GWM Wey G9 News

The first model from GWM’s premium sub-brand, Wey, has been approved for sale in Australia ahead of its expected launch in the fourth quarter of 2026.This is the GWM Wey G9, which is a people mover that has been offered in China since 2023.At this stage GWM hasn’t officially announced that the Wey G9 will be launching in Australia, but if it does it will form as a rival to the likes of the BYD M9, GAC M8 and Kia Carnival, among others.According to government approval documents, the GWM Wey G9 has been approved for local sale in both hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) guises.The hybrid powertrain pairs a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with dual electric motors. Total system output is 263kW.The PHEV powertrain, on the other hand, pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with dual electric motors. Despite having a smaller engine, it has a higher total system output of 325kW.Given the dual electric motors on each axle this means that both versions of the Wey G9 are all-wheel drive.The approval documents don’t list the battery pack the PHEV version will havem, but globally there is a 38kWh and 44.5kWh unit available. This offers up to 140km and 170km of electric range, respectively, according to lenient CLTC testing.There is little else new information about the GWM Wey G9 in the local approval documents beyond the weights and dimensions.The hybrid version has a tare mass of 2504kg and a gross vehicle mass of 3165kg, whereas the PHEV version has a tare mass of 2759kg and a gross vehicle mass of 3355kg.The hybrid version has a braked towing capacity of 1500kg, whereas the PHEV isn’t allowed to tow at all.The GWM Wey G9 measures in at 5055mm long, 1985mm wide and 1925mm tall, with a 3085mm wheelbase. This makes it slightly shorter but taller than the Kia Carnival.According to the local approval documents, all versions of the Wey G9 will come with 18-inch alloy wheels.GWM has confirmed it will launch the Wey sub-brand in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2026 and it’s expected the G9 people mover will be the first model given it has now been approved for local sale.It’s expected the G9 won’t be the only Wey model on offer Down Under. It has previously said that large SUVs and people movers will be the focus.The brand recently launched the V9X large SUV in China. It debuted a new architecture called the GWM ONE platform.It’s powered by a PHEV powertrain that in top-spec form offers total system outputs of up to 550kW and 930Nm, as well as a battery pack that’s up to 80kWh in capacity. This allows for up to 470km of CLTC-claimed electric range.If the GWM Wey V9X comes to Australia it will form as a rival to the Denza B8 and Zeekr 8X, as well as the Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz GLS.