China’s Great Wall Motor, the maker of the communist country’s top-selling sport utility vehicles, plans to launch a new high-end brand next week, the latest attempt by a Chinese automaker to shake its association with cheap cars.
The new WEY brand will be launched on November 16 ahead of the Guangzhou Motor Show, China’s second most prominent auto exhibition of the year, the company said in an exchange filing on Thursday.
The brand name appears to be a nod to Great Wall Chairman Wei Jianjun, Reuters reported on November 12.
Great Wall was an early mover in China’s craze for SUVs with its H6 model topping sales charts going back to 2014. But thus far the brand has not been able to command the higher prices of foreign marques.
“To gain the next level of pricing, they may need to create another brand,” said James Chao, Asia-Pacific chief of IHS Market Automotive.
“Product is critical but equally important is a brand that people start to recognize as being equal to global brands in value and prestige.”
A Great Wall spokesman declined to elaborate on the brand in advance of the launch, referring to the exchange statement.
The new name follows Chinese rival Geely starting the Lynk & Co brand last month that seeks to compete globally with mainstream foreign brands like General Motors and Volkswagen.
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