On January 9, it was announced that Great Wall is establishing a new ultra-luxury brand, currently referred to by the code name BG. This initiative represents another effort by a Chinese automaker to produce more premium vehicles and is expected to be akin to BYD’s Yangwang brand.
Reports suggest that this new brand will utilize Great Wall’s 4.0T V8 engine. Much of the news surrounding the brand originates from a report by the local media outlet LatePost, indicating that the offerings will focus on hybrid vehicles, including supercars and sedans.
To enhance their capabilities in combining high-performance internal combustion engines with electric motors, the brand intends to recruit experts from European luxury automotive companies. This strategy aims to secure technical and performance benefits.
The new initiative will be overseen by Great Wall chairman Wei Jianjun. Song Dongxian, the company’s former vice president of technology, has been designated as CEO, while Zhang Xiaobo will serve as CTO.
Wei Jianjun is reported to be closely involved in the model development and engineering processes of the ultra-luxury brand. Additionally, he will participate significantly in the benchmarking and research aspects of certain features.
The brand aims to focus on premium small-batch production, which will incorporate innovative and high-tech materials.
Currently, Great Wall operates five brands: Haval, Wey, Tank, Ora, and Poer. The new brand will aim for a much higher market segment, with prices expected to start around a million yuan (approximately $136,400).
It is important to note that Great Wall previously attempted to launch a more upscale electric vehicle brand called Saloon. This brand’s debut car was supposed to be the Mecha Dragon, but it was ultimately scrapped, and although there were indications that the vehicle would be integrated into the Ora lineup, sales have yet to commence.
Great Wall has been facing challenges recently, with sales in 2024 reaching only 1,233,292 vehicles, reflecting a mere 0.21% increase compared to the previous year. Of these, 321,795 were new energy vehicles (NEVs), marking a year-over-year increase of 22.82%.
The company exported 453,141 units, which is a substantial year-over-year rise of 43.39%. However, this indicates a notable decline in Great Wall’s sales within China in 2024, likely due to intense competition.
Great Wall Motor recorded sales of 29,218 vehicles in Brazil in 2024, a 154% increase from 2023. This remarkable growth was primarily driven by the Haval H6 and Ora 03.
The Haval H6 PHEV and Haval H6 HEV received the “Best Hybrid Model Award of 2024” and the “Lowest Hybrid Model Cost Award” in Brazil, respectively. Overall, GWM Brazil achieved 23 awards in 2024, with the Haval H6 winning 12, thereby becoming the most awarded hybrid vehicle in Brazil.
For context, last year, GWM sold 453,100 vehicles internationally, representing a year-on-year growth of 43.4%, which accounted for 46.7% of its total annual sales of 1.2333 million vehicles, illustrating a year-on-year increase of 0.21%. Specifically, sales of new energy vehicles reached 322,000 units, illustrating a year-on-year rise of 22.82%.
Additionally, Brazil had 2.63 million registered vehicles across all categories (including cars, light commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses) in 2024, a 14.1% increase year-on-year, marking the highest growth since 2014, according to the Brazilian National Registry of Motor Vehicles (Renavam). Car rental companies continued to hold a significant market share, acquiring a total of 650,000 vehicles last year, with BYD and GWM registering approximately 100,000 vehicles combined.
Moreover, the Head of GWM in Brazil has indicated that the sales network is expanding, now comprising 79 dealers and 21 stores in shopping malls. In 2025, the company plans to begin production and launch new models at its Iracemápolis facility, which will become GWM’s fourth largest production hub to cater to the increasing demand for NEVs in Brazil.
Starting as early as 2022, GWM began establishing its presence in the Brazilian NEV market, unveiling its Brazilian core market strategy: to invest over 10 billion Brazilian Reais (around 1.6 billion USD) over the next decade to emphasize electrification and intelligent technology.
In terms of product strategy, GWM plans to introduce more than 10 NEV models in Brazil, covering the Haval, Tank, and Ora brands.
Smart cooperates with GWM-backed Deeproute.ai to explore intelligent driving
Smart from Mercedes-Benz and Geely has entered into a strategic partnership with the GWM-supported Deeproute.ai robotaxi startup. The two entities will collaborate on the development of AI-driven intelligent driving systems.
