China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM) is officially the latest automaker to enter the Thai automobile market.
The Chinese automaker staged a live online self-introduction on its Facebook fanpage and Youtube channel earlier today, and announced that it will launch 9 models in Thailand within the next 3 years.
GWM’s entry into Thailand (and Southeast Asia) took place in 2020 with the purchase of the General Motors assembly plant in Rayong province, after the American automaker, finding it difficult to compete against Japanese counterparts, pulled out operations from Kingdom.
Elliot Zhang, president of GWM ASEAN and Thailand, said, “GWM makes our global business presence with four key brands – HAVAL, ORA, WEY, and GWM Pickup – to address diverse lifestyle preferences of the customers. Thanks to our globalization strategy, GWM is today present in more than 60 markets across the world.”
” Our ’12+5′ global manufacturing system boasts 12 full-scale production bases, including the newest one in Rayong, Thailand, plus five KD (knock-down) assembly plants outside China. A strong GWM network of R&D centers spans across ten cities in seven countries worldwide, working behind our success and capability to deliver high-quality automobiles that combine modern technology with innovation, as reflected by annual sales volume that hit our all-time high with 1.11 million units sold globally last year,” Zhang added.
The first two models from GWM, expected to be on sale at this year’s Bangkok International Motor Show in March, are the Haval H6 SUV and ORA Good Cat electric car. However, the pricing and specifications of the two models have not been disclosed.
Another Haval model will be available in 2021 too, along with a second ORA product, raising the number in the GWM product lineup to four models this year, managing director Narong Sritalayon said.
“The all-new Haval H6 is a highly successful SUV in China and globally. It is the third and the newest generation that have already sold more than six million units so far,”he said. “The ORA Good Cat is the first battery electric vehicle that GWM will launch to the Thai market following enthusiastic response from the media and Thai consumers from across online channels.”
