Chinese Great Wall Motors sets up dealer network in Brazil

Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors, focused on pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), announced this Monday (21) the assembly of its initial dealer network in Brazil, with 50 points by the end of the first half of next year.

Last year, GWM bought the former Mercedes-Benz factory in Iracemápolis (SP) and restructured the unit to have a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles per year. The Chinese brand’s expansion plan in the country foresees a network of 133 points of sale and services in 112 cities by the second half of 2024.

GWM chose 28 national groups to open concessionaires, 11 of which in the Southeast. According to the company, the groups will invest a total of R$ 1 billion in setting up the brand’s network, considering the construction of facilities, hiring and training of employees and the acquisition of equipment and technology.

The groups will also be responsible for opening 30 regional parts distribution centers, according to a press release from the automaker.

The choice of GWM distributors comes at a time when brands from the Asian country are resuming their presence in the Brazilian automotive market. This movement has been concentrated in the hybrid and electric segment, which is experiencing rapid growth in the country despite high vehicle prices.

Last week, BYD announced two launches of electric cars, part of a bet by the company that could involve a billionaire investment in Latin America’s largest market, at a time when the change of government could make the country focus on technologies that reduce emissions of carbon.