representative office of the company does not comment on this information.
