KUALA LUMPUR: Great Wall Motor (GWM) in Malaysia has introduced the Wey luxury sub-brand and rolled out the upscale Wey G9 Hi4 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
While exuding upmarket vibes, the Wey brand also offers affordability.
Priced on-the-road without insurance at RM269,800, the locally-assembled G9 is available as a standalone variant that comes in three colour options of Wisdom Grey, Aurora White and Nebula Black.
The G9 is locally assembled by EP Manufacturing's facility located in Pegoh, Melaka and serves as the regional export base for Asean, with exports currently headed for Thailand and additional markets planned.
Regardless of colour choice, the cabin can be upholstered in either Brown or Black for the seats and lower section, while the interior's upper section is maintained in Grey.
For peace of mind, there is an inclusion of a standard six-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and eight-year or 180,000km coverage for the battery, electric motors, and electric motor control units.
Additionally, it also comes with five years of free maintenance (including parts and labour) and free telematics service, a free wallbox home charger and, for the first 1,000 owners, a free 15.6-inch rear entertainment screen (including installation) will be fitted.
Meanwhile, existing GWM owners will be given a RM3,000 rebate for their loyalty to the brand.
With a 3,085mm wheelbase and 155mm of ground clearance, this 2,803kg (kerb) MPV has a length of 5,050mm, a width of 1,985mm, and a height of 1,900mm - giving this seven-seater (2+2+3) 233 litres of boot space or 1,725 litres when both second and third row seats have been folded down.
This flagship MPV, uses 18-inch wheels with 245/50 series tyres, front and rear disc brakes while sporting a distinctive chromed Waterfall grille and a bamboo-styled rear light clusters.
Also included are power-folding external rearview mirrors with integrated turn-signals, front sunroof, rear panoramic sunroof and a hands-free powered tailgate for added convenience.
The all-aluminium suspension system consists of front MacPherson struts and a rear multi-link setup, while a Frequency Response Damper further bolsters comfort.
For illumination, LEDs are used for the daytime runners, rear light clusters, rear fogs, rear uni-lightbar, as well as front automatic headlights with follow-me home and automatic high-beam functions.
Under the hood lies of a 1.5-litre (1,499cc) turbocharged direct-injected engine that sips from a 58-litre fuel tank, produces 150PS (110kW) from 5,500 to 6,000rpm and 240Nm of torque from 1,800 to 4,000rpm.
The entirety is managed by a four-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) that sends the proverbial twist to the Hi4 intelligent electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system.
The Hi4 system is made up of two electric motors, comprising an 80kW/170Nm motor for the front axle and a more powerful 135kW/232Nm motor for the rear axle.
Combining the efforts of the combustion engine and electric motors means this MPV now has a total system output of 442PS (325kW) and 642Nm, allowing it to sprint from 0 to 100kph in about 5.7 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 190kph.
In terms of efficiency, the G9 is said to consume just 1.2 litres per 100km (NEDC) or 6.2km per 100km if the battery's state-of-charge (SoC) is low.
On a full charge, the G9 is expected to reach 170km (NEDC) in pure electric vehicle (EV) mode, while more than 1,000km (NEDC) can be expected when both internal combustion and electric motors are employed.
Powering the electric motors is a 44.2kWh Ternary lithium-ion battery (located in the floorboard) that's able to accept up to 6.6kW of AC charging to bring the battery's SoC from 15% to 100% in about 6.5 hours.
Using a faster 60kW DC charger can bring the battery's SoC from 30% to 80% in about 26 minutes.
A Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) external power supply provides up to 3.3kW of power.
Inside, the cabin's seats are upholstered in Nappa leather while the third row uses faux leather.
Up front, the driver gets eight-way power adjustability and four-way lumbar support as well as memory, a welcome function, 10-point massage and ventilation.
The front passenger is accorded with a six-way power adjustable seat that comes with a Boss switch, memory function and ventilation.
Moving to the second row, while the two seats provide a middle aisle access section, they get upgraded to GWM's Zero Gravity seats with six-way power adjustability, ventilation and massage functions, and a two-way powered leg rest.
The armrest features an integrated seat control panel that controls the four-way powered headrest while providing access to tray tables integrated into the back of the front seats.
Other accoutrements include a 64-colour ambient lighting system with pulse effect, multifunction steering wheel, electronic parking brake with Auto Vehicle Hold (AVH), Column Shifter, Smart key with push-start button, full-vehicle keyless entry system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a heads-up display, 50W wireless charger, voice control and tri-zone climate controls.
In terms of comfort and convenience, there's an Air Quality Automatic Control System (AQS) with Plasma; N95 filter, HALOSonic Active Noise Cancellation system, a 12.5-litre dual-opening cooler/heater (0–50-degrees Celcius), 11 USB ports (six Type-A and five Type-C), a dedicated USB port for a dashcam, and an automatic front defogger.
There's also a digital rearview mirror with automatic anti-glare, powered windows with anti-pinch function on all doors and auto-close function and acoustic glass for the front windshield and front and second-row door glass.
A 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system powers a 21-speaker sound system with VSC Adaptive Sound Compensation and comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity.
Owning a G9 means getting access to this MPV via an app that can monitor and control the doors (lock/unlock), windows, sunroof and climate controls, while getting access to certain information such as total mileage, charge level, fuel level, tyre temperature and pressure, charging status, battery pack insulation status, sliding-door status, vehicle location, hybrid power status, and e-fence.
The app can also act as a remote control for the vehicle's start/stop function, lock/unlock, locator (horn/flash), sunroof closing and seat ventilation.
In terms of safety, it comes standard with six airbags, anti-lock braking system, electronic brakeforce distribution and traction control, before getting bolstered by an emergency call function, a 360-degree surround camera with transparent chassis function.
Also included is intelligent adaptive cruise control with cornering function, traffic jam assist, automatic emergency braking system with intersection, forward collision warning function, manoeuvre emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane centring/keeping, emergency lane keeping, lane change assistance, and wisdom dodge.
Rounding it all off is rear collision warning, rear cross traffic alert and braking, traffic sign recognition and speed alarm, speed assist system, second collision mitigation, hill-start assist, hill descent control, blind spot detection, tyre pressure monitoring system, door open warning, emergency signal system, mechanical child safety locks and an Event Data Recorder (Accident Data Recorder).
In conjunction with the launch of the G9, GWM Malaysia took the opportunity to announce the appointment of Datuk Seri Siti Nurhaliza as the Wey G9's ambassador and the model's first buyer in Malaysia.
The G9 is said to be in line with the celebrated artiste's values through its appeal as a luxury MPV designed for families and professionals alike.
