This comes just a week after this PHEV people mover from GWM made its debut over here.
With all the competition in the premium MPV space right now, one might have expected the GWM Wey G9 to face an uphill battle. But it seems that assumption has already been proven wrong, as the Chinese automaker just announced that its electrified people mover has already racked up over 800 bookings within its first week on sale in Malaysia.
Incidentally too, during its launch, GWM had outlined a projected annual sales target of 5,000 units for the Wey G9 in Malaysia. And thus with these 800+ bookings already secured, the Chinese automaker has effectively achieved around 16% of that goal in just its very first week on sale alone.
Now of course, one of the key draws to the GWM Wey G9 is its current pricing. Retailing at RM269,800, this locally assembled PHEV MPV significantly undercuts its closest similarly positioned Sino rival, the GAC M8 PHEV, which comes in at RM 328,888… not to mention being nearly HALF the price of what the new officially-imported RM 549,000 Toyota Vellfire costs.
And speaking of the aforementioned Toyota, the Wey G9 is actually marginally larger as well. Measuring 5,050 mm in length, 1,985 mm in width and 1,900 mm in height, with a 3,085 mm wheelbase and 155 mm of ground clearance, it edges the ubiquitous peti sejuk by just a smidge.
Under the bonnet meanwhile, the Wey G9 is powered by the latest iteration of GWM’s Hi4 Intelligent Hybrid 4WD system. This setup pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a four-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), complemented by electric motors mounted on each axle for all-wheel drive capability. Combined system output stands at an impressive 442 PS and 642 Nm of torque, enabling a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 190 km/h.
As for what is supplying energy to the twin e-motors, this comes courtesy of a sizeable 44.2 kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery pack, offering up to 170 km of NEDC-rated all-electric driving range. DC fast charging at up to 60 kW a top up from 30% to 80% to occur in 26 minutes, while a 6.6 kW AC charger will take it from 15% to 100% in approximately 6.5 hours.
Visually now, up front of the Wey G9 sits a gigantic waterfall-style chrome grille, while a stapler-shaped LED light bar stretches across its rump. Dual sunroofs crown the roofline, whereas 18-inch two-tone alloys on all four corners hide behind it frequency response dampers that are apparently locally tuned to Malaysian roads.
Step inside, and the dashboard is dominated by a 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. This is complemented by 64-colour ambient lighting, a head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 50-watt Qi wireless charger, and a 2,440-watt 21-speaker premium audio system.
Practical touches abound as well, including 11 USB ports scattered throughout the cabin and a three-zone automatic climate control system. And in true Chinese luxury MPV fashion, there is also the obligatory built-in fridge — complete with its own independent compressor and capable of maintaining temperatures between 0 and 50°C.
Being a luxury people mover too, special mention has to be given to its seating arrangement. The Wey G9 adopts a 2-2-3 configuration, with the highlight being the second-row zero-gravity captain chairs. These six-way adjustable seats are ventilated, feature built-in ottomans, and come equipped with a 10-point massage function. The front seats also gain power adjustment with memory and ventilation, while the driver’s seat adds its own 10-point massage feature as well.
Further enhancing flexibility is a shared rail design for the second and third rows, offering an extra-long 1,845 mm slide range. This allows up to 1,166 mm of legroom for second-row occupants, allowing the taukes to really stretch out.
To end on an interesting note, Malaysia is the first country in the world to receive the right-hand-drive version of the Wey G9. Though perhaps significantly in the context of its production numbers here is that these locally assembled units are also set to be exported to other regional markets, with GWM expecting to ship out roughly the same number of vehicles it sells domestically (5,000) this year alone.
