China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM) broke its local monthly sales record in June and reaffirmed Australia as a key export market as it expands beyond China.
Like MG before it, GWM and its Haval SUV brand now play in the upper reaches of the sales ladder: GWM’s 2440 sales in June (up 18 per cent) gave it 13th place, between Suzuki and BMW.
This tally meant GWM outsold the likes of Nissan (1907), Honda (1036) and Jeep (659).
For some context, GWM sold 80,062 cars worldwide in its most recent monthly sales report (May), including 12,317 outside of China for that month.
MORE: Australia becomes top export market for GWM Haval
Haval Jolion
It also equalled its best-ever monthly market-share tally of 2.4 per cent, while its staple product the GWM Ute hit a high watermark of 1315 sales – outgunning the Mazda BT-50.
That’s despite the GWM’s price being up by as much as 12.8 per cent since launch in late 2020, after successive increases linked to supply chain pressures.
Like so many brands, GWM has been hobbled by shortages hitting the Ute in particular, but there’s some freer supply making its way down here now.
MORE: Chinese brands overtake Subaru and Honda as market evolves
Haval H6
Meanwhile its GWM Haval Jolion small SUV found 563 buyers, outgunning the lines of the Honda HR-V (281), Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (321) and Suzuki Vitara (757).
The larger GWM Haval H6 found 562 sales, with ongoing shortages on the hybrid holding it back from doing better, according to the company.
Year-to-date, GWM sits 15th in the market with 8557 sales, up 13 per cent in a down market. Its annual sales tally puts it ahead of Honda, LDV, Audi, Volvo and Renault among others.
MORE: GWM Tank 300, meet China’s Jeep Wrangler off-road rival
Haval Jolion hybrid 
Tank 500 
Haval Dargo 
GWM Ora
There are also a lot of new products to come. Getting firm timing out of Chinese brands can be a challenge, but the Haval Jolion hybrid is expected to arrive over the next few months.
GWM still has plans afoot to introduce its Tank brand, focused on more rugged and upmarket SUVs, shortly ahead of the GWM Ora – its first electric car that looks set to push into 2023.
GWM alongside MG and LDV is leading a vanguard of Chinese entrants, soon to be padded out with the likes of BYD and Chery. The country is now Australia’s fourth-main source of vehicle imports behind Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
Top brands by sales, June 2022
- Toyota – 22,561
- Kia – 8480
- Hyundai – 8259
- Mazda – 6245
- Mitsubishi – 5846
- Ford – 4972
- MG – 4403
- Mercedes-Benz Cars – 3909
- Subaru – 3575
- Isuzu Ute – 3457
- Volkswagen – 2993
- Suzuki – 2536
- GWM – 2440
- BMW – 2327
- Nissan – 1907
- Audi – 1618
- Isuzu – 1521
- Volvo Car – 1174
- Renault – 1080
- Honda – 1036
MORE: All GWM news and reviews
MORE: All Haval news and reviews
