Great Wall Motor : Responses to Inquiry Letter from the Shanghai Stock Exchange Regarding...

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長 城 汽 車 股 份 有 限 公 司

GREAT WALL MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED*

(a joint stock company incorporated in the People's Republic of China with limited liability)

(Stock code: 2333)

Announcement Responses to Inquiry Letter from the Shanghai Stock Exchange Regarding Post-vetting Comments on Annual Report for the Year of 2015

On 1 April 2016, Great Wall Motor Company Limited (the "Company") received "Inquiry Letter Regarding Post-vetting Comments on Annual Report for the Year of 2015 of Great Wall Motor

Company Limited" 《(

關於對長城汽車股份有限公司2015年年度報告的事後審核問詢函》)

(Letter from SSE [2016] No.0310) from the Shanghai Stock Exchange (the "Inquiry Letter "). In accordance with the requirements of the Inquiry Letter, the Company hereby provides responses to the relevant inquiries as follows:

1. Operation strategies of the Company

   
   

2. The Company launched Haval H9 and Haval H8 in 2014 and 2015, respectively. However, these two new automobile models recorded relatively low sales volume. As disclosed in the annual report for 2014, "Haval H7 is another brand new model of the Group, which is expected to be launched in the second half of 2015." This automobile model, however, has not been launched yet. Please explain:

   
   

3. The reasons for, and the issues of, the sales volume of Haval H8 and Haval H9 being below expectation and the delay in the launch of Haval H7.

   
   

   Response:

   
   

    Haval H8 and Haval H9 are classified into high-end products and their quality has reached the level of joint venture brands. However, for branding reasons, it may take time to build the brand awareness in the market and accordingly their sales volume has not reached the expected level. Nonetheless, Haval H8 and Haval H9 accounted for a relatively low percentage of the planned total sales volume and profit of the Company. As such, the sales volume of Haval H8 and Haval H9 had limited impact on the overall operation of the Company.

    Haval H7 has not been launched is due to the Company's adjustment to the product launch schedule based on the Company's strategy, it will be launched at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition on 25 April 2016.

   
   

4. Whether the price reduction for SUV of joint venture brands and the generally lower selling price as set by other competing self-owned brands in China have caused material impact on the research and development, launch and sales of new products of the Company.

   
   

   Response:

   
   

   The price-performance ratio of the Haval brand is way above that of the discounted SUVs of joint venture brands and other self-owned brands. According to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the Haval brand ranked top in terms of sales volume of SUV in 2015 and in January to February 2016. The price reduction of SUVs of joint venture brands and the low pricing strategy of other competitive self- owned brands has insignificant impact on the products of the Company currently. For other newly launched products, we cannot determine the impact on the products of the Company as they have only been launched for a short period of time but we cannot assure that the continuous price reduction of competitive models will not have material impact on research and development, launch and sales volume of the products of the Company.

   
   

5. Principal business and major products




1. As stated in the annual report, the operating revenue and net profit for 2015 of the Company increased by 21% and 0.22% as compared with the corresponding period of last year, respectively. The net profit after extraordinary gains/losses for 2015 decreased by 0.84% as compared with the corresponding period of last year. In 2015, the gross profit margin of products was 25.2%, representing a decrease of 2.5 percentage points as compared with 27.7% in 2014. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, sales volume recorded continuous decrease in the first three quarters, but it saw significant increase in the fourth quarter, which was stimulated by the preferential policy that halved the purchase tax. However, the gross profit margin significantly decreased from 26.6% in the first quarter to 22.9% in the fourth quarter. Please make the following disclosures in accordance with the "Guidelines on Disclosure of Information of Listed Companies No. 6 - Automobile Manufacturing" (《上市公司行業信息披露指引第六號 - 汽車製造》) (the "Guidelines on Automobile Industry"):

   
   

2. Operating data, including the revenue, cost, gross profit and gross profit margin of major products.

   
   

   Response:

   
   

   The Company has been focusing on SUV strategy and has formed a unique business model. In 2015, the sales volume of SUV accounted for 82% of total sales volume of the Company. Operating data of major products of the Company has been adequately reflected in the "Sales of automobiles" in "1. Revenue and cost analysis - (1) Major businesses by industries, products and regions" under "II. The Operation during the

   Reporting Period" in "Section 5 Management Discussion and Analysis" in the annual report for 2015 of the Company. Further disclosure by models of vehicles will involve trade secrets and give rise to risks associated with the operation of the Company.

