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Every new Chinese auto brand that launches in Australia has bold ambitions and even bolder sales targets. Some claim they want to be the top brand in Australia, others declare they will usurp much-loved brands in the top 10 sales charts in nothing flat.
But one of the original Chinese automakers to land Down Under, GWM, has been working hard for years to build its presence in Australia, while trying to build trust with its customers.
GWM ended 2024 with record sales, capturing 42,782 registrations which was a 17.5 per cent improvement over its 2023 result, and enough to secure tenth spot on the sales-by-brand charts.
But GWM has announced plans to do even better in 2025, aiming for 50,000 sales by year’s end. Executives have said it will achieve this result thanks to a number of factors - dealer network expansion, a significant new and updated model rollout as well as building on the success of existing model lines.
The model rollout consists of seven new or updated models in 2025, including the already launched GWM Cannon ute refresh and plug-in hybrid version of the Haval H6 GT, while the diesel version of the Tank 300 lands later this month. The Cannon Alpha PHEV and new-gen Haval H6 land in the second quarter and the new Haval H7 (known as Big Dog or Dargo in other markets) arrives in Q4.
GWM says between now and the end of 2026 it will launch 14 new or updated models.
In terms of dealerships, GWM will expand from 113 sites currently to about 125 by the end of the year which the company says will give it 98 per cent coverage of the country.
GWM Australia and New Zealand Head of Marketing and Communications Steve Maciver told CarsGuide how the brand would expand its sales to 50k this year.
“We've got to bridge a gap of 7000 units this year. If you look at the product cadence that we've talked about and Cannon, for example, our average Cannon monthly sales last year were around 700-750. The quality of that product, new powertrain, three-and-a-half tonne towing, and certainly the performance and towing were two of the most common pieces of feedback and we have resolved that, as well as giving a pretty significant upgrade, you'd have to think that would be 200-300 minimum more in that more than a single month. So of that 7000-unit a gap, there's 2000-2500 already,” he said.
“H6 we could argue is in a very similar scenario. H6 is aged a little bit in a very, very important segment. We're going to get a significant upgrade on this vehicle, which, again, should be able to deliver maybe 150-200 units extra a month. There's another couple of thousand.”
Maciver also explained that GWM would focus on attracting more fleet customers in 2025 which should also help boost volume.
Newly appointed GWM ANZ Chief Operating Officer John Kett said he was confident that the model portfolio “deserves better” and that the popular Jolion SUV could be selling in even higher numbers. It achieved 14,238 sales in 2024, but could be reaching 15,000 to 20,000 a year, according to Kett.
It will be interesting to see which well-known brands GWM will outsell to achieve that 50,000 target. Using last year’s sales tally as a guide, if GWM hits the target, it will overtake last year’s ninth-place holder Nissan (45,284), Isuzu Ute (48,172) and the only other Chinese brand to reach top 10 status in Australia, seventh-placed MG (50,929).
Of course, that’s assuming none of these brands experience growth in 2025. And given MG has just renewed its entire model line-up, that could be a challenge.
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