2026: Wey V9X: GWM’s new flagship SUV has a huge battery for a PHEV, and features galore

Great Wall Motor’s luxury Wey brand – which will debut in Australia later this year as a sub-brand – has just revealed a new flagship SUV that will be the first model based on its new GWM One S platform.

The Wey V9X is a six-seat, full-size SUV, measuring no less than 5299mm long, 2025mm wide and 1825mm tall on a 3150mm wheelbase. That makes it over 200mm longer than the GWM Tank 500, itself sized similarly to a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, on a 300mm longer wheelbase.

A slightly shorter version, on a 3050mm wheelbase with a total length of 5205mm, is also available. Interestingly, this is the one aimed at families, while the longer V9X is aimed at executives.

The V9X is yet to be confirmed for Australia, though GWM says it’s “under consideration”.

It debuts the new GWM One S architecture, a new “super platform” that’ll underpin everything from sedans and SUVs to utes and sports cars, and support a range of powertrain types including petrol, plug-in hybrid, diesel hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel-cell.

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All V9Xs employ a Super Hi4 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 175kW of power and 385Nm of torque, plus an electric motor on each axle, all-wheel drive and a four-speed dedicated hybrid transmission.

GWM also had examples on display at the Beijing motor show with number plates reading ‘EV’ and ‘HEV’, though no details are available yet on other powertrains.

There are three different configurations, all of which feature dual-chamber air suspension with continuously variable damping and rear-wheel steering, and which ride on 21-inch alloy wheels.

The Luxury Family Edition uses a 66.6kWh ternary lithium battery with 312km of electric range on the WLTC cycle. A 110kW/170Nm front electric motor and 220kW/380Nm rear motor mate with the four-cylinder engine to produce total system outputs of 500kW and 930Nm.

While the other variants use an 800V electrical system, the Luxury Extended Version is the only one to feature a 400V system and it features the smallest battery capacity of the lot at 55.4kWh. Electric range drops down to 240km.

It uses 100kW/170Nm and 240kW/312Nm electric motors for total outputs of 510kW and 862Nm.

Finally, the flagship Executive Extended Version steps back up to an 800V system and an 80kWh battery, with the longest electric range of the lineup at 363km.

It featues 110kW/170Nm and 270kW/380Nm electric motors, for total system outputs of 550kW and 930Nm.

Total combined range for the V9X is between 1343km and 1377km on the WLTC cycle, depending on the variant, while fuel consumption is 6.3L/100km.

The peak DC charge rate is 490kW and a 30-80 per cent charge takes a claimed nine minutes.

The claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is as little as 4.6 seconds on a full charge, or 4.8 seconds with the battery depleted.

As a flagship luxury SUV, the V9X is expected to offer an opulent, tech-laden interior.

Inside, there’s standard Nappa leather across all seating surfaces, and suede across the headliner and pillars.

The door trim takes inspiration from Eastern architecture, with the Wey logo integrated into the stitching. GWM claims a total of over 38,000 stitches in the cabin.

There’s a 29-inch augmented reality head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and 17.3-inch central and passenger-side touchscreens.

The driver’s seat cushion has built-in airbags allowing you to choose between four modes of firmness, and there are the requisite heating, ventilation and massage functions.

The second row has a 21.4-inch 4K screen, with the captain’s chairs featuring heating and ventilation, and the doors incorporating wireless phone chargers. Only the right-hand-side seat has a 22-point full-body massaging zero-gravity seat with a four-way power-adjustable and heated leg rest.

The third row is heated and power-folding, and GWM claims a 185cm tall passenger can sit comfortably back here.

The V9X features four soft-close doors which on some variants can open and close with the press of a button.

There’s a power tailgate and behind it is 244 litres of boot space, expanding to 1024L with the two rearmost rows folded.

The V9X uses a 31-speaker 3080W Coffee AI Sound audio system with head restraint-mounted speakers and Dolby Atmos.

Standard equipment also includes a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate control, a heating and cooling refrigerator, and adaptive matrix LED headlights, with micro pixel headlights and a fragrance system available.

There’s a sentinel mode and in-car karaoke, while five different chatbot personas offer “24/7 high-value emotional support” and an AI-powered in-car encyclopedia can answer questions on the vehicle. Xiao Wei is the name of the in-car mascot.

“The system recognises your emotional state through visual perception, supporting emotional feedback such as gazing and smiling, making heart gestures and giving thumbs up. Xiao Wei is always there, maximising emotional value,” says GWM.

The suite of active safety and driver assist technology is powered by one LiDAR, three millimetre-wave radar, 12 ultrasonic radar, and 11 cameras.

GWM says this suppots “high-speed [Navigation on Autopilot] intelligent navigation assistance driving”, with assisted driving from parking space to parking space.

There’s remote and autonomous parking, with reverse tracking and memory functionality, while active safety tech includes front and rear cross-traffic assist.

The new flagship joins a growing segment of SUVs in China measuring more than 5.2 metres long, almost all of which have a ‘9’ in their name and either a plug-in hybrid, electric, or extended-range electric powertrain under their bonnet.

This includes the Aito M9, BYD Great Tang, Denza N9, IM LS9, Lynk & Co 900, Xpeng GX, and the Zeekr 9X.

The V9X will slot in above the Lanshan – a 5156mm long plug-in hybrid three-row SUV – as the flagship of the Wey brand, which was established in 2016.

The only other Wey vehicles at present are the Gaoshan people mover (expected to arrive in Australia this year) and the Mocha, a medium-to-large PHEV crossover SUV.

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