GWM’s Range Rover-rivalling luxury flagship revealed: 2026 Wey V9X breaks cover as hybrid six-seat rival to Zeekr 8X, BYD Great Tang, MG IM LS9, and Denza N9

GWM has pulled the covers off its flagship luxury SUV after an extended teaser campaign.

The new over 5.0-metre long three-row SUV will live under GWM’s Wey luxury brand, which is set to debut in Australia in the second half of 2026.

It enters a suddenly extremely competitive flagship Chinese SUV space, which has also seen the recent reveals of the BYD Great Tang the, Zeekr 8X and 9X, and the IM LS8 and LS9 from MG’s luxury arm.

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The V9X is a plug-in hybrid which pairs a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 175kW with dual electric motors in the brand’s signature 'Hi4' set-up, as well as relatively large battery options allowing a fully-electric driving range of either 240km or 363km according to the more lenient CLTC standards.

It uses an 800-volt electrical architecture, becoming more common on Chinese plug-in hybrids, targeting 200km of range added in five minutes on a DC charger. According to data filed in China it can sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds, which is rapid for an SUV which measures 5299mm in length.

The new flagship also debuts a new and more sleek design direction for GWM, featuring toned-down light fittings with contemporary LED bars front and rear, a gentle rear spoiler and somewhat conservative chrome highlights to clad the window line.

Inside is similar to other recent GWM offerings, and doesn’t stray far from the other vehicles within the Wey brand, in offering a two-spoke steering wheel, clean centre console design with only a handful of toggle controls, as well as a massive dash spanning dual-screen layout. Unlike some rivals, it maintains a more modest digital instrument cluster.

2026 Wey V9X

Signature features on the outside include the vertical bar on its nose representing the Wey logo, active aero vents in the front splitter and a two-tone paint finish.

On the inside it features generous leather appointments in a more traditional-for-China six-seat layout. It features a roof-mounted multimedia display and even wireless phone chargers in each of the rear doors, with leg rests for the independently reclining second row seats.

It is offered with wheels spanning from 19- to 21-inches according to data filed with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and interestingly features traditional door handles, seemingly in recognition of new laws in China which will seek to prohibit flush door handle designs.

2026 Wey V9X

GWM’s luxury Wey brand has been confirmed for Australia in the second half of 2026, although its launch line-up is yet to be finalised. It is expected to at least include the G9 people mover, which is already available in right-hand drive in Thailand.

The Chinese juggernaut, which currently has a 4x4 heavy line-up under its Cannon and Tank sub-brands faces a renewed challenge in the next few years in Australia. While it finished 2025 with the title of Australia’s favourite Chinese brand, in the first two months of 2026 it has been overtaken by BYD, which is determined to crack the top-three overall this year.

It is also facing a race against time to reduce the emissions footprint of its range, which still heavily features diesel and turbo-petrol engines, as Australia’s new vehicle efficiency laws close the vice on higher-polluting engine options.

To that end, GWM has said to expect an expansion on its range of available plug-in hybrids across its brands, but also an expansion of its primarily electric Ora sub-brand.