【Text by Shendupingche & Caijing Sanjianke】 Amidst the intense transformation of China’s domestic automotive market, Great Wall Motors’ two key brands, Haval and Ora, are grappling with significant development hurdles. Lv Wenbin, the newly appointed general manager of both brands, stands at the forefront of this silent battle, shouldering the immense responsibility of guiding them out of their current difficulties and restoring their former prominence.

Haval, once hailed as the legendary king of SUVs in the era of fuel-powered vehicles, is now facing an unprecedented downturn in the domestic market, mired in a deep slump. Seven consecutive months of year-on-year sales decline have acted as heavy chains, relentlessly impeding Haval’s progress.

In May of this year, Haval’s domestic retail sales reached a mere 18,900 units, marking a significant 45% year-on-year drop. This dismal figure starkly contrasts with the overall 22.1% decline in China’s passenger vehicle market. More alarmingly, this marked Haval’s second consecutive month with sales falling below the 20,000-unit mark, following February’s 12,300 units. From January to May 2026, Haval’s cumulative sales reached 101,000 units, a 32% year-on-year decline, far outpacing the market’s overall downturn, as if it were sinking deeper into darkness.

In stark contrast to the gloom in the domestic market, Haval has performed exceptionally well overseas, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. From January to May 2026, its export sales reached 165,000 units, a 50% year-on-year increase, providing some consolation. However, this overseas growth is merely a drop in the ocean, unable to mask the structural crisis in the domestic market.

In terms of specific products, no Haval model managed to exceed 10,000 monthly retail sales in May, with past glories now faded. The Haval Big Dog led domestic sales with 7,886 units, followed by the Haval Menglong PHEV with 5,856 units. All other models sold less than 1,000 units monthly, reflecting a weak product lineup. The once-iconic Haval H6 saw cumulative retail sales of only 18,000 units in the first five months, a staggering 58% year-on-year drop, its former glory now completely faded, vividly symbolizing the brand’s current decline.

Haval’s predicament stems from its failure to keep pace with the rapid transition to new energy vehicles in China’s automotive market. During the fuel-powered era, Haval achieved remarkable success with outstanding product strength and precise market positioning, setting a record of over 100,000 monthly sales and becoming a leader in the SUV market. However, with the advent of the new energy wave, Haval’s multiple attempts at brand transformation and product upgrades have yielded minimal results, like a ship lost in a storm, unable to find its way forward. Domestic sales peaked at 779,000 units in 2021 before declining sharply for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, with past glories gradually fading.

Although Haval’s domestic market sales briefly rebounded in 2025, reaching a cumulative 391,000 units with a 5.2% year-on-year increase, this was merely a fleeting moment. The market performance from January to May this year has ruthlessly shown that Haval’s product lineup is now severely disconnected from market demands, like an outdated machine unable to meet the requirements of the new era.

Today, Haval faces the severe challenge of a fundamental mismatch between its product structure and industry trends in the domestic market. Fuel-powered vehicles still dominate its sales, while the domestic fuel vehicle market is experiencing an irreversible structural collapse. In May, domestic fuel vehicle retail sales dropped 39% year-on-year, with a cumulative 23.7% decline from January to May 2026. The shrinking fuel vehicle market is like a ruthless storm, eroding Haval’s foundations. Meanwhile, Haval’s new energy transition lags behind, failing to produce a blockbuster new energy model with stable monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units. Previous launches like the Xiaolong MAX and current Haval Menglong PHEV, while performing in their respective segments, have not created a blockbuster effect, unable to make waves in the fiercely competitive market.

Furthermore, the increasingly competitive “boxy” SUV market, Haval’s main focus, has transformed from a tranquil blue ocean into a fiercely contested red ocean. Products from brands like BYD’s Fangchengbao, JETOUR, and Chery have flooded the market, directly squeezing the market space of the Haval Big Dog and Menglong PHEV, making Haval’s market expansion in this segment arduous.

