Chinese auto giant GWM localizes pickup production at Astana Motors plant
Memorandum signing ceremony. Photo: Astana Motors
On June 13, 2025, a tripartite memorandum was signed in Almaty between the Chinese car maker Great Wall Motor (GWM), the distribution of Haval Motor Kazakhstan and Astana Motors’ plant for the production of commercial, specialized and passenger vehicles. The document provides for the localization of the production of GWM pickups at plant in Almaty.
The official signing ceremony was attended by GWM General Director for the Asia-Pacific Region Carol Tian, Astana Motors General Director Beknur Nesipbayev, Commercial Vehicle Plant Director Adilbek Gayev and Haval Motor Kazakhstan Distribution Head Eduard Kuznetsov. The event took place on the eve of the second high-level Central Asia-China summit and is aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China in the field of mechanical engineering. According to the parties, this step will strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as an industrial hub in the Central Asian region and will become another important stage in the progressive development of the domestic automotive industry.
GWM POER pickup. Photo: Astana Motors
“We manufacture buses, trucks, and other commercial and specialized vehicles at our plant. And now the range of manufactured vehicles will be supplemented with pickups. We recently completed an upgrade that allowed us to triple the production area, expand our capacity and capabilities. We have streamlined all technological processes and meet international quality standards. We successfully cooperate with a number of global brands, and the emergence of another international partner is a confirmation of our status as a strong player in the automotive market. I am confident that our team will successfully cope with the new task,” said the director of the plant Adilbek Gayev.
According to the signed memorandum, the plant will launch the production of two pickups: the GWM Wingle 7 and the GWM POER. The launch of production of the models is expected in the fourth quarter of 2025. In the future, the model line will be supplemented and expanded.
The largest car maker group Great Wall Motor — the pioneer of Chinese pickups and the undisputed leader in the People’s Republic of China — has sold the most pickup trucks for 27 years in a row. Its share of the domestic market is almost 50 %. This means that every second pickup sold in China is one of the GWM models.
“GWM pickups have won recognition in both the Chinese and international markets due to their reliability, technology, high level of comfort and modern design. Our company is constantly working to improve quality, investing in new technologies. And the people of Kazakhstan were able to appreciate this. I am glad that due to the localization of production, our popular models will become even more affordable here. And in the future, pickups from Kazakhstan can be exported to Central Asian countries and other foreign markets,” noted Carol Tian, General Director of GWM for the Asia-Pacific Region.
The interior of the GWM POER. Photo: Astana Motors
The GWM brand in Kazakhstan is officially represented by Haval Motor Kazakhstan, part of Astana Motors, which received four prestigious awards at once at the international distributor conference Great Wall Motor in April 2025. It was recognized as the leader in total sales, in sales of the flagship model, in growth and as the most effective dealer network. Currently, 45 dealerships are open throughout Kazakhstan, where HAVAL crossovers, TANK SUVs and GWM pickups are available. A choice of three pickup models is offered in Kazakhstan: the GWM Wingle 7, the GWM POER KINGKONG and the updated GWM POER. As noted in the distribution, they are preferred mainly by those who value practicality, power and confidence on any road.
In addition to the production of GWM pickups, Kazakhstan will also launch the production of the Haval Jolion and the Tank 300, which are planned to be launched at the Astana Motors Manufacturing Kazakhstan multi-brand plant.
Source: forbes.kz