Great Wall Motors could set shop at Pune by 2016

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors is looking to set shop in India's auto manufacturing capital of sorts - Pune - by 2016. Great Wall Motors is said to be conducting customer workshops to gauge the response to the Haval H5, a hot selling SUV in its line up. Known more for its SUVs, Great Wall Motors is China's largest SUV maker. The automaker has been spotted testing the Haval H5 SUV and the Wingle pick up truck numerous times in India. While the rumour mill was agog with a possible tie up between Great Wall Motors and ICML Sonalika for a SUV making joint venture, it now seems like the Chinese automaker is going it alone in India.  

By setting shop in Pune, Great Wall Motors will be following in the footsteps of competitor and compatriot Foton. Great Wall's facility is expected to come up close to the Foton factory at Khed, off Pune. While Foton is all set to launch the Thunder/Tunland pick up truck in India next year, Great Wall's first product, most perhaps the Haval H5, could be launched in India during 2016. Until then though, Great Wall will conduct customer clinics across India to gauge the Indian car buyer's response to its SUV. The Haval H5 SUV is a 5 seater that comes with a 2 liter VGT turbo diesel engine outputting 150 Bhp-310 Nm. Both 2 wheel drive and four wheel drive variants of the SUV are sold internationally. 

As the Haval H5 is already sold in right hand drive markets such as Australia and South Africa, Great Wall Motors has a ready layout for the Indian car market. Notably, Great Wall will showcase the likes of the Haval H5 SUV and other products at the upcoming 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The Chinese car maker operates in diverse locations across the globe including Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia. Apart from making its SUV and UV range in China, most facilities that Great Wall Motors has established are assembly facilities which build CKD kits into full fledged products. Great Wall has big expansion plans in place with assembly facilities all set to come up in countries such as Brazil, South Africa and the Philippines. 

The Indian factory could be one such facility. Meanwhile, we've had a slew of Chinese cars entering the Indian car market over the past few years. Notable examples include the Chevrolet Sail sedan and hatchback, and the Enjoy MPV, all of which are rebadged SAIC products. Similarly, Force Motors sells the Force One, originally the Guangdong Foday Explorer, Hindustan Motors sells the Shifeng Winner pick up truck and Premier sells the Zotye Nomad SUV as the Rio. While all these products are rebadged examples, Foton and Great Wall Motors are demonstrating greater ambitions. 

By setting shop in India and establishing a factory to builds their UVs and SUVs, Foton and Great Wall Motors are the new crop of Chinese automakers seeking to grab a growing pie of the Indian car market. Expect more Chinese car makers to come calling on India if Great Wall Motors and Foton enjoy reasonable success in the country. With the industry already playing host to a horde of global car makers, most of whom enjoy high repute, Chinese car makers will have their task cut out. Whether the Chinese manage to crack the Indian car market remains to be seen. For now though, the ball already seems to have been set in motion. 

Source TheTimesOfIndia