Core Summary
As the vanguard for Great Wall Motor's attempt to enter the premium market, Wei Brand has just seen a sales rebound in 2025, with sales exceeding 100,000 units (an 86% year-on-year increase). However, since 2026, it has encountered a decline in sales: sales in July fell by 23% year-on-year (the largest drop among Great Wall's brands), and the sales of its main models, Gaoshan and Lanshan, have significantly shrunk. Even the new flagship model V9X, which was discounted by 30,000 yuan, has failed to boost sales. The underlying issues include a lack of strategic focus, frequent changes in management, and marketing that fails to capitalize on technological advantages. Currently, Wei Brand is attempting a transition to electric vehicles, launching new electric models in the hope of turning things around, but the effectiveness remains to be seen.
Detailed Analysis
1. Sales Dilemma: Main Models Failing, New Flagship Unhelpful
The decline in Wei Brand's sales in 2026 is widespread:
- Overall Performance: 7725 units were sold in July, a 23.1% year-on-year decrease (the largest drop among Great Wall's five brands). The cumulative sales for the first seven months of this year are 52,000 units (a 17.9% increase year-on-year), but sales have not exceeded 10,000 units per month, compared to an average of 12,000 units in the fourth quarter of last year.
- Main Models Underperforming: Gaoshan, once a key contributor, saw monthly sales drop from over 10,000 units in the fourth quarter of last year to just 4,920 units in June this year. Lanshan is even worse, with monthly sales below 1,000 units, and there are rumors of production halts (although these have been denied; a new model is expected for the fourth quarter).
- New Flagship Not Helping: The V9X, launched in May and endorsed by Wei Jianjun, only sold 1,505 units in June. A family version was discounted by 30,000 yuan in July (starting at 316,800 yuan), but sales have not improved.
In short, while Gaoshan and Lanshan used to support sales, they are now failing, and the new models have not taken their place, leading to a overall decline in sales.
2. V9X Facing Cold Reception: Discounting Doesn't Help
The V9X is a high-end flagship model that Great Wall invested heavily in (based on the Guiyuan S platform with advanced features), but its poor sales are due to straightforward reasons:
- Pricing and Perception Mismatch: The starting price is high, and consumers do not feel it is worth the cost. Wei Brand's luxury image has not been established, so even with excellent technology, buyers are not convinced of its premium value.
- Marketing Lacking Clarity: Wei Jianjun publicly criticized the marketing team for failing to communicate the V9X's technological advantages (such as AI features and platform technology) effectively, making it difficult for consumers to understand its luxury proposition. If you have advanced technologies but don't explain how they benefit users (e.g., increased intelligence or comfort), buyers won't be impressed.
- Discounts Only Address Short-term Issues: A 30,000 yuan discount may attract some customers, but it doesn't solve the fundamental problem of brand perception. If consumers don't see the product as truly luxury, a lower price won't make it a hit.
3. Strategic Uncertainty: Fluctuating Between Fuel and New Energy
Wei Brand's development path has been one of continuous experimentation without a clear long-term direction:
- Fuel Era: Founded in 2016, the brand became successful with the VV series (selling 140,000 units in 2018), but sales declined as the fuel vehicle market shrunk.
- Tank Series Separation: In 2021, the Tank series was spun off, taking a significant portion of Wei Brand's sales, further weakening its position.
- New Energy Transition: In 2020, the brand launched the Coffee series (hybrid vehicles), but sales were lackluster. In 2023, it shifted to hybrid MPVs and SUVs, achieving over 100,000 units in 2025 before another decline in 2026.
- Premium Market Attempt: This year, the V series (including the V9X) was launched to target a higher-end market, but it has not been successful.
In summary, Wei Brand's strategy has been inconsistent, making it hard for consumers to understand its brand identity.
4. Frequent Management Changes: Eight CEOs in Less Than Two Years
The rapid turnover of CEOs (eight in total) is a major issue:
- Lack of Strategic Consistency: Each CEO may have different ideas, leading to changes in direction before previous plans can be implemented. For example, the Coffee series might have been abandoned after a new CEO took over and the focus shifted to MPVs.
- Team Stability Issues: Frequent leadership changes create confusion within the team, affecting marketing and sales efforts. The poor marketing performance of the V9X may be related to this lack of stability.
5. Betting on Electric Vehicles: Can a New Attempt Succeed?
Wei Brand is entering the electric vehicle market for the first time:
- Upcoming Models: The V8X (a large five-seater SUV with both electric and hybrid options) is scheduled for release in August, and an electric version of the V9X has been registered with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
- Why Now? The hybrid market is becoming increasingly competitive (e.g., with many competitors in the 300,000 yuan MPV segment), so electric vehicles represent a new growth opportunity. However, Wei Brand faces challenges from established players like Tesla and BYD, and its brand strength and technical capabilities need to be improved to stand out.
Conclusion
Wei Brand's problems essentially stem from difficulties in establishing a premium image. Frequent strategic changes have led to consumer distrust, and unstable management has hindered execution. The move towards electric vehicles is a new attempt, but whether it will succeed depends on the ability to convert technological advantages into tangible value for consumers.