The arrival of another entrant in the luxury MPV segment in Malaysia appears to be coming soon, as the GWM Wey 80 has been sighted on local roads around Kuala Lumpur, as seen in this image by paultan.org reader, Radzmund.
The seven-seater MPV from the Chinese automaker’s luxury sub-brand was previewed at the 2024 Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS) last December, where it was revealed to pack a plug-in hybrid powertrain comprised of a 156 PS 1.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine and two electric motors.
The electric driveline consists of a 177 PS motor in front and a 184 PS motor at the rear. Together with the internal combustion engine, the PHEV powertrain offers a combined output of 487 PS and 762 Nm of torque. With electric drive supplied by a 37.96 kWh ternary lithium battery, this offers up to 140 km of EV range on the CLTC Chinese domestic testing cycle.
Among its compatriots in the Malaysian market, the battery-electric Denza D9 has gone on sale in February this year from RM259k, while the order books for the PHEV GAC M8 opened last month, with pricing estimated to start from RM333,000.
In terms of exterior dimensions, the short-wheelbase version shown at KLIMS measured 5,045 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,900 mm tall with a 3,085 mm wheelbase. For comparison, the Denza D9 measures 5,250 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,920 mm tall, with a 3,110 mm wheelbase, while the GAC M8 is 5,212 mm long, 1,893 mm wide and 1,823 mm tall with a 3,070 mm wheelbase.
The example of the Wey 80 previewed in Malaysia last December featured zero-gravity seats, second-row captain chairs with folding tables behind the front seats, and the shared seat rails for second- and third-row seats brings a 1,845 mm slide rail, offering up to 1,166 mm of legroom for the second-row occupants.
Elsewhere within the preview unit, also included were a 1,600 watt, 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system (the LWB Thai-market version gets 20 speakers), a 12.5 litre fridge with an independent compressor and adjustable temperature, said to be able to house 14 standard-sized cans at once.
The version seen here, however, is the long-wheelbase variant, as evidenced by the lengthened rear end and a different rear bumper design. Known in China as the Gaoshan 9, it boost wheelbase by 190 mm to 3,275 mm and overall length by a whopping 365 mm to 5,410 mm.
The extra length allows the car to trade the seven-seater layout for six seats, where the third row is a second pair of full-sized captain’s chairs. This, too, is being considered for RHD production, which opens the door for the extra-luxurious model to enter ASEAN markets.
EP Manufacturing (EPMB) revealed last December that the Wey 80 will be locally assembled (CKD) at the Hicom Pegoh Industrial Park in Melaka from the end of this year. Local production of the Wey 80 won’t just be for Malaysian-market consumption, as the MPV will be “catered to the ASEAN market” as well, with exports to Thailand and other Southeast Asian markets confirmed, according to GWM chairman Jack Wey.
We should point out that in China, the SWB variant has been ditched in favour of a slightly longer model called the Gaoshan 8, introduced at Auto Shanghai 2025. This retains the seven-seat layout but sports a length of 5,280 mm and a wheelbase of 3,145 mm, providing increased third-row and boot space.
GALLERY: Wey 80 SWB previewed at KLIMS 2024
GALLERY: Wey 80 LWB (Gaoshan 9) at Auto Shanghai 2025
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