Great Wall has announced it will take over control of its Australian and NZ operations from July 1, saying it will be launching a Great Wall ute later in the year.

CHINESE CAR MAKER, Great Wall, which was originally represented in Australia by Ateco, has announced it will assume control of its Australian and NZ operations on July 1, “pledging continued service for the existing customer base and dealer network”.

More than that, the company has announced it will be launching an all-new Great Wall ute towards the end of this year.

“As demand for utilities continues to grow, Great Wall Motors decided now was the time to take the brand to the next level by establishing a direct OE presence here,” said GWMA Managing Director Parker Shi.

Mr Shi said a new Great Wall ute would go on sale early in Q4, promising a combination of outstanding value and great reliability.

The line-up will be headed by a 4×4 turbo diesel matched to a six-speed manual transmission, Borg-Warner torque on demand intelligent four-wheel drive system and Eaton differential lock.

Going forward, the company will need to ensure that current owners and dealers are supported in the transition, and Great Wall claims the majority of current dealers will become part of the “new business”.

“Our emphasis will be customer service. We have a car park of more than 45,000 vehicles in Australia and New Zealand, and we would like all past and present owners to join the new organisation as we start down this exciting new road.”

Mr Shi said the company would be headquartered in Melbourne, sharing offices with sister company HAVAL Motors Australia. The Australian and New Zealand operations will be headed by Tony Carraturo as General Manager.

“Great Wall will focus solely on light commercial vehicles, with HAVAL concentrating on SUVs. We are confident this strategy will allow both companies to dedicate their resources into the two fastest growing segments in the Australian automotive market.”