The first Chinese vehicles to be launched in Australia will officially go on sale this October, six months earlier than previously predicted.

The new vehicles will be sold under the Great Wall Motors (GWM) brand and are being imported to Australia and New Zealand through the Ateco network.

The first model will be a dual-cab utility that will sell for under $20,000, however the new ute is just the start of a full model onslaught and will be followed soon after by a single-cab ute, a compact SUV and an entry level hatchback. Pricing details are yet to be revealed, but Ateco claims the vehicles will cost roughly the same as comparable South Korean models while also being better equipped.

GWM is one of China’s leading businesses and is the largest privately owned carmaker in the country. It specializes in SUV and utility models but has recently expanded into the MPV and small hatch markets.

New ute will head introduction
The new ute will be able to seat five adults and features a 2.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 78kW and 190Nm of torque. Disc brakes are used up front but older style drum brakes are fitted to the rear axle.

Chinese-built vehicles have traditionally been viewed as unsafe and poor quality, mostly due to the country’s lack of internationally recognised safety and production standards. However, there have been significant improvements in recent years as more and more Chinese carmakers ramp up their export programs.

Ateco managing director Ric Hull has been negotiating with GWM for the past three years to bring the vehicles to Australia, but more importantly to homologate them to meet local standards.

Constant improvement allays quality concerns
“From day one we have been thoroughly impressed with GWM,” says Mr Hull. “World class production facilities are becoming commonplace in China and there is no doubt that GWM has set the production benchmark.  But what sets GWM apart is the corporate culture that permeates through the organisation.  The company motto is ‘Improving little by little every day’ and from what we have seen the staff really do live and breathe this philosophy. Every time we go to GWM’s head office in Baoding, we are impressed by the progress that has been made since our last visit.”

One of the GWM ute’s closest rivals is likely to be the Mahindra Pik-Up imported to Australia by TMI Pacific, although the Indian-sourced vehicle is only available with a turbodiesel engine and is priced significantly higher at $23,990 for the base model. Sales of the Pik-Up have been steady since its market launch in the middle of last year and are close to reaching TMI Pacific’s initial target of 600 vehicles per year.

It’s too early to say how the Chinese-sourced vehicles will be perceived by the market but given the track record of Ateco, who successfully turned around Kia’s fortunes when it first overtook import duties of the brand back in 2000, GWM appears to be in good hands.

Ateco was not willing to divulge pricing details and specifications of GWM’s other models but more details are expected to be announced closer to the brand’s launch date in October.

Great Wall Motors dual-cab ute

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