High Expectations

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Arriving next month: The midsize SUV segment will have a new entry in the GWM Haval H9. It is the first Chinese brand to enter the diesel-sipping, 4x4, seven-seater domain. — PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

The GWM family of brands — PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

A queue of Haval H9s tackle GWM’s proving grounds. — PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

Crash test dummies await deployment at GWM’s crash test center. — PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

GWM is also exploring alternative powertrains. — PHOTO BY PABLO SALAPANTAN

GWM is betting big on the Haval H9

GWM (OR GREAT WALL MOTORS) has always been on the quieter side of the country’s expanding motoring sector, appearing to bide its time in a highly competitive environment.

That’s not to say that the brand doesn’t have the products or the capabilities to compete. In fact, it’s one of the few brands that offer all manner of propulsion types — from full electrics to hybrids, and ICE (internal combustion engine)-powered — in all body types.

To date, the brand’s most important model has been the refreshed GWM Cannon introduced last year, but on the horizon is a model that could help them become a major player. They’re so serious about this model that they invited us to their hometown of Baoding in China to experience it firsthand.

It’s easy to dismiss Chinese brands as purely profit-minded without any care toward quality or R&D (research and development), but that isn’t the case with GWM.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE AUTOMAKER
Each brand has its own home turf, and GWM’s is nearer to the northern tip of China, a three-hour bus ride from Beijing. Baoding, for all intents and purposes, is what would be considered a small town by Chinese standards, and yet many towns in China (big or small) are actually advanced and well-developed. GWM is a major player in the area, and offers a lot of jobs as it drives up the industry.

Our first day in Baoding brought us to three major facilities within the GWM production sprawl: the crash and safety test site, the hydrogen plant, and the all-weather wind tunnel. The first was eye-opening. Here in Baoding is one of the biggest and most advanced crash testing facilities, not just in China but in the whole of Asia. The hydrogen plant, on the other hand, is a testament to how committed GWM is to furthering alternative energy solutions by having its own R&D, hydrogen fuel station, and hydrogen-powered tractor head trucks for commercial hauling.

To be honest, major global automotive manufacturers are expected to have these; GWM’s facilities have been around since the late ’80s, and the brand now boasts a full 360-degree manufacturing and testing portfolio. That isn’t even the best part yet. On the same day, we were brought to the brand’s own proving grounds that feature a wide range of test tracks, from steep vertical inclines, to a short test track, and even a banked high-speed oval.

SERIOUS FIRST-HAND TESTING
Although we already had our chance to test out the cars during our day at the proving grounds, GWM had another surprise for us members of the media. Another two-hour bus ride from Baoding City led us to a place nestled between the small peaks and valleys of northern China, a very picturesque valley that housed an off-road proving ground exclusive to GWM.

In this small town was a James Bond villain-type property, which had belonged to a big GWM dealer from the area. In it was a huge conference building, but the property’s main attraction is a 3.8-kilometer off-road test track.

This setting featured all the possible torture tests any car could endure, from off-roading sections, water crossings, sand, and very deep ruts — not to mention the various steep inclines and descents through the hills. Though confident in our driving skills, on this day, GWM decided we should be passengers for this activity. At first, we raised our eyebrows, but I’m glad we didn’t drive.

Along with two other media members, I buckled into my Haval H9 seat. The H9 is GWM’s midsize, three-row SUV (set for a Feb. 4 launch here in the Philippines). Almost immediately, we were subjected to the most insane and intense test ride ever conceived, in my honest opinion. Our driver didn’t spare us any subtlety; we first went over a few mounds of gravel, showing off wheel articulation, then we went down a literal flight of stairs. Next was an incline test that took us up 40-degrees upward and downward. All this action happened in a span of five minutes.

That was just a taste of what was to come. We eventually moved across the property into the wilderness, and our driver aggressively drove into a river at considerable speed. Then, we bounced along a bad gravel path before a steep ascent up a hill. Now, going up a steep hill that isn’t paved requires caution, but we went up at full power, with big rocks punishing the underchassis constantly.

I have to say that throughout this whole test ride, the H9 didn’t struggle or even give a hint that it was about to launch us off the path or roll down a hill. The driver knew the car could take it and kept giving it power. It must also be noted that no panel broke off the car, and the suspension felt fine, no broken bushings or shock absorbers, considering this isn’t the first time the H9 test unit did this route.

GWM MEANS BUSINESS
This isn’t the first time I have driven GWM’s cars, but this trip to China has solidified what I’ve long suspected; the brand means business. The Haval H9 is the right car at the right time, and according to the brand, it will have the right price too. Having that off-road ride experience confirmed all that they showed us throughout the trip, that the facilities and the talking points aren’t just there for show.