GWM boost for local models
GWM has secured permanent residency at the Lang Lang Proving Ground (LLPG) in Victoria, Australia, heralding the move as a defining moment in its localisation strategy.
The marque says the purpose-built facility will be central to its mission to deliver more refined and locally tuned vehicles for the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Part of this journey was the appointment in March this year of veteran engineer Rob Trubiani, pictured, to lead the development and localisation of GWM products for the ANZ market.
GWM says it is well-positioned to intensify its local product development now it has permanent residency at LLPG and is the only original equipment manufacturer to hold such status.
Using the facility will allow it to engineer dedicated ride and handling packages, undertake full vehicle integration, and execute precision tuning across its product portfolio.
John Kett, GWM’s chief operating officer for ANZ, says: “With full-time access to Lang Lang now secured, this is far more than symbolic, it’s a statement of intent.
“When Rob presented the idea of establishing Lang Lang as our home base for local development, it was met with overwhelming support, both locally and from our global leadership.
“Rob has been relentless in defining what the true GWM feel should be for our markets, and with the right tools now in place, we’re confident this investment will deliver improved products right here on home soil.”
Trubiani says it’s a dream to be back at Lang Lang developing cars specifically for Australian and New Zealand drivers.
“I know this track like the back of my hand, having spent a considerable amount of my career here with Holden,” he explains.
“The intimate knowledge I have of the road network, combined with understanding the high-performance benchmarks required here, is key to ‘Aussifying’ our vehicles and ensuring what we develop here translates directly to real-world driving.”
GWM says it will showcase the results of work by Trubiani and his team across multiple vehicle platforms in the coming months.
Codenamed “AT1”, the programme will demonstrate the ride and handling enhancements shaped by feedback from the local market.
