The GWM WEY G9 Hi4 seems like a respectable competitor to the saturating luxury-MPV market.
As more Chinese manufacturers claw their way into luxury-MPV sales, GWM Group comes forth with their answer to the luxury MPV, the WEY G9 Hi4 PHEV.
Its.. an interesting name, which adds to my confusion on the naming scheme. The car in Malaysia is named the GWM WEY G9 Hi4 PHEV, but WEY is an automotive brand itself in China. This is also not related to GAC and its M8 MPV, which frankly looks identical to the G9.
Slab of elegance
Styling wise (ignoring the GAC that I thought was the same car), the G9 presents itself with a very bold exterior. By bold, this car is huge; the same size as a Toyota Land Cruiser but more importantly identical with the Vellfire it is competing against. It is five metres long at a length of 5,050mm, width of 1,985mm and 1,900mm height, making road presence considerable by size alone.
It does look simultaneously luxurious but anonymous; a luxurious marque that blends with other luxury makes – more so as the massive front grille fad is really tiring to see now. Couple with art-deco pillar styling and it is elegant, but insufficient styling cues to set it apart in traffic (apart from size).
First-class for classy wallets
The ‘first-class’ experience is GWM’s slogan, and its best tested in the rear. The rear doors are motorized with the press of a button which introduces you to the airline-decor rear space, while the front doors use standard handles.
Entering is feels like ascending a coconut tree; you may savor on your fruits of labor, but you have to climb for it. Ample ground clearance is provided with a drastic disadvantage of a very tall cabin, taller than its competition. This design may prove particularly difficult for older occupants, be it old folks or also-old businessmen with rubbery knees.
The interior is plush with premium materials used inside, with the option of either black or brown Nappa leather offered. The seats are comfortable, the 7-seater configuration allowing for the middle-row seat to have two “captain chairs” that GWM calls “Zero Gravity Seats” as they include 10-point massage functions – which can only be used when the vehicle is stationary.
The third-row seats seem to be for the low-wage salarymen accompanying their boss, as the space to shuffle into the back is disappointingly cramp due to the size of the captain chairs. No configuration of back-and-forth of the seats will change this design flaw, which makes it feel more suited as a 5-seater luxobarge.
First-class luxury is and always will be: convenience. Where almost everyone is stuck in a digital world, the WEY G9 offers several charging ports, ranging from Type-A to Type-C ports. Especially for middle-row occupants is a 15.6-inch screen running Android with 64 gigabytes of internal storage (though the UI uses 17GB already) – opulent tech for the modern businessman, alongside a 12.5-litre fridge with top and bottom openings for cooled drinks – scurrying for German luxuries, it seems.
One letdown is the reliance on the fixed center-mounted 14.6-inch touchscreen; core elements such as air-conditioning is stuck within the touchscreen UI, which has the “learn it and earn it” attitude with how many features have been cramped into the screen alone. The UI overall is fast enough when fully booted and compatible with wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay.
The two-spoke steering wheel is rightly-sized although mildly disconcerting without a fully circular design, and the gauge cluster extremely minimalist. A Heads-Up Display (HUD) is available to gauge speed and other telemetry on the road.
Two non-motorized sunroofs for the first and second-row seats are also available.
Magnet on wheels
On the road, the hybrid powertrain of the WEY G9 can achieve a quoted New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) range of more than a thousand kilometres on full capacity and tank (but no actual range figures is claimed), or 170 kilometres on pure electric range.
The hybrid powertrain found here is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 148 horsepower and 240Nm, mated to a four-speed hybrid automatic with dual electric motors to make a quoted 50:50 weight distribution. Total battery capacity amounts to 44.2 kWh, making a total output of 436 horsepower and 642Nm, good for a 0-100km/h push of 5.7 seconds quoted.
The G9 is hardly a “fun” car in the traditional sense, with wallowy suspension prepared for absorbing bumps but less-so cornering with pace. Michelin Primacy Energy tyres in 18-inch and 245 width all-around handles the weight, but cornering limit feels very low as a 2,803kg behemoth.
Acceleration depends on drive mode, but power delivery in my testing was very delayed, related to feedback from pedal to electric powertrain – common in contemporary non-performance electric vehicles. Power only crept with more pedal input, which summarizes the feeling of a huge deadzone with the pedal. It is overall very lush, absorbing bumps and sufficient sound-deadening to make the cabin experience very relaxing. As for stopping on a dime, the brakes are sufficient but feel a touch too sensitive, maybe enough to startle the captains in their chairs behind.
Being the driver will be daunting unless you have chauffeur levels of driving knowledge – or are just rich. It is a huge slab of metal with frankly subpar visibility compensated by 360-degree cameras with sensors, but said sensors are activated only when parking or manually opening it on the touchscreen. Telling the ends of the front is almost impossible and could do with a front-mount parking pole (which the G9 is Chinese, so a Japanese-esque parking pole doesn’t suit its character.
Japs be wary
The GWM WEY G9 Hi4 PHEV is available at a quoted price of RM269,800. Included is an 8-year warranty on the hybrid system and 6-year warranty for the batteries.
In my own opinion, I’m not as big a fan of it as the G9 is sizeable. I don’t like large vehicles so I won’t be the target buyer, but it was a very comfortable experience as chauffeur and VIP. Not much driving joy here, but relaxed joy is accounted for.
It is a very luxurious affair that as a new vehicle, does compete with its Japanese rivals rather well in terms of interior quality and features.
The GWM WEY G9 Hi4 PHEV undercuts its primary competitor by at least RM50,000, so it can be a value-proposition for those who want a luxury MPV but want to make do with the lower cost-to-entry. Even though the ergonomics is a letdown where a van may fare better as a multi-occupant transporter, the WEY G9 is very set for the digital world and customers will be thrilled to enjoy such luxuries. Trouble is already past the horizon for legacy players in the luxury-MPV market with the introduction of other Chinese brands flooding the market, and this new GWM is just one of them.
But, while legacy players suffer from lesser technology, the WEY G9 is like showing a Victorian child an iPhone. There is a big learning curve to handling it, as is with most tech-loaded Chinese cars – it will both take a while to adjust with, or live with a fear that there are many things to go wrong – good or bad depending on each luxury shopper. The former will probably still stick with the much pricier (or equivalent-price recon) Japanese luxury boats.
~Efini
Specs for this GWM WEY G9 Hi4 PHEV:
Price (for Malaysian market at time of writing): RM269,800
Transmission: 4-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT)
Power figures: 436 horsepower, 642Nm torque
0-100km/h: 5.7s
Top speed: 190km/h
Consumption and Range: 83.3 kilometres per litre, >1,000km range
Drivetrain: All-wheel drive
Engine capacity: 1,499cc
Battery capacity: 44.2 kWh
Dimensions (Length, Width, Height): 5,050mm, 1,985, 1,900
Seats: 7
Cargo capacity: 1,725 litres
~Efini
Gallery:
Read more: Penang: Bufori Geneva
Kitchen appliance on wheels!!
Its not made for enthusiasts, obviously its nt that good for handling