   
   

3. Reasons for the decrease in gross profit margin of major products of the Company based on industry cycle, product portfolio and characteristics, pricing strategy of products, procurement of raw materials and market competition.

   
   

   Response:

   
   

    In 2015, the consolidated gross profit margin was 25.2%, representing a decrease of 2.5 percentage points from 27.7% in 2014. The decrease in gross profit margin was mainly due to the promotion strategies adopted by the Company in view of the slowdown of marco economic growth and intense competition in the automobile industry.

   
   

    In 2015, the gross profit margin decreased from 26.6% in the first quarter to 22.9% in the fourth quarter. The decrease was mainly due to: a. the provision for cash award to employees for the year 2015 in December 2015; b. the promotion strategies adopted by the Company from June 2015.

   
   

4. The Company relies heavily on the production and sales volume of SUV products. In 2015, the total sales volume of the Company was 846,000 units and the sales volume of SUV was 693,000 units, or 82% of the total sales, representing an increase of 11% as compared with 2014. The growth of sales volume of the flagship product of the Company, Haval H6, in 2015 was slower than the overall growth of the SUV industry. Please make the following disclosure in accordance with the Guidelines on Automobile Industry by taking the flagship product, Haval H6, and Haval H2 as examples:

   
   

5. Competitive advantages of major products of the Company, market share by product types and their changes and trends.

   
   

   Response:

   ① The Company has been focusing on the SUV market for years with an aim to position itself as a leading SUV manufacturer in the market. Haval maintains its top position in terms of sales volume with the following competitive advantages of Haval H6 and Haval H2:

   
   

   Haval H6 is a compact SUV launched by the Company in August 2011 and is equipped with 1.5T or 2.0T gasoline/diesel engines, and 6MT or 6AT gearbox. Two wheels/four wheels driving models are provided to meet the needs of different customer groups. Featuring dynamic and magnificent shape and appearance, fashionable and exquisite interior designs, as well as multi-functional and pragmatic configuration, Haval H6 has ranked first in terms of sales volume among all SUV models in China for three consecutive years. It is the first domestic SUV

   brand achieving a monthly sales volume of over 40,000 units, and production and sales volume of over 1 million units. Moreover, it also creates the highest sales record of a single SUV model in a single market.

   
   

   Haval H2 is an urban SUV with fashionable and unique style boasting science and technology concepts. It is also the first all-match model of domestic brands in China. According to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the total sales volume of Haval H2 for 2015 ranked 7th among all SUVs in China in terms of annual total sales volume. In particular, its monthly sales volume exceeded 20,000 units in December 2015, marking the 15 consecutive months of sales volume of over a million units, outperforming similar models.

   ② According to the data of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and China Passenger Car Association, the market share and trend changes of each product category of the Company are as follows:

   
   

   SUVs: In 2015, the Company sold a total of 699,000 units of SUVs, with a market share of 11.15% as compared with 12.68% in 2014. In line with the rapid growth of SUVs, the market share of the Company's SUVs remained stable and ranked top in the industry.

   
   

   Pick-up trucks: In 2015, the Company sold a total of 99,000 units with a market share of 30.22% as compared with 29.28% in 2014, ranking first in the industry.

   
   

6. Major competitors in different segments.

   
   

   Response:

   
   

    The main competitors of Haval H2 are SUVs of joint venture brands of which the end price has been decreasing. As price of the products of the joint venture brands has been dropping, competition in the SUV market intensifies.

   
   

    In 2015, the compact SUV segment into which Haval H6 is classified has been expanding as many new products have been launched with large quantity. As such, the competition has become increasingly intense in the segment. In addition, the segment has been eliminating weak players and products with high quality and high price-performance ratio will gain advantages.

   
   

7. Risks arising from heavy reliance on SUV (flagship automobile model) and corresponding measures taken by the Company.




Response:




Existing risks:




 Due to an increasing number of brands and models in the SUV market, competition in the SUV market will be increasingly intense in the future.