Great Wall Motors (GWM) has unveiled two models under its Haval and Ora brands in Thailand, ahead of the launch of local production at its newly-acquired plant in Rayong – Thailand's main automotive production hub.
China's leading SUV manufacturer said it plans to begin selling four models in Thailand this year, starting with the Haval H6 SUV and the ORA "Good Cat" battery-powered electric vehicle (EV) it unveiled at last week's livestreaming event targeting Thai media and consumers – along with the launch of the GWM brand in the country.
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The company completed the acquisition of the Rayong plant from General Motors October last year, with the US carmaker continuing to scale back its presence in the region as part of a broader refocusing of its global operations.
GWM, headquartered in Baoding in China's Hebei province, said it is scheduled to begin production at the plant in the current quarter, just six months after it completed the acquisition, once the refitting process has been completed.
The automakersaid two additional models will be launched later this year, most likely including a pickup truck model, with a total of nine models set to enter the Thai market in the next three years.
These models will also be exported to other markets in the South-east Asia, with the company confirming it will "support the rise of Thailand as the EV industry leader in ASEAN".
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By GlobalDataGWM said it has a presence in 60 markets worldwide and 12 global full-scale production bases, including its newest one in Rayon Thailand. It also has five KD (knock-down) assembly plants outside China. Last year GWM also agreed to buy GM's Talegaoncar plant in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
