GWM Wey G9 – PHEV tech makes a lot of sense for MPVs

Launched in January this year, the GWM Wey G9 is a seven-seat MPV with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain that is locally assembled (CKD) in Melaka. Priced at RM269,800 on-the-road without insurance, the Wey G9 is offered in a sole variant and is a viable alternative to other MPVs, electrified or otherwise, as we highlighted previously.

Here we bring you a comprehensive gallery of the Wey G9 in Nebula Black, one of three colours available, with the others being Aurora White and Wisdom Grey. Nebula Black is paired with a black interior, although you can get also get a brown interior, both with a grey headliner.

At 5,050 mm long, 1,985 mm wide, 1,900 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 3,085 mm, the GWM MPV is slightly larger than both the Toyota Vellfire and Alphard. Styling-wise, the large front grille with vertical chrome bars makes for an imposing face, and you’ll find plenty of other chrome embellishments throughout the exterior.

The PHEV system, dubbed Hi4 Intelligent Hybrid 4WD, is based around a 1.5 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine making 150 PS (148 hp or 110 kW) and 240 Nm of torque. This is augmented by two electric motors: one at the front rated at 109 PS (107 hp or 80 kW) and 170 Nm, and another at the rear with 184 PS (181 hp or 135 kW) and 232 Nm.

Together, the total system output is 442 PS (436 hp or 325 kW) and 642 Nm, which is enough to get this 2.8-tonne MPV from 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 150 km/h. There’s also a four-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), which is good for extra efficiency and refinement on highways.

The electric motors are hooked up to a 44.2-kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery pack, which enables an electric-only driving range of up to 170 km following the NEDC standard (around 145 km WLTP). With a 58-litre fuel tank, the combined hybrid range is up to 1,000 km NEDC (850 km WLTP).

For charging, the battery pack can handle a maximum DC input of 60 kW to get from a 30-80% state of charge (SoC) in 26 minutes, while AC charging at a peak of 6.6 kW sees a 15-100% be achieved in 6.5 hours.

As with most PHEVs, there are several system modes to choose from, including EV (battery power only), EV Priority (priority is to use battery power as much as possible) and Intelligent HEV (the system alternates between battery power and the engine). These go on top of the Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow and AWD drive modes.

A PHEV powertrain makes sense for an MPV because it offers flexibility depending on the situation. Should you be waiting for your kid to finish school, you can put the car in EV-only mode to save on fuel and not output exhaust gases.

Daily commutes within the Wey G9’s electric-only range also result in fewer trips to a petrol station, but should the need come to go further, the petrol engine allows for long-distance journeys on a whim without needing to spend time finding and waiting at a charging station to make sure you have sufficient range.

As standard, the Wey G9 is fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels (245/50R18 tyres), LED headlamps with auto high beam, LED daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, dual sunroofs, power-sliding rear doors and a powered tailgate with a kick sensor. Acoustic glass is also used for the windshield as well as windows on the front and second-row doors.

Inside, you’ll find a dual-tier dashboard that is home to a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The latter sits just above a row of buttons for quick access to certain vehicle functions and supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Also equipped is a head-up display, a 50-watt wireless Qi charger and a 21-speaker sound system, the last of which works with an active noise cancellation system.

The seats are arranged in 2-2-3 layout, with the first two rows being upholstered in Nappa leather while it is leatherette for the third row. The front seats are power adjustable and feature memory, ventilation and massage functions, with the front passenger seat also having a “boss switch.”

Meanwhile, the second row gets two individual zero-gravity seats that get the same functions as those in front, with the addition of a powered headrest and a two-way electric leg rest. It’s less fancy in the third row that gets manually-operated seats that can be tipped up in a 60:40 split. For parents, there are ISOFIX child seat anchors for the second and third row as well as built-in sunshades.

Other items in the kit list include three-zone climate control with an air quality control system and CN95 filter, 64-colour ambient lighting, a powered steering column, vehicle telematics and a 12.5-litre refrigerator aft of the front centre console.

Safety-wise, the Wey G9 comes equipped with six airbags (including full-length curtain units – measuring more than three metres long – across all three rows), a 360-degree camera and a full complement of driver assistance kit, including autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane centring assist, blind spot monitoring with collision prevention, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake and a door opening warning.

Each purchase comes with a six-year/unlimited-mileage vehicle warranty and an eight-year/180,000-km hybrid system warranty that covers the battery pack, electric motors and control unit. Also included are five years of free connected services data for telematics, five years of free maintenance (including parts and labour) and a complimentary home wallbox charger.

GALLERY: GWM Wey G9 Hi4 PHEV Malaysian brochure and price list