GWM is enjoying a level of success in South Africa with its multitude of vehicle offerings. Currently, we have four brands under the GWM umbrella: Haval, Ora, Tank, and P-Series. One would question, though. Are these all the same brand, and specifically, is Haval the same as GWM? Let's find out.
Related: Haval H6 GT 1.5T PHEV 4WD Ultra Luxury (2025) Review
The History
GWM has established a pretty decent foothold in the South African market. However, GWM's subbrands have had staggered releases under standalone brands, leading one to think that they're all separate brands. GWM initially started with agricultural vehicle repairs at its inception in 1976, then began producing commercial vehicles in 1984. By 1993, GWM had produced passenger cars based on existing designs. In 1996, the Great Wall Deer was introduced, based on a very popular bakkie that was a best seller in China. Fast forward to 2006, when Haval first appeared as the Haval CUV/Hover CUV. Where things really picked up, though, was the introduction of the Haval H6 in 2010, which was a huge success. The Haval brand was only formalised in 2013 as a spin-off from GWM, focusing solely on SUVs.
Since then, GWM has launched several other brands, but in 2023, it decided to consolidate them into a single group. So GWM is the holding group, and the likes of Haval (SUVs), Ora (Electric Cars), Tank (Off-road SUVs), and P-Series (Bakkies) serve as subbrands in the format here in South Africa. Back home, Wey, the luxury arm of GWM, is included. In my view, this whole setup makes more sense as GWM expands its global markets and develops a stronger brand identity. In South Africa, we have received several GWM models at the beginning of the 2010s alongside the Haval marque, so the history here is reflected to a degree.
So, to answer the question, are GWM and Haval the same company? Previously, no, they were separate brands, but now that's changed, and yes, they are essentially the same company, but GWM acts as the holding group, whilst Haval acts as a subbrand that deals only with SUVs.
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