A respectable competitor to the saturating luxury-MPV market.
As more Chinese manufacturers claw their way into Toyota Alphard and Vellfire sales, GWM Group comes forth with their answer to the luxury MPV, the WEY G9 Hi4 PHEV.
Its.. an interesting name (WEIIII). Actually, the whole naming scheme is confusing. The car here 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 itself.
Styling wise (ignoring the GAC that I thought was the same car), the G9 presents itself with a very bold exterior. 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 looks simultaneously luxurious and anonymous; a luxurious marque that blends with other luxury makes – more so as the massive front grille fad is really tiring to see now.
The rear doors are motorized with the press of a button which introduces you to the airline-decor rear space, the front doors use standard handles.
Entering is akin to climbing 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.
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.
One letdown is the reliance on the fixed center-mounted 14.6-inch touchscreen; some core elements such as air-conditioning is stuck within the touchscreen UI, a common trait in these cars that could be improved with more physical buttons. 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 simple. 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.
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 mountain carver, 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 non-performance electric vehicles of now. Power only came in with more pedal input, whilst less input gave much lesser shift in speed. It is overall very lush, absorbing bumps and sufficient sound-deadening to make the cabin experience very relaxing. Brakes are sufficient but feel a touch too sensitive.
Being the driver is a daunting unless you are experienced with luxury MPVs. It is a huge slab of metal with frankly subpar visibility partially assisted 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 doesn’t suit the G9).
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 themselves.
In my own opinion, I’m not as big a fan of it as the G9 is big. I don’t like large vehicles so I won’t be the target buyer, but it was a very comfortable experience. Not much driving joy here, but relaxed joy is accounted for.
But 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.
~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:
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