Great Wall to start SUV, pickup production in Thailand next year amid weak demand

[webfact]

Great Wall to start SUV, pickup production in Thailand next year amid weak demand

By Chayut Setboonsarng

 

FILE PHOTO: People look at a line of Great Wall cars parked in front of the newly opened car factory of Great Wall Motor Co near the town of Lovech, some 150 km (93 miles) north-east of Sofia February 21, 2012. CREUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - China’s top pickup truck maker, Great Wall Motor Co Ltd <601633.SS>, plans to roll out sport-utility vehicles (SUV) and pickup trucks from its recently acquired plants in Thailand early next year, an executive said on Friday.

 

“Even though now the market is not good, it's a temporary problem,” Great Wall Motor Vice President Steven Wang, told Reuters in an interview.

 

The novel coronavirus pandemic has dampened demand for autos, with sales in Thailand down 54.12% in May from a year earlier to 40,418 vehicles.

 

Great Wall took over two General Motors <GM.N> plants in Thailand in February and will produce SUVs and pickup trucks in 2021.

 

“This project is a long-term plan, Thailand will be our production hub for ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa,” he said, because Thailand had a mature auto parts network.

 

The Thai government has eased many virus-related restrictions but worries of a second wave has limited international travel.

 

“We want to finish modifying the assembly line at the beginning of next year and if everything goes smoothly, first production will be ready early next year,” said Wang, who oversees marketing in Thailand and Southeast Asia.

 

The company will launch two to three models first and focus on building the brand and customer service to gain “reasonable market share” he said, adding they would not focus on volume in the first few years.

 

Great Wall, however, will face stiff competition from incumbent Japanese auto makers including Nissan <7201.T> and Isuzu <7202.T> who have longed supplied SUVs and pickups in Thailand.

 

“For us, our advantage to provide is new technology, new design,” he said, adding that younger buyers may prefer their technology offerings.

 

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-19

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[ThailandRyan]

Will they be the same as in the UK and in Australia.  I for one would like a full size pickup over here like my Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x4 in the States, but then I could never find a parking spot....

[johng]

11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Great Wall took over two General Motors <GM.N> plants in Thailand in February and will produce SUVs and pickup trucks in 2021.

The "boy racers" might be saved ????

[DoctorG]

Practically giving these away in OZ. Terrible reviews.

[Andy from Kent]

16 minutes ago, DoctorG said:

Practically giving these away in OZ. Terrible reviews.

 

 

Links please?

[DoctorG]

3 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

 

Links please?

carsguide.au or carsales.au reviews.

$19,990 drive away for the Steed utes. About half the price of the big brand utes.

[Deli]

17 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Will they be the same as in the UK and in Australia.  I for one would like a full size pickup over here like my Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x4 in the States, but then I could never find a parking spot....

Would love to get a full size pick up with a full size engine here. There is no parking space anyhow, so it doesn't matter. Only toy cars available here.

[topt]

19 minutes ago, Deli said:

Would love to get a full size pick up with a full size engine here. There is no parking space anyhow, so it doesn't matter. Only toy cars available here.

Some of us may say that anything much bigger than the current versions would be oversized.

Unless you are the size of a small mountain perhaps.........

[RichardColeman]

 

 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

“This project is a long-term plan, Thailand will be our production hub for ASEAN, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa,” he said, because Thailand had a mature auto parts network.

................and they write off more cars than most nations per capita 

[djayz]

For some reason, the name "Great Wall" just doesn't inspire confidence in me. 

[finnsk]

Good some optimistic chineese take over, when the big compagnies leaves Thailand. in this case GM is leaving.

Another one is indian Tata who are making cheap simple cars, they are also leaving their procuction facilities in Thailand.

This is just what is happening actual, big international wellknown brands are leaving their production facilities in Thailand and in is comming the chineese with their unknown brands based on copy production. Is this a general inclination in Thailand ?

To Thailand it is important to keep/get jobs to the thais, that I understand, but are Thailand selling its soul to China ?

 

 

[patyh]

16 minutes ago, finnsk said:

Good some optimistic chineese take over, when the big compagnies leaves Thailand. in this case GM is leaving.

Another one is indian Tata who are making cheap simple cars, they are also leaving their procuction facilities in Thailand.

