What do car companies do when they build motorcycles?
There may be many people who ask, what is the purpose of Great Wall Motors to launch the Great Wall Soul with such fanfare and bet on the motorcycle market? There will be many people who disdain it, thinking that car companies are not doing their jobs properly when they make motorcycles, which is a waste of time, energy, and money.
But perhaps they have not yet learned that the world's first motorcycle was invented by Daimler, which is the "Daimler" of Mercedes-Benz that we are familiar with. Similarly, BMW is also the "god" of the motorcycle industry and a veritable "luxury brother" in the circle.
In addition, Honda, which we are very familiar with, also started from the motorcycle market, and in the earliest days, Honda was mainly engaged in the production and sales of motorcycle engines. Other companies that have also relied on motorcycles for development are: Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha......
Kou can go, I can also go.
There are so many examples in the past, which is enough to show what the automotive industry and the motorcycle industry have in common. In today's new era, this commonality is not only limited to the close connection of technology, but also people's more pursuit of a better life and a deep yearning for "free galloping".
Great Wall Motors makes motorcycles, there is nothing that is not impossible, and it is even more suitable and appropriate.
On May 17, at the 2024 Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition, Great Wall Motor's new brand Great Wall Soul SOUO was officially unveiled, and its first luxury flagship station wagon ushered in its world debut.
The soul is a pure love that comes from the depths of the heart; SOUO, which represents the brand connotation of "Search Own, Unlimited Outlook", is the chivalry spirit of "pursuing oneself and having unlimited vision".
The first luxury flagship station wagon of the Great Wall Soul brand is equipped with the world's only H8+8DCT powertrain, officially entering the motorcycle market with a full blood attitude, opening up a new road for a new generation of luxury motorcycles for Chinese motorcycles, and writing a strong stroke for the diversified development of Great Wall Motors.
The "Soul" chariot is officially unveiled
"The car is the body moving, and riding a motorcycle is the soul moving." At the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, Wei Jianjun and Lei Jun had already begun to warm up the soul of the Great Wall when they were "linked by two armies".
At the 2024 Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition, Wei Jianjun once again emphatically explained: "Four wheels carry the body, and two wheels carry the soul, which is why our brand is called the soul." ”
The good-looking skins are the same, and the interesting souls are one in a thousand. The soul of the Great Wall is not only the consistent pursuit of quality by Great Wall Motors over the years, but also represents the determination of Great Wall Motors to develop the motorcycle market.
That's right, spoiler, here.
"China lacks high-end heavy motorcycle products, does not have its own high-end motorcycle brand, does not have its own motorcycle culture, has always been the choice of the majority of motorcycle friends are BMW, Honda and Harley, etc., in the tribute to these excellent motorcycle brands at the same time, I have also been thinking that China should have its own high-end motorcycle brand."
At the press conference, Wei Jianjun, as the founder of the Great Wall Soul, made a rare appearance on the stage, and bluntly stated that the reason why Great Wall Motors wanted to launch the motorcycle brand of Great Wall Soul - to build a high-end motorcycle brand in China.
In order to undertake the heavy responsibility of China's high-end motorcycle brand and effectively implement the "high-end" label, the research and development of Great Wall Soul Motorcycle completely follows the research and development process in the automotive field, and is built in accordance with the standards of high-end passenger cars in terms of performance, quality and service.
Obviously, from cars to motorcycles, the soul of the Great Wall has created a kind of "dimensionality reduction strike". Therefore, compared with other competitors, in terms of the overall performance of product power, the first luxury flagship station wagon of the soul of Great Wall is also more unique.
First of all, in terms of design, the Great Wall Soul Station wagon draws design inspiration from the "Chinese Lion Awakening", highlighting the aesthetic characteristics of oriental culture.
The headlights are designed with the "smart lamp language" as the design source, which is smart and spiritual, symbolizing wisdom and courage; The posture of the whole vehicle is designed in the direction of "ready to go" before the lion jumps, and the side lines of the car are bent and orderly, outlining the visual perception of a low center of gravity, just like a lion crawling, further showing the "smart" and "majestic".
In terms of power, the Great Wall Soul Station wagon is equipped with the world's only H8+8DCT powertrain, which brings Great Wall Motor's automotive experience to the extreme.
