The Philippine automotive market has a new contender in the name of WM Motors Philippines. WM, which stands for Weltmeister, is a Chinese EV brand founded by a former Geely executive, Freeman Shen. In its debut in the local market, WM launches the W5 electric vehicle, which boasts techie features packaged in a five-seat crossover SUV.
On the outside, the Weltmeister W5 comes with styling that you’d expect from an EV. These design elements include the minimal, almost non-existent grille, along with an illuminated logo. For the W5, this badge doubles as a battery indicator.
The W5’s lighting elements are all LEDs, including the adjustable automatic headlights with steering assist. Another notable design is the W5’s hidden door handles for a suave airflow on the sides. The crossover EV is equipped with a set of 18-inch alloys, a power tailgate, auto-folding side mirrors, and a rear fog lamp.
Size-wise, the WM W5 is a compact crossover that’s bigger than the Toyota Corolla Cross. It measures 4,585mm long, 1,835mm wide, and 1,672mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,703mm. It has a ground clearance of 174mm, with a default trunk volume of 488L.
Inside, the W5 comes with a two-tone theme, fronted by a vertical 15.6-inch HD touch screen connected to four speakers. There’s a bevy of touch-sensitive controls, including the dual-zone climate control. A rotary knob for the “gear” selector rests on the center console, while upholstery on the power-adjustable seats is made out of black PVC.
The W5 also comes with a panoramic sunroof, electronic parking brake with auto brake hold, front and rear LED reading lights, on-board computer, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, cruise control, and integrated dashcam. For safety, the newest EV in the market is loaded with six airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, ABS with EBD, an electronic stability program, hill start assist, hill descent control, front and rear parking sensors, 360-degree camera, blind spot detection, and lane departure warning.
Now for the oily bits, or the lack thereof. The WM W5 is a pure EV, which means its front wheels are powered solely by a permanent magnet synchronous motor that puts out 217hp and 315Nm of torque. The electric motor draws power from a ternary lithium battery that comes with IP68 waterproofing, cooling, and crash power-off protection.
With 52 kWh capacity, the W5’s battery is touted to be good for 400 km from full. It can be charged from a normal 220V socket but for quicker charges, WM can install (for additional cost) a level 2 charger at home, which can charge the battery in under 9 hours. DC fast charging is also possible, though it must be noted that the W5 uses a GB/T connector, which is a standard among Chinese electric vehicles.
At this time, there isn’t any DC charging station outside of WM’s facilities that’s compatible with this connector. Shell Recharge Stations, however, will have more connectors in its future installments, though it isn’t a guarantee that GB/T will be part of the options list.
The 2023 Weltmeister W5 retails for P2,548,000. WM Motors Philippines will be opening a showroom in BGC to accommodate sales, but servicing will be done at the TDG In.Hub Building in Taguig. The servicing facility has a charging station to accommodate WM vehicles.