Wuling has picked a New Zealand distributor, source says

A New Zealand distributor has been selected for Chinese brand Wuling, a source has told EVs and Beyond, a week after its first model appeared in Australian Design Rule certification documents.

The source said Wuling had been talking to several potential New Zealand distributors before making its choice, but would not say which company will hold the brand.

That puts Wuling on course to join the growing list of Chinese brands in the New Zealand market, and it will arrive without General Motors. GM holds a stake in SAIC-GM-Wuling alongside SAIC, the parent of MG and LDV, but GM Australia and New Zealand has said Wuling vehicles will not be imported or distributed by GM ANZ. GM ANZ distributes Chevrolet and GMC under its GM Specialty Vehicles banner and runs Cadillac separately.

The first model to clear Australian approval is the Eksion EV, a mid-size electric SUV. The filing, dated September 21, lists a five-seat, front-wheel-drive configuration with a single 150kW motor. New Zealand entry certification accepts ADR compliance, which clears the way for the same vehicle here.

The Eksion is the export name for the Wuling Starlight 560, sold in China since late last year and built in right-hand drive at Wuling’s Cikarang plant in Indonesia since April. It is also sold in India as the MG Hector Tomahawk. New Zealand cars are likely to come from the Indonesian plant, which is already building the Eksion in right-hand drive for export.

At 4745mm long on a 2810mm wheelbase it is close in size to a Tesla Model Y, though the boxy styling has more in common with a Subaru Forester.

Indonesian specification pairs the 150kW/310Nm motor with a 69.2kWh LFP battery for a claimed 530km on the CLTC cycle, which would likely equate to around 430km on WLTP. CCS2 DC fast charging is standard, along with six airbags and Level 2 driver assistance including adaptive cruise, autonomous emergency braking and blind spot monitoring. Indonesia also gets a seven-seat layout and a plug-in hybrid with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 20.5kWh battery, neither of which appears in the Australian filing.

It is not yet clear what safety rating the Eksion will carry in New Zealand. A five-star ANCAP result is usually needed for fleet business and broad market acceptance, but recent entrants including Dongfeng and BAIC have relied on the default Vehicle Safety Risk Rating rather than submit cars for independent crash testing.

Wuling Indonesia flagged Australia and New Zealand as export targets in mid-2024, alongside Malaysia and South Africa. The brand is best known for the Hongguang Mini EV, which ranked among China’s best-selling vehicles last year.

No timing or pricing has been given for either market.