The local assembly of this premium PHEV people mover from GWM has already kicked off in Melaka.
GWM appears to be the latest in the Chinese automaking fraternity over here to offer an Alphard alternative, as it has now announced that order books are officially open for its G9 PHEV MPV. This update comes as the first locally assembled units roll out of EPMB’s facility in Melaka, ahead of its imminent launch early next year.
Malaysia will incidentally be the first in the world to receive this right-hand-drive version of the Wey G9, with locally assembled units also set to be exported to other regional markets. Worth highlighting too is that this GWM will join the only other PHEV MPV currently on sale here — GAC’s M8 — though the Wey G9 is expected to significantly undercut the RM 328,888 GAC with an estimated asking price of under RM 300,000.
GWM hasn’t exactly shared all the details about this upcoming model just yet, but Malaysia is expected to receive the mid-wheelbase seven-seater variant at launch. Its 5.28-metre footprint between 18-inch wheels will be complemented by a gigantic waterfall-style chromed grille up front, while a stapler-shaped LED light bar wraps around the rear.
Inside, the Wey G9’s straight-edged dashboard is to be topped by a large 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display. And as is seemingly standard on all Sino people movers these days, this GWM also packs its own centre console fridge, complete with an independent compressor and an adjustable temperature range from 0°C to 50°C.
In terms of seating, the Wey G9 features a shared-rail design for its second- and third-row seats, allowing up to 1,166 mm of legroom to be freed up for second-row occupants. Luggage capacity stands at 233 litres with all seats up, but expands to a rather useful 1,725 litres when folded flat.
Under the hood, the G9 debuts GWM’s Hi4 technology locally, with the marque’s first PHEV over here pairing a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with a 4-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission and electric motors on each axle. Combined output is rated at 442 PS and 642 Nm, enabling a claimed 0–100 km/h sprint of 5.7 seconds and a 200 km/h top speed.
As for the EV side of this PHEV, it packs a sizeable 44.2 kWh battery good for up to 170 km of NEDC-rated electric-only driving. Charging from 30% to 80% via DC at a peak 60 kW takes 26 minutes, while a full AC charge from 15% to 100% at 6.6 kW takes around 6.5 hours.
GWM has added that local tuning has also been carried out on the suspension to better suit Malaysian road conditions, while the powertrain calibration has been tweaked to deliver the performance characteristics Malaysian buyers typically expect. Air-conditioning performance has likewise been uprated for our climate, with a stronger compressor fitted for the local units.
Exterior colour options for Wey G9 buyers over here are said to include the monochromatic palette of grey, black or white. As for the interior, GWM will offer this PHEV MPV in either brown or black.
