Great Wall’s Sar Mecha Dragon revived under Ora brand

Khodorcar - The original Sar Mecha Dragon made quite a buzz during the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show, with a suggested retail price of 488,000 yuan (67,800 USD). It was the world’s first model to be equipped with four laser radars, and ultrasonic radar, with L2-assisted driving. Back in 2022, Sar applied for a sales license at the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). Hence, it was production-ready. Then came the consistent delays of deliveries that dampened the enthusiasm of potential buyers.

Since October 2015, GWM’s Haval H6 has consistently been China’s best-selling SUV, securing the title for almost two consecutive years. However, this success in ICE vehicles created a blind spot for GWM in its long-term plans for alternative technologies such as pure electric vehicle (EV) adoption.

Wen Fei, CEO of GWM Sar, now serves as dual CEO for GWM Sar and GWM Ora. GWM’s recent corporate restructuring aims to enhance efficiency and utilize resources within GWM for competitiveness in the electric vehicle sector.

The new Sar Mecha Dragon will feature an aggressive-looking grille and a matrix-style integrated LED headlight. It is anticipated to be integrated with a smart driving solution provided by Momenta, along with a smart cockpit solution offered by Huawei.

Sar Mecha Dragon, equipped with a dual-motor four-wheel-drive system, boasts 400 kW of power and 763 Nm torque. It will achieve 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 3 seconds. Notable features include Brembo calipers and CDC adjustable shock absorbers. The vehicle’s 115 kWh battery offers an estimated 802 km range under CLTC. It will support 800V, 480 kW charging technology.

GWM is grappling with its challenges in the car industry as a whole. GWM’s cars including Haval, Wey, Poer, Ora, and Tank witnessed a 28.94% year-on-year drop in February sales. Ora’s sales alone dropped by 58.18% in the past 12 months. The introduction of Sar Mecha Dragon to Ora’s lineup aims to break away from the "female-oriented” label.

However, reviving the Sar Mecha Dragon priced at a starting price of 488,000 yuan gives it little chance in the highly competitive Chinese market. Let’s take Geely’s Zeekr 001 as an example. It is priced at 329,000 yuan (top-trim level). The Zeekr 001 offers more power and is already available for purchase. We should also take note of HiPhi’s recent 6-month production pause announcement, as they too aimed for a similar market segment.