Everyone has heard the English expression "no way", which translates to "there is no way". However, now we will try to convince you that there is a way, just by changing one letter, to get a Chinese car that is at the level of the European ones. We are talking about the Chinese Wey cars and more specifically the 05 model. This car is the work of the Chinese from Great Wall Motors, it is sold in our country and is the "tip of the ice cream" in the GWM range.
This is the most technological, the most luxurious and the most expensive car that the Chinese sell in our country. Our team had the opportunity to experience the GWM Wey 05, and our impressions (surprisingly to ourselves) are mostly positive. Naturally, this car also has its flaws, but in general it is a decent and attractive in terms of price, a luxury SUV that can easily compete with European counterparts such as the VW Touareg and company.
The Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors has decided to release in Europe and respectively in our country one of its top models, the Wey 05, formerly known as the Wey Coffee 01. The extremely richly equipped hybrid off-road vehicle is definitely a bargain, although still it can't compete with the competitors from the German premium trio, but it doesn't try. With its lower price, as well as the many extras and technologies, the Wey 05 stands up to both the aforementioned Touareg and all Japanese and Korean offerings in this segment.
After Great Wall Motors has been selling part of its production here for 13 years, now the Chinese have decided to enter a little more in the luxury segments of the car market in Bulgaria. They originally launched with the "cheeky" city car Ora, with the idea being to study the market, and now a second product line called Wey is underway, which, unlike Ora, is not purely electric.
Her models are from the so-called type of plug-in hybrids that do equally well on both electricity and gasoline. In other words, unlike Ora, Wey is aimed at a more conservative clientele and currently offers classic high-end hybrid SUVs. Wey does not rely exclusively on batteries, and the Chinese are bucking the trend of pushing pure EVs by installing a gasoline engine and selling the car as off-road. They call the Wey 05 model a hybrid compromise between the internal combustion engine and the electric future.
As for dimensions, the Wey 05, which is about 20 centimeters longer than the smaller 03 (also sold in our country), can compete with premium models such as the Audi Q7, BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE, but it is still too early to make such comparisons, and the Chinese are aware of this. The price of the Wey 05 is also significantly lower than that of German premium SUVs. Great Wall has high hopes for the Wey 05 because it is significantly more affordable and has an extremely clean and stylish design, and its interior, among many extras, is abundant in leather and Alcantara. In other words, this pleasant combination of luxury and technology is designed to appeal to as many customers as possible.
Exterior
The appearance of the car can be defined as conservative. unlike most Chinese cars that try to win over the clientele with ultra-futuristic shapes. Wey eschewed this spaceship design in favor of more traditional visual qualities. One of the few shortcomings in terms of appearance is the excessive use of chrome on the front of the car. But on the other hand, this may not be in the European fashion trends, but it may be liked by a certain group of fans. And those who like the shiny chrome radiator grille in the style of the ultra-luxury American Lincoln cars, there are definitely in our country too.
Interior
With this exception, the classic theme is carried over to the interior, which is a mix of the familiar and the new. In the central "double layer" console has two screens, as well as one in front of the driver. The central one (in the middle) is for the infotainment system, and the one that is almost horizontally located and is located below the central one is for the air conditioning system. The display in front of the driver is complemented by a very informative head-up projection on the windshield. In other words, Wey's idea, which is executed very well, is to create an elegant salon instead of the spartan emptiness of most electric cars. It makes an impression (at first reading) that the quality of the materials and that of the assembly itself are at a fairly good level, and the sound insulation in the salon is perfect.
This is helped by the abundance of soft leather and quality decorative elements, and the Chinese (to our delight) did not miss conventional switches on the instrument panel. The car also has comfortable seats with a ventilation and massage function, as well as many practical options for storing and charging mobile gadgets. And with a wheelbase of almost three meters, the rear seats are also comfortable enough, with plenty of room for the passengers' knees and heads.
Engine and driving characteristics
Although everything looks good up to this point, the car does not stand out much from its direct competitors. However, it is the propulsion system of the Wey 05 that definitely positions it "one chest ahead". Although plug-in hybrids fell out of favor in Europe after tax breaks were cut, they are now seeing a resurgence of sorts. Many people have recently given up on pure electric cars, but there are almost no LPG-only offers on the market. Thus hybrids come to the fore again, and that of Wey 05 definitely deserves attention.
The larger battery, with a capacity of 39.67 kWh, as well as the efficient two electric motors (one on the front and one on the rear axle) are an ideal complement to the four-cylinder two-liter gasoline engine, which has a power of 204 horses. The system power of the hybrid powertrain (476 horsepower) is quite impressive, and this is felt when the gas is more sharply applied. On the other hand, in the city this car can be driven only on electricity, because it can easily cover more than 100 kilometers in real traffic (146 km according to WLTP). It is precisely because of this advantage that this car is far better than the alternatives. In addition, the car weighs 2,346 kilograms, which is not small, but it is a good weight for a hybrid with such a large battery.
As for the handling of the car, we can describe it as... decent. Here we have slight remarks, but they can hardly be counted among the minuses of the car. However, it is noticeable that the steering wheel is not the most informative, and the ride is quite soft. This might be nice for passengers in the luxury saloon, but it's definitely not good for the driver, especially when it comes to winding mountain roads. The car leans too much in the corners and because of its weight of more than two tons, it feels slightly unstable. However, the systems get it under control in time, and the brakes are good.
The presence of 4x4 drive is also important, which is possible thanks to the second electric motor on the rear axle, with a power of 184 horsepower. It is also the cause of a lot of torque to the rear wheels, and the electronics distributes the total peak torque optimally between the front and rear axles. As a result of all this, an SUV with decent cross-country ability is obtained, absolutely sufficient for cars of this class.
The maximum torque is 847 Nm, which is also an impressive number. Although over two tonnes, the car is nimble and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just over 5 seconds. We also have no objections to the maximum speed of 235 km/h. On paper, fuel consumption is almost incredible - just 0.7 liters and 11.9 g/km CO2 emissions. But this is if the car is driven mainly on electricity in the city. Otherwise, the combined city/extra-urban consumption is around seven liters. The other plus is that the system can be charged, both from a household outlet and from a fast charging station up to 50 kilowatts.
Like many high-end Chinese cars, this car also has a nine-speed automatic transmission. This gearbox lacks the finesse of the ZF transmissions, but on the other hand it does its job quite well. The chorus of assistants can also get on the driver's nerves, and there's too much flashing and beeping, but thankfully these warnings can be turned off.
Conclusion and price
Although it has some flaws, this car is an ideal option for a luxury large D-segment SUV that does not lack anything. Its price is not low, but its equipment is very rich. In its various equipment levels, the Wey 05 is available at prices ranging from BGN 110 - 120,000 including VAT. This is not a small amount of money for a Chinese car, but the "Chinese" in the face of Wey especially, they are not at all what they were.
For this money you get a luxury car, with good build quality and with all the necessary active and passive safety systems. So don't be in a hurry to say "no way", before you have gotten to know this car more closely. Thanks to its rich equipment and its elegant appearance, this car is a cheaper alternative to the so-called. premium models. And with its unsurpassed large battery, it allows you to drive it almost "for no money". in the city. In our opinion, this vision of a full plug-in hybrid is the right step towards an electric future.
P.S. What we should not miss when presenting this car and the new GWM models in general is that the ambassador for the brand in Bulgaria is not just anyone, but our Olympic champion of the games in Tokyo and captain of the national rhythmic gymnastics team Simona Dyankova - a really energizing and positive person.
