Market Insight: GWM jumps the queue

THE visible increase in GWM and Haval vehicles on Australian roads reflects a surge of buyer interest in the marque and consumer acknowledgement of how the company has designed its models to suit market preferences.

 

GWM, the master brand of SUV range Haval and the nameplate that badges the commercial vehicle range, has reduced its model range to three models but lifted market share to 2.4 per cent in June, compared with 1.9 per cent for the same month in 2021.

 

Its June retail result of 2440 deliveries was also an all-time record for the car-maker in Australia, yielding a market share for the month higher than the monthly slice held by BMW (2.3 per cent), Nissan (1.9 per cent) and Audi (0.9 per cent)

 

GWM’s year-to-date share is now 1.6 per cent (up from 1.3 per cent in the first six months of 2021) to command a bigger audience than major players including established brands Honda (1.4 per cent), Audi (1.2 per cent) and Jeep (0.6 per cent), as well as Chinese compatriot LDV (1.3 per cent).

 

The boost is sufficient for the company to target its GWM/Haval models to sell in excess of 20,000 units this year, up from the 18,384 units sold in calendar 2021.

 

So far this year, sales are up 13.1 per cent after selling 8557 units to the end of June, despite some difficulties getting stock and the fact that three models – the H2 and H9 SUVs and the 4x2 and 4x4 GWM Steed utes – have been discontinued.

 

GWM head of marketing and communications for Australia and NZ, Steve Maciver, told GoAuto that the models available are the Haval H6 and Joilion, and the GWM Ute in 4x4 and 4x2.

 

He attributed the jump in sales to the introduction of new products – for example, the H6 now also comes with a hybrid powertrain – with significant improvements in design, features and safety to the models while retaining the value-for-money advantage.

 

“As a result, more buyers are flocking to what we're doing,” he said.

 

“Certainly the Jolion, H6 and Ute are seeing record levels of sales performance.

 

“The other part of the sales increase is network expansion. When I started here in early 2020, we had about 40 dealers. That number is now closer to 80 which has closed off a lot of important PMAs.”

 

Mr Maciver said there was no replacement – as yet – for the seven-seat H9 large SUV but that sales strength was continuing with two H6 medium SUV variants recently introduced.

 

“The H6 hybrid has been added to the range and while we have some struggles getting supply, there is plenty of demand and we have plenty of orders,” he said.

 

“As soon as we can get supply, we'll start seeing more of those on the road. The other car, which we just announced pricing and grade line-up on is the H6 GT, which is more of a coupe-style version of the conventional SUV, but based essentially on the same H6 platform. 

 

“We haven't really started selling that yet because they’re literally just coming off the wharf and getting transported into dealers right now. 

 

“We suspect that the H6 GT could give us anywhere up to an additional 400 units a month.”

 

GWM is believed to be close to bringing in the long wheelbase GWM Ute – dubbed King Kong – and a cab-chassis version of the Ute. Both are likely before the end of this year but Mr Maciver would not confirm.

 

It is also still studying two nameplates for Australia – the EV sub-brand ORA and the SUV sub-brand Tank.

 

“We’re still working the business case on Tank, which has the 300, 500 and 700 versions already unveiled overseas,” Mr Maciver said.

 

“ORA is still on the cards but not yet confirmed. EV is definitely in our plans and will be a big part of our future.”