GWM WEY 05

GWM WEY 05 isn’t a new car so much as a renamed one. It arrived in Europe in 2024 as the successor to the Wey Coffee 01, part of GWM’s decision to fold several export nameplates under the simpler “WEY” badge. What it’s selling hasn’t changed much: a full-size PHEV SUV built to undercut premium German rivals on price while matching or beating them on power and equipment.

The numbers back that up, at least on paper. The range-topping AWD variant pairs a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with two permanent-magnet synchronous motors for a combined 350 kW — 476 PS, or 470 hp in the units American buyers are used to. GWM quotes 0-100 km/h in roughly 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 235 km/h (146 mph), figures that put it closer to a performance SUV than a typical family plug-in.

Entry-level and front-wheel-drive versions of the GWM WEY 05 exist too, with outputs reportedly as low as 150 kW (204 PS), though GWM hasn’t published a full breakdown of every regional trim, so treat the lower end of that range as unconfirmed until local configurators go live.

Electric range on the AWD flagship is rated at 158 km (98 miles) WLTP — respectable for a vehicle weighing 2,410 kg, and enough for most daily commutes to run purely on electricity before the petrol engine ever wakes up. That figure sits well below the 600 km CLTC range GWM advertises for the related Wey Mocha in China, a reminder that CLTC and WLTP numbers aren’t interchangeable and shouldn’t be compared directly.

Size-wise, the WEY 05 is genuinely big: 4,875 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and built on a 2,915 mm wheelbase, dimensions that land it closer to an Audi Q7 than a Q5. It’s rated to tow up to 2,000 kg, which is more than most PHEVs in this segment bother to offer.

Pricing in Germany starts around €55,900, positioned deliberately below the Q5, X3, and GLC while throwing in more standard kit than any of them offer at that price. That’s the actual pitch here — not brand cachet, which GWM doesn’t have yet in Europe, but a spec sheet that’s hard to argue with on value alone. Backing it is a 5-year vehicle warranty and an 8-year battery warranty, plus a 5-star Euro NCAP rating, both clearly aimed at buyers who like the numbers but are nervous about buying into an unfamiliar brand.

That nervousness isn’t unreasonable. GWM’s dealer and service network in Western Europe is still being built out, and resale values for a first-generation Chinese premium SUV are anyone’s guess right now — there’s no track record to point to. Buyers chasing maximum range and power per euro have a real case here. Buyers who care more about a dense service network and predictable depreciation have a real reason to wait a generation or two and watch how this plays out.

The GWM WEY 05 is a solid first attempt at cracking Europe’s premium SUV segment, and the engineering underneath it isn’t the weak point. Whether it succeeds probably has less to do with the car than with everything GWM still has to prove around it.

GWM WEY 05 Photos

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Full Electric Vehicle Specifications