GWM has become the first car brand to take up residency at the Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria since Holden left. Photo: GWM Australia and New Zealand.

Australia might be facing a deluge of new Chinese car brands at the moment, with names like Deepal, Geely, Leapmotor and Zeekr all opening showrooms over the past 12 months, but it can all be traced back to 2008, with the first to arrive on our shores – Great Wall Motors (GWM).

At the time, 45 dealers signed up to sell its A220 ute, starting from just $19,990, and the more modern V240 ute, priced from $23,990. And they were … very average (and laced with asbestos ).

But 17 years on, GWM is an altogether different beast and has revealed serious plans in an attempt to stay ahead (BYD may have been mentioned as its arch-nemesis).

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