The high demand for hybrid SUVs and pickups in the automotive market aroused the interest of GWM to invest in the expansion of this segment in Brazil
Great Wall Motors (GWM), which is currently one of the largest car and light commercial vehicle manufacturers in China, announced this week that new hybrid SUVs, capable of up to 208 km/l, will soon be launched and produced in Brazil. GWM will invest around BRL 10 billion in Brazil to produce SUVs and pickup trucks, both hybrid and electric, directly at the Iracemápolis plant, in São Paulo, which was recently purchased by GWM.
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Expected start of SUV production activities
The production of the new SUVs should start in 2023. Great Wall Motors announced this week how its contribution will be distributed, being divided into two investment cycles: from 2022 to 2025 it will be around BRL 4 billion in the local operation, from 2026 to onwards, another R$ 6 billion will be invested.
GWM expects to generate approximately 2.000 direct jobs by 2025, which will be the year in which there will be the first investment cycle and also the launch of 10 vehicles in Brazil.
It is not yet known which will be the first model that will enter Brazil, but it is already known that it will arrive in the fourth quarter of this year, while the launch of the first Brazilian hybrid car will take place in the second half of 2023.
Chinese GWM promises to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric SUV options
The hybrid versions will come with power levels between 230 hp and 430 hp and with maximum torque between 41,8 kgfm and 77,7 kgfm. In terms of acceleration, the models will go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4,8 seconds.
The most striking part is its autonomy, which can vary from 75 km/l to 208 km/l, of very high efficiency due to the fact that the plug-in hybrid offer is the largest in the world in autonomy, being up to 200 km. Hybrid and plug-in SUV currently have an average of 40 and 50 km of purely electric range.
It is estimated that Great Wall Motors will have three distinct brands in Brazil, being Haval, of urban SUVs, TTank, which offers luxury off-road SUVs and finally, Poer, a lineage of pickup trucks. The models that are manufactured at the factory in Iracemápolis will have advanced features of connectivity and compatibility with the new 5G, in addition to the standard level 2 semi-autonomous systems.
Get to know GWM
Great Wall Motors is a Brazilian factory, which very soon should become an export hub for other markets in Latin America, in addition to “feeding” the domestic market as well.
GWM intends to modernize the factory to receive a new and complete production system for hybrid and electric cars, capable of producing up to 100 vehicles per year. As in recent years there had been an increase in the sale of SUVs and pickups, GWM decided to choose the segment, bearing in mind that in 2021, the increase in demand for SUVs and pickups was 26%.