This is just what is happening actual, big international wellknown brands are leaving their production facilities in Thailand and in is comming the chineese with their unknown brands based on copy production. Is this a general inclination in Thailand ?

To Thailand it is important to keep/get jobs to the thais, that I understand, but are Thailand selling its soul to China ?

 

 

 

I think you are overthinking.. 

 

It's a free market economy.. anyone is free to invest in Thailand and leave when the market no longer make sense

 

On Tata, Tata never had a plant here. It was a joint venture with TAAP.. Furthermore, Tata never really made a strong impact in the local market. I'm not surprised that they left though I would have thought they would have left earlier. 

 

In GM case, it was the decision to withdraw itself from the RHD markets (That would include Holden in Aussie as well). Of course, the worst case for them was to shut the plant down and writing the whole thing off, but they were lucky to have a Joint venture in China who is willing to take over their factory as a way to kick start their plan for South East Asia. 

 

Remember, one of Thailand's most important industry is the automobile industry. And Thailand will keep promoting itself as such. The Chinese can keep coming in, but only the best of them will survive.. Just look at SAIC in Thailand. 

 

So no, Thailand isn't selling its' soul to China. It's just how we are marketing to the free market. That Thailand is a suitable hub for Automobile production for the RHD market. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

2 hours ago, djayz said:

For some reason, the name "Great Wall" just doesn't inspire confidence in me. 

They found that the original brand name 'Five Lucky Flying Geese' was a non-starter......????

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, DoctorG said:

Practically giving these away in OZ. Terrible reviews.

Even Americans in USA won't buy any vehicle from GM, they say they've got so bad in recent years.

China now own them and are trying to flog them off in S.E Asia built by Thailand.

[Justgrazing]

Just don't .. they are absolute rubbish .. snatchy , jerky drivetrain .. turning circle is even worse than comparable pickups which is saying something .. noisy to drive , full of tackyness in the cabin and go down like a lead balloon as far as resale values go .. Just buy a Japanese truck if you must .. 

[ChouDoufu]

china is just following the methods developed by the japanese and koreans, trying to move up the value chain.

 

remember when those two countries' products first entered the us auto market?

[Bob A Kneale]

6 hours ago, Deli said:

Would love to get a full size pick up with a full size engine here. There is no parking space anyhow, so it doesn't matter. Only toy cars available here.

Only toys?

[Bob A Kneale]

4 hours ago, finnsk said:

Good some optimistic chineese take over, when the big compagnies leaves Thailand. in this case GM is leaving.

Another one is indian Tata who are making cheap simple cars, they are also leaving their procuction facilities in Thailand.

This is just what is happening actual, big international wellknown brands are leaving their production facilities in Thailand and in is comming the chineese with their unknown brands based on copy production. Is this a general inclination in Thailand ?

To Thailand it is important to keep/get jobs to the thais, that I understand, but are Thailand selling its soul to China ?

"Thailand" hasn't sold anything to China in this context, General Motors has.

 

"...and in is comming the chineese with their unknown brands based on copy production".

Huh?  GWM is not an unknown brand and it doesn't have "copy production" any more than any other motor manufacturer's models are copies of other brands' vehicles.

[Bob A Kneale]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Even Americans in USA won't buy any vehicle from GM, they say they've got so bad in recent years.

China now own them and are trying to flog them off in S.E Asia built by Thailand.

China does not own GM and last year Americans bought more GM vehicles than Ford vehicles so they can't be that bad!

 

 

[Bob A Kneale]

1 hour ago, Justgrazing said:

.. they are absolute rubbish .. snatchy , jerky drivetrain .. turning circle is even worse than comparable pickups

Absolute rubbish?  Where did you drive the one that you tested?  And a big turning circle, wow, that's a real deal-killer!

 

Which other manufacturers' pickups, at the same price level that are so much better, are you comparing GWM pickups with so unfavourably?

[Grumpy one]

8 hours ago, DoctorG said:

carsguide.au or carsales.au reviews.

$19,990 drive away for the Steed utes. About half the price of the big brand utes.

Its a good vehicle for keeping 5 years,

In the end its a throw away

[Justgrazing]

18 minutes ago, Bob A Kneale said:

Absolute rubbish?  Where did you drive the one that you tested?  And a big turning circle, wow, that's a real deal-killer!