The world's only horizontally opposed eight-cylinder engine independently developed by Great Wall Soul, with a displacement of 2000cc, and a deep and low starting sound like a lion's roar; When accelerating, the sound is surging and surging, showing more passion and enthusiasm.
High quality, high standards and high technology create a unique "heart" of the soul of the Great Wall.
Of course, as a product of the new era, the Great Wall Soul Station wagon not only has strong power, but also creates a new era of intelligent motorcycle control in terms of intelligent technology.
The Great Wall Soul Station Wagon is equipped with the industry's largest 12.3-inch LCD touchable LCD instrument and automotive-grade 8155 chip, which supports OTA remote upgrades and properly intelligent redundancy and hardware redundancy.
In addition, the Great Wall Soul Station Wagon is also equipped with EPB automatic parking function, pace mode and other technological configurations, making the operation easier, more comfortable and safer.
In terms of suspension, car machine, audio, lighting, intelligent interconnection and other aspects, the Great Wall Soul Station Wagon has been blessed by the most advanced technology of Great Wall Motors. And the Great Wall soul station wagon, which integrates the skills of the Great Wall, is also evolving into an "all-round toy" with beauty, connotation and strength.
Feelings, but not just feelings
"To tell you the truth, building a motorcycle is a little emotional!"
At the 2024 shareholders' meeting of Great Wall Motors not long ago, Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, did not hide his love for motorcycles, and even broke the news himself: "I rode a motorcycle at the age of 20, and until now, I am often busy and take a motorcycle to run around Baoding on weekends." ”
"Baoding Car God" loves to ride motorcycles, and has become the most interesting one among Wei Jianjun's many labels. And who really turns feelings into a career, and also makes this career the light of industry in the field of Chinese automobiles and motorcycles, Wei Jianjun can definitely be regarded as a "pioneer".
Currently, China is one of the largest motorcycle markets in the world. According to relevant statistics, China's annual motorcycle sales exceed 20 million, accounting for nearly 50% of the world's total sales. China's motorcycle market is mainly dominated by several large enterprises: Jialing, Jianjian, Wuyang, Qianjiang, etc.
Taking a step back, although the brand power of these companies is not as good as some "luxury motorcycle brands", thanks to the feedback of the Chinese market, they not only have a high market share in China, but also have a certain influence in the international market, such as: Southeast Asia.
Therefore, there is no shortage of motorcycle brands in China, but there is a lack of high-end motorcycle brands that can show the "true colors of a great country".
"I decided to give a motorcycle a try, hoping to inject new impetus into China's motorcycle industry and provide a new passionate experience for the majority of motorcycle friends."
Wei Jianjun said sincerely.
Taking feelings as the guide and strength as the basis, it is the mission of the soul of the Great Wall to build a high-end motorcycle brand in China. And it is not difficult to find that the soul of the Great Wall is not a "start-up" stunned youth, but in "integration", but also a "subversion".
Technically, the Great Wall Soul integrates high-quality R&D/manufacturing resources in the field of automobiles and motorcycles, complements the advantages of the "dual supply chain", and strengthens the forest ecosystem of Great Wall Motors.
In terms of products, the Great Wall Soul continuously promotes the exchange, cooperation and innovation between the automobile and motorcycle ecology through the integration of the supply chain, jointly develops new products and technologies, and promotes the upgrading and development of the entire industry, such as: intelligent injection, higher standard quality control, etc.
The development of the times has brought many uncertainties, and under the grand narrative, consumers have begun to look for more possibilities. How to expand the travel radius? How to be more free? The Great Wall Soul gives another answer.
At the 2024 Beijing International Motorcycle Exhibition, when Wei Jianjun visited Kawasaki's booth, he humbly said: "We are exhibiting for the first time, we are new recruits, and we are just entrants in the motorcycle market. ”
However, there is no doubt that although the soul of Great Wall is a latecomer in the field of motorcycles, it has attracted more widespread attention with its unique design ideas and influence in the automobile market.
The arrival of the soul of the Great Wall has given China's high-end motorcycle brands a real foothold. Although the Great Wall Soul is still a "new recruit" in the motorcycle market, I believe that in the near future, Wei Jianjun, who has always maintained his original intention and tenacity, will be able to take the "Great Wall Soul Chariot" to gallop on the vast field of the domestic market and even the global market.