Great Wall Motor (GWM) Malaysia has launched the GWM Wey G9, taking the wraps off its first MPV offering earlier today. The PHEV makes its local debut after having initially been shown back in December 2024 at the 2024 Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS), and then subsequently at PACE in July last year, before being previewed yet again last September.
First up, the price. As anticipated, the Wey G9 goes on sale here in a solitary variant form, priced at RM269,800, on-the-road without insurance. This is well below the under-RM300k pricing suggestion made during the September preview and when the order books opened for the car in December.
The MPV is locally assembled (CKD) at EP Manufacturing’s (EPMB) Pegoh, Melaka plant, with the first units having rolled off the line last month. It isn’t the first CKD Chinese PHEV MPV in the country, of course, because the GAC M8 launched earlier.
A quick recap of the model’s name. Originally known as the Wey 80, the switch to the Wey G9 places it right up against a host of competitors with a similar numerical naming convention (Denza D9, Maxus MIFA 9, Xpeng X9 and Zeekr 009). As mentioned previously, GWM says the G9 name has been copyrighted by it for Malaysia, so should the Xpeng G9 SUV ever get here, it’ll have to be renamed for this market.
While the Wey is available in three body-length forms in China (the Gaoshan 7, 8 and 9), Malaysia gets the Gaoshan 7 equivalent, which is a seven-seat (2-2-3 layout) standard-wheelbase model measuring in at 5,050 mm, 1,985 mm wide and 1,900 mm tall, with a 3,085 mm-long wheelbase and 155 mm ground clearance.
These dimensions make it longer in both body and wheelbase length than the Toyota Alphard/Vellfire, but shorter than its Chinese compatriots such as the Zeekr 009, Xpeng X9 and Denza D9, all of which are over 5.2 metres long and have wheelbases between 3.1 and 3.2 metres.
The company does have the middle-wheelbase seven-seater (the Gaoshan 8; 5,280 mm-long, 3,145 mm wheelbase) option available in right-hand drive guise, as shown by its appearance at PACE and also for the September preview.
It could be that the variant may arrive here at some point, given that GWM Malaysia is set to export the MPV to other markets in the region – it has already begun doing so, to Thailand, but in similar SWB guise, and Indonesia is on the cards. As for the long-wheelbase six-seater Gaoshan 9, which measures in at 5,405 mm (with a 3,205 mm wheelbase), it has been confirmed that we won’t be getting it.
The Wey G9 is powered by the latest iteration of the automaker’s Hi4 Intelligent Hybrid 4WD system, in this case a variation of the base Hi4 called the Hi4 Performance, which is a dual-motor, four-speed dedicated hybrid transmission series/parallel set-up meant for mid to larger-sized platforms.
The system is made up of a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder offering 150 PS (148 hp, or 110 kW) at 5,500 to 6,000 rpm and 240 Nm from 1,800 to 4,000 rpm (slightly lower than the 170 PS and 245 Nm in China), mated to a four-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT). This integrates a 109 PS (107 hp, or 80 kW) and 170 Nm electric motor to drive the front wheels, with another 184 PS (181 hp, or 135 kW) and 232 Nm motor at the rear.
The combined system output for the G9 is 442 PS (436 hp, or 325 kW) and 642 Nm, slightly lower than the 458 PS and 644 Nm found in China. Performance figures for the MPV, which tips the scales at 2,803 kg, include a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 5.7 seconds and a 190 km/h top speed.
The battery for the Malaysian Wey G9 is a 44.2 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) unit, which is smaller in capacity to the 51.55 kWh unit for the Chinese market. Despite the smaller capacity, it provides the MPV with 170 km of NEDC-rated travel on pure electric power alone, which translates to about 145 km of WLTP-rated range. With a 58 litre fuel tank, total range is quoted at up to 1,000 km (NEDC), which equates to around 850 km WLTP.
As for charging, the pack can be juiced up from a 30% to 80% state of charge via DC charging at a maximum rate of 60 kW in 26 minutes, while AC charging at 6.6 kW gets the pack filled up from 15% to 100% in 6.5 hours.
Standard kit includes intelligent LED headlamps with auto high beam, LED daytime running lights and fog lamp, LED tail lights/rear fog lamps as well as dual sunroofs and 18-inch 10-double spoke two-tone alloys, wrapped with 245/50 Michelin Primacy 5 energy tyres. Suspension consists of McPherson fronts and multi-link rears, with frequency response dampers. It was previously highlighted that local tuning on the suspension had been carried out to improve the ride to local tastes.
Inside, the Wey G9 features the updated interior brought along with the introduction of the expanded line-up in China last year, making Malaysia the first country outside of China to get the update as well as the car in RHD guise.
The update brings along a new two-spoke steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen (but without the dual screen layout as seen in China, omitting the passenger display), with the latter running on GWM’s latest Coffee OS 3.
The centre row zero-gravity captain chairs are also new, redesigned to now include physical seat adjustment controls located on the forward edge of the inner armrests on both seats. The six-way adjustable units are ventilated and come with a 10-point massage function and built-in ottomans.
Elsewhere, the front seats are power-adjustable with memory function/ventilation, with the driver’s side also getting a 10-point massage feature. Upholstery is in Nappa leather across the first two rows, with leatherette for the third row units.
Novelties include a shared rail design for the second and third row seats, which provides an extra-long slide rail of 1,845 mm for second-row seating adjustment, allowing for up to 1,166 mm of legroom to be gained for second-row occupants.
Luggage compartment capacity is 233 litres with the rear seats up, but expandable to 1,725 litres. Incidentally, the third-row seats have not been designed to fold completely flat because thicker cushions have been utilised for better comfort, with the design focused more on passenger comfort than utility.
The automaker says the use of double-glazed acoustic glass for the windscreen and front/second-row windows as well as the implementation of an HALOSonic active noise cancellation system translates to a quiet cabin, with the interior noise level measuring just 63.4 dB at 120 km/h.
The comprehensive equipment list includes 64-colour ambient lighting, a head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 50-watt Qi wireless charger, a 2,440 watt/21-speaker audio system, a hands-free powered tailgate, 11 USB ports across the cabin and a three-zone automatic air-conditioning system. At the preview last September, the company mentioned that the AC performance has been improved for the local car, with the AC compressor being tuned to manage the warmer weather here.
Other bits of interest include a 12.5 litre large fridge with an independent compressor and adjustable temperature from 0-50°C. The two-tier, dual-opening unit – with front armrest access for the driver and front passenger and a rear drawer for convenient reach for rear occupants – can hold up to six bottles on the upper level and 10 cans below. Additionally, the fridge can continue operating for up to 24 hours with the engine off.
Safety-wise, the 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.
In terms of exterior colours, buyers can pick from three options, and these are Wisdom Grey, Nebula Black and Aurora White. As for the interior colour schemes, there will be two, these being brown and black.
The GWM Wey G9 comes with a six-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and an eight-year or 180,000 km hybrid system warranty, covering the battery pack, power motor and control unit. Standard ownership benefits include five years of free connected services data, five years of free maintenance and a complimentary home wallbox charger.
To mark the introduction of the Wey G9, the company announced that the first 1,000 customers will receive a complimentary LED screen integrated into the cabin for rear passengers.
As for expected volume, GWM said that the projected yearly sales volume for the Wey G9 is 5,000 units for the domestic market and 5,000 units for export. The current localisation rate for the car is at 40.05%, which meets the necessary Regional Value Content (RVC) percentage to satisfy AFTA content requirements.
GALLERY: GWM Wey G9 standard-wheelbase studio shots
