Great Wall again aims at Europe: now Wey and Ora

Great Wall was an unexpected exhibitor at the IAA in Munich. The Chinese again announced their intention to enter the European market, and this will be the third attempt. The first was undertaken back in 2007, and so far it turned out to be the most successful: then Great Wall SUVs and pickups began to be delivered to Italy and a number of countries with liberal certification requirements for cars, and in 2012 even a small assembly plant was launched in Bulgaria. But sales were modest and in 2017 the local partner went bankrupt.

The second attempt was made in 2019: the European debut of the Wey brand took place at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and an agreement was signed with the German company Brabus to adapt the cars to European requirements. But the only result of this cooperation was a tuning body kit for the Chinese market. And now – the third attempt: the company came to the Munich Motor Show with the Wey and Ora brands.

There is no talk of cooperation with Brabus or any other European partner this time. But by the end of this year, the European branch of the Great Wall company intends to open orders for two models at once. The first is the Wey Coffee 01 hybrid crossover. This is not the final name, but in native China the car is known as Wey Mocha. It debuted earlier this year and is almost comparable in size to the BMW X5 at 4875mm long.

The LEMON DHT hybrid setup of its own design includes a two-liter gasoline turbo engine and two electric motors (one for each axle). The system can operate in both sequential and parallel mode: in the second case, the internal combustion engine helps to rotate the front wheels through a two-speed transmission. Peak power – 476 hp, acceleration time to 100 km / h – less than five seconds. The traction battery with a capacity of 41.8 kWh should be enough for 150 km in electric mode.

The second model is the Ora Cat electric hatchback, which also debuted in China this year. The five-door with a length of 4235 mm stands out for its retro design and has an electric motor with a capacity of 169 hp. on the front axle. The choice will be offered versions with a passport range of 300 and 400 km, which differ in the capacity of the traction battery (46 or 59 kWh). Acceleration time to 100 km / h – 8.5 s. Rich equipment is also promised, including adaptive cruise control, car parking and all-round cameras.

So far, only indicative prices have been announced. The Ora Cat electric hatchback in Germany will cost from 30,000 euros, and the Wey Coffee 01 crossover will cost from 50,000 euros. For example, a Volkswagen ID.3 hatchback here costs at least 35,500 euros, and a minimum of 77,000 is asked for a hybrid BMW X5.

The Great Wall company promises to begin deliveries of machines in the first half of 2022. Germany should be the first market, followed by Italy and Spain, and special hopes are placed on Norway, where the tax legislation is favorable to electric transport. The cars will be brought directly from China, and the construction of a local plant will become possible if sales reach 50,000 cars a year.