Founded in 2019, Deeproute.ai is a Chinese robotaxi startup focused on creating address-to-address smart driving that does not rely on high-definition maps. In November 2024, Great Wall Motor (GWM) led a Series C funding round with an investment of 100 million USD. At CES 2025, GWM representatives stated that working with Deeproute.ai would improve the effectiveness of driving assistance systems. Cars under the Wey brand will be the first to implement Deeproute’s AI-powered intelligent driving system.
Smart has initiated a collaboration with Deeproute.ai. On January 16, the two companies revealed their strategic partnership aimed at exploring AI technologies. Together, they will work on developing intelligent driving systems with the ambitious goal of transforming intelligent driving vehicles from mere travel tools into advanced AI entities.
Beyond the promotional language, Deeproute.ai is creating a comprehensive algorithm model designed to manage autonomous parking and a variety of driving situations, such as roundabouts, sharp turns, and roads without lane markings. In November 2024, Deeproute.ai announced the delivery of about 20,000 vehicles equipped with the Deeproute IO smart driving platform to customers since August.
In the past, Smart worked with Mobileye’s Supervision point-to-point automated navigation system, which included the Pilot Assist feature. This system’s hardware comprises two Mobileye EyeQ5 chips along with 11 cameras and radar. Other Geely-associated brands like Zeekr and Polestar have also used Mobileye’s technology. However, new Zeekr models have transitioned to utilizing Nvidia solutions, while Smart is now looking to collaborate with Deeproute.ai, suggesting that Mobileye may be losing significant clients.
Returning to Smart, the #5 electric crossover is viewed as the brand’s inaugural model featuring the Deeproute IO platform. It was launched in the Chinese market in October 2024, priced between 239,900 and 368,000 yuan (32,720 – 50,190 USD). Its dimensions are 4705/1920/1705 mm, and the 4WD variant can deliver up to 475 kW (636 hp).
ABOUT GWM
Innovation Strength with Tradition: A Genuine Global Entity
Established in 1984, Great Wall Motor (GWM) ranks among China’s most enduring passenger car manufacturers, showcasing over 40 years of expertise in engineering and production, along with more than 25 years of experience in exports. Recognized in the market for its reliable and high-quality offerings, GWM has emerged as a frontrunner in the SUV and pickup markets.
Currently, GWM has over 70,000 staff members spread across its subsidiaries on four continents. These employees are committed to shaping the future of GWM, building strategic collaborations with esteemed suppliers like Continental, Bosch, Webasto, BorgWarner, and ZF. In conjunction with BMW, GWM runs the “Spotlight Automotive” joint venture in China, focusing on the development and manufacturing of battery electric vehicles for the Mini brand.
As a pioneer in autonomous driving as well as battery electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, GWM adopts a technology-open stance, providing a wide array of powertrain choices with and without electrification.
A Robust and Adaptable Brand: GWM
GWM’s broad global range features five product lines and over 25 distinct models, addressing various customer preferences worldwide. The GWM Haval series showcases comfortable, spacious SUVs and represents the brand’s oldest and most successful product internationally. GWM Poer symbolizes tough 4×4 pickups, whereas GWM Tank offers luxury, high-end 4×4 SUVs.
In Europe, GWM presently provides two product lines. GWM WEY presents high-performance SUVs equipped with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains, while GWM ORA focuses on stylish, fully electric passenger vehicles.
Dedication to Europe: Committed for the Long Term
GWM’s venture in Europe initiated with vehicle imports as early as 2008. In 2021, GWM took significant steps to enhance its presence by aligning with established national distribution companies. As of now, GWM operates in nine European markets, including Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, the Baltics, Bulgaria, and Iceland.
Despite facing challenging market conditions, GWM remains fully dedicated to Europe. Since October 2024, all European commercial operations are centrally managed by Great Wall Motor Netherlands Sales B.V. Furthermore, a new European spare parts warehouse has begun operations, facilitating swift parts distribution to dealers and workshops.
Looking forward, GWM intends to increase its footprint and product range in Europe by introducing new powertrain options and additional models.
Customers at the Heart: Choose More
Customer focus, safety, and comfort are the fundamental principles of GWM. GWM vehicles in Europe are engineered to adhere to the highest active and passive safety criteria, achieving impressive 5-star EuroNCAP crash test ratings. GWM’s 5-year, 160,000-kilometer warranty reinforces its dedication to superior build quality and dependability.
At GWM, we emphasize close relationships and personalized service. We eagerly anticipate welcoming you soon at one of our authorized dealer locations, where you can experience GWM’s offerings and services firsthand.
