The automotive competition from China is getting stronger and now Great Wall Motors (GWM) is entering the luxury class with the new Wey Coffee 01. In Chinese culture, dominated by tea, coffee is considered a symbol of luxury.
Great Wall Motors founded the Wey as a subsidiary in 2016 and named after CEO and founder Wei Jianjun (Jack Wey). It is aiming to become the leading manufacturer of luxury SUVs. The first three SUV models from Wey are called Mocca, Latte and Macchiato, of which the Mocca will be distributed around the world as Wey Coffee 01 at the beginning of 2023.
Available exclusively as a plug-in hybrid with a particularly large electric range, it is intended to gradually win over fans of combustion engines to e-mobility, which, by the way, will sooner or later also find its way into Wey.
A few weeks before the market launch, the premium-class SUV is ready for a first test drive as a pre-series vehicle. And right from the first encounter, the hexagonally designed, lush radiator grille, the high shoulder line and the rapidly sloping roof line are particularly eye-catching. The brand logo represents a flagpole and is the symbol of Baoding in China.
The Design
The design looks quite independent. Based on the vertically designed company logo, there are numerous vertical design elements on the exterior, for example in the radiator grille, the rear lights or the daytime running lights.
In order to underline the premium and prestige claim, the Coffee 01 has a large radiator grille at the front, which extends almost over the entire width of the vehicle, as also installed by Audi. The roof line drops slightly towards the rear, the door handles slide into the door while driving and when parking.
The new Wey Coffee 01 is only 2 inches shorter than a Mercedes GLE, even if it conceals its surprisingly restrained design by Chinese standards. It also competes against the Audi Q8, the BMW X5 and the VW Touareg, among others.
The Interior
At first glance, the interior of the Chinese not only looks modern, but also classy. The metal decor in the doors, which is remotely reminiscent of Volvo, attracts particular attention. It comes with diamond quilting in the door panels and leather covering of the upper dashboard. There is hard plastic in the lower part, the steering wheel adjustment and on the center console, but it looks and feels high-quality.
The new Wey Coffee 01 offers an undisputed high seating comfort. While it's the armchair-like armchairs in the front that add to the cosiness, it's the extremely generous amount of space in the back that even someone 6ft2 would have nothing to complain about.
However, the panorama roof puts a slight strain on the feeling of space due to the installation depth. Incidentally, no seven-seater is planned, but a towing capacity of probably up to 2.2 tons. Final dates are not yet available due to the pending homologation.
The infotainment system of the new Wey Coffee 01, which with its 14.6-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard is visually the central element of the cockpit. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have not yet been tested and will be provided in a software update in 2023.
While the augmented reality head-up display gives no reason for complaint, the small display behind the steering wheel in the style of a VW ID.4 seems well placed, but overloaded. Too much information ensures that various content is displayed significantly too small.
The climate control via a separate touchscreen on the free-floating center console works without any problems, but the screen is extremely flat and therefore sometimes difficult to read despite the anti-reflective surface.
The Power
While most luxury SUVs are available with pure combustion engines, the Chinese start as a plug-in hybrid by default. This combines a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine (204 hp/150 kW) developed by GWM subsidiary Hyatt with an electric motor (110 kW/150 hp) integrated into the nine-speed dual clutch and another electric motor (135 kW /184 hp) on the rear axle.
The system performance adds up to an impressive 476 hp (350 kW), the maximum torque when all engines interact is 847 Newton meters. Even more spectacular than the performance itself, is the promise of range.
The 39.67 kWh battery in the underbody is just 13 kWh larger than in a MercedesGLE 350 e and offers almost 18 kWh more storage capacity than in an BMW X5 45e. Instead of 60 (Mercedes) or 54 (BMW) miles according to WLTP, the Wey should travel up to 90 miles before the combustion engine has to start to provide support.
We should also talk about the weight, since it is fundamentally critical for SUVs of this size and with a plug-in hybrid drive According to the data sheet, the new Wey Coffee 01 with 5148 lbs actually ranks below the GLE used for comparison with 5743 lbs and the X5 45e with 5534 lbs.
The Tech
The plug-in hybrid SUV Wey Coffee 01 is bursting with the latest technology. In the areas of intelligent digital architecture and security, Wey sees itself as a pioneer in its segment with this model.
"Coffee Intelligence" is an AI-based system that combines intelligent cockpit systems with hybrid drives and smart connectivity. According to Grealt Wall Motors, the Coffee 01 is the first production car ever to use the computing power of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip.
The processing power of this chip enables key technologies such as 5G, Wi-Fi connectivity, face recognition, personalization and also the augmented reality display. The SUV is actively learning and kept up-to-date with over-the-air updates. The Wey Coffee 01 also offers 3D object recognition.
Conclusion
The market launch of the new Wey Coffee 01 will take place in the first quarter of 2023. The Chinese brand is working together with the large retailer group Emil Frey of Europe on sales. Customers can choose between the Comfortline and Luxury. In addition, only the paintwork and interior color have to be determined.
Prejudices against Chinese manufacturers and cars are finally outdated. This is also proven by the brand new Wey Coffee 01, which is convincing despite a few points of criticism. The luxury SUV envelops you in comfort and coziness.
Its drive system does not pretend to be excessively sporty or hasty, but shines with balance. The calm character is also reflected in the exterior, which can be said to have self-confidence but certainly no ostentation. The price-performance ratio seems unprecedented in view of the potent drive and the wealth of equipment details.
The only thing missing before the market launch is the finishing touches on software and infotainment. So if the prestige of a certain brand and the special driving dynamics are not important, the Wey Coffee 01 is definitely worth a closer look.
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Resources
- Great Wall Motors
- https://www.euroncap.com/en/results/wey/coffee+01/46621
- https://www.carwow.co.uk/news/6432/wey-coffee-01-coming-to-europe-price-specs-release-date#gref
- https://www.auto-data.net/en/wey-coffee-01-2.0t-476hp-phev-awd-dct-46792
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gwm-hybrid-suv-wey-coffee-114600321.html
- https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-paris-motor-show/wey-coffee-01-spearheads-chinese-brands-uk-launch
- https://global.wey.com/
Tankut Basar
Tankut Basar is an ARA (American Rally Assoc.) Racing Driver and an FIA Bronze Category License Holder. His passion for driving began with karting like most racers. He started racing internationally at the age of 22. Tankut loves everything car-related and will keep enjoying the drive until the end.