The Ora brand also faces a bleak outlook, trapped in a seemingly inescapable cycle. Before Lv Wenbin took over as Ora’s general manager, the brand was already struggling with positioning ambiguity and intensifying market competition, wandering on the fringes of the mainstream market and drifting further off course.

After Lv Wenbin’s appointment, his keen market insight and decisive leadership initially led to several consecutive months of year-on-year sales growth for Ora, offering a glimmer of hope. However, these gains were built on a previously low base, like a castle built on sand, with unstable foundations. In 2025, Ora failed to meet Great Wall Motors’ sales target of 50,000 units, achieving only 48,300 units with a 23.68% year-on-year decline, casting a shadow over the brand’s development.

From January to May this year, Ora’s wholesale sales reached 15,000 units, a 46% year-on-year increase, ranking second only to the WEY brand within Great Wall Motors, with domestic cumulative retail sales just over 10,000 units. However, failing to break the 10,000-unit monthly sales mark indicates that Lv Wenbin has yet to fundamentally transform Ora’s market environment, with the brand still struggling in its predicament.

Ora’s problem lies in its long-standing focus on niche markets, closely tied to the “female” label. This label, like a double-edged sword, has brought Ora a certain market share while also restricting its growth. Although it helped the Ora Good Cat initially penetrate the market and attract some female consumers, it also narrowed the product’s reach and weakened its user base. As the label became entrenched, it deterred a larger mainstream audience, severely compressing the brand’s market space, like a bird trapped in a confined space, unable to soar freely.

To reverse the brand’s decline, Ora launched the all-new Ora 5, the brand’s and even Great Wall Motors’ first pure electric SUV, carrying high hopes like a seed of hope. Priced starting at 99,800 yuan, the internal target was to achieve 10,000 monthly sales, reflecting Ora’s confidence and expectations for this model. However, since its launch in December last year, the Ora 5’s market performance has been lackluster, like a seedling failing to thrive. Monthly domestic sales for the pure electric version were 3,815, 1,220, 621, 1,001, 1,622, and 1,917 units, respectively, with fluctuating data falling short of expectations.

In April this year, Ora added fuel-powered and hybrid versions of the Ora 5, attempting to boost sales by diversifying its product lineup. However, April and May sales for the fuel-powered version were only 466 and 802 units, respectively, far below expectations, making Ora’s path to breakthrough even more challenging.

A month ago, Lv Wenbin transitioned from Ora’s general manager to the general manager of both Haval and Ora, a change that means he now shoulders even greater responsibilities, facing dual challenges in the domestic market for both brands, like a general fighting two difficult battles simultaneously.

For Haval, Lv Wenbin needs to accelerate its new energy transition, a race against time. He must lead the team to increase R&D investment, create competitive blockbuster new energy products, and fill the gap left by declining fuel vehicle sales. Simultaneously, he must navigate the increasingly fierce competition in the “boxy” SUV market and find new market growth points, like searching for new navigation routes in a vast ocean.

For Ora, Lv Wenbin needs to break free from the constraints of its niche label, reshape the brand image, and expand its user base. This requires comprehensive and in-depth adjustments in product positioning and marketing strategies, launching products that better meet mainstream market demands. Like a skilled craftsman meticulously carving each piece, he must rejuvenate the Ora brand.

However, the elimination race in China’s domestic automotive industry has entered deep waters, where survival depends on progress amid intense competition. Lv Wenbin’s ability to lead Haval and Ora to break through these challenges not only determines the development of these two brands but also directly impacts Great Wall Motors’ market position in the new round of industry reshuffling.

In this battle for breakthrough, every strategic decision and implementation result from Lv Wenbin is crucial, like each move on a chessboard potentially influencing the entire game’s outcome. The market and consumers are watching eagerly, anticipating his leadership in guiding these two Great Wall Motors brands out of their challenges and into a new era of vitality and glory.