 

Which other manufacturers' pickups, at the same price level that are so much better, are you comparing GWM pickups with so unfavourably?

Leave aside the damage to your reputation driving one Great Wall trucks are built to a price not a standard so if quality is part of your buying criteria you wouldn't even be looking at one let alone comparing it to a Mitzy or Nissan or Toyota or Mazda et-al as they are infinitely better vehicles which is reflected in their secondhand values even though they cost more to buy initially .. 

The turning circle issue should be quite obvious if you've tried 3 point turning a LWB pickup .. The Great Wall affair is even worse than most ..

Reliability .? 

My mates fabrication firm bought one new and over the following 18 mths it was back to the distributor for :- 

1 Noisy rear diff 

2 Noisy turbo 

3 Oil leak from replacement turbo 

4 water ingress into passenger compartment 

5 constant erroneous warning lights up on the dash

6 unacceptable driveline shunt ( even more noticeable when turning it around )

7 bits of trim falling off and on .. 

 

In the end he gave up on it at 2 yrs old and tried to chop it against a Navarro but the Nissan dealership said it would be better to dispose of the G W himself and they would give a better deal on a straight purchase with no p/X .. fair to say trying to get rid of it was like trying  to get rid of the pox .. 

 

Like Jingtong cars , motorbikes and trucks they are imitations built to a price which is the only thing in their favour .. And trying to compare them to the European trucks on offer from VW and Mercedes is an exercise in pointlessness .. G W just don't .. 

 

 

[Grumpy John]

Their first time in Australia was something of a disaster for GW.  When they came back they claimed there had been a lot of improvements to their vehicles but the damage was done and I don't think they are doing well again. Plus they have SAIC in the Aussie market...and LDV.  The delivery girl from Couriers Please bought an LDV van but more often than not she was driving an LDV loaner.  The standing joke between her and me was "Hey Sally, what month are you getting your van back?" to which the standard reply was "Don't you mean what year!"

 

Cheaper labour in China....yep, but lower manufacturing costs on parts can also mean lower quality of steel, paint, etc.

 

"Caveat emptor "  Which is Buyer beware in Latin.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Bob A Kneale said:

China does not own GM and last year Americans bought more GM vehicles than Ford vehicles so they can't be that bad!

 

 

China owns a 49% stake in GM motors... 
And saying GM can't be all that bad doesn't prove a thing.
Fords reputation, quality and durability has slumped recently with many issues after sale, people have dropped Ford in favour of GM, but they now face the same issues as GM quality is also struggling.

[Don Mega]

12 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

China owns a 49% stake in GM motors... 
 

China as in the Chinese Government own 49% of GM ?

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Don Mega said:

China as in the Chinese Government own 49% of GM ?

SAIC General Motors Sales Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between GM China and SAIC that was established on November 25, 2011. GM China has a 49 percent stake and SAIC a 51 percent stake

[Don Mega]

5 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

SAIC General Motors Sales Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between GM China and SAIC that was established on November 25, 2011. GM China has a 49 percent stake and SAIC a 51 percent stake

Yeah SAIC owning 51% of GM China is not China owning 49% of GM per your previous claim.

 

And yes, I know SAIC is state owned.

 

[Suua]

I would never buy anything from the murdering CCP....Ever!

Anyone that does, deserves getting the piece of <deleted> they will be buying.

After what the totalitarian, authoritarian, repulsive, kunt dictators have just inflicted on the world, I can't believe anyone would buy <deleted> from them ever again.

[Don Mega]

2 minutes ago, Suua said:

I would never buy anything from the murdering CCP....Ever!

Anyone that does, deserves getting the piece of <deleted> they will be buying.

After what the totalitarian, authoritarian, repulsive, kunt dictators have just inflicted on the world, I can't believe anyone would buy <deleted> from them ever again.

Cool story Hansel.

 

Nothing you own has Chinese origins ?

[Don Mega]

On 6/19/2020 at 3:36 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Will they be the same as in the UK and in Australia.  I for one would like a full size pickup over here like my Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4x4 in the States, but then I could never find a parking spot....

Would love to put one of these F150 body kit's on a Ranger, slotting some muscle into the engine bay is a bit more difficult be can be done !!