2023-07-06 16:36:12
The beginnings of the adventure
Wallyscar’s adventure began in 2006, when the brothers Zied and Omar Guiga cross paths with René Boesch, one of the creators of the Jeep Dallas, in Wallis and Futuna. Inspired by the French archipelago, they embark on the creation of a brand of leisure vehicles which will bear the name of Wallyscar. Omar Guiga tells the story to the Tuniscope newspaper: “In 2006, my brother and I were on a small island called Walis-et-Futuna, in the Pacific, and we met by chance a man called René Boesche, who was a former car manufacturer, and he explained to us how you might get into the car industry without necessarily starting with tens of millions of euros, but how you might start producing cars and eventually become manufacturers cars on a tight budget. »
Three years later, in 2008, la Wallyscar presented its new Izis model at the renowned Paris Motor Show, taking inspiration from the American army’s Jeep Willys. The Izis marked the industrial history of the country by becoming the first car designed and manufactured in Tunisia. To guarantee a high level of quality, the Guiga brothers have partnered with PSA Group to supply the powertrain.
“Thanks to our synergies with major car manufacturers such as PSA, SAIPA and KIA, and the ecosystem we have developed over the past 15 years, we are now able to offer extremely competitive consumer vehicles. At the same time, we continue to invest in R&D in order to master the transition towards cleaner and autonomous mobility,” said Zied Guiga, co-founder.
The winding road to success
While initial forecasts counted on the sale of 200 vehicles in 2009, then almost 800 per year in 2010, only fifteen units had been sold by the end of 2009. This mediocre result was attributed to constraints of production, but it did not dent the brothers’ will to triumph. Between 2008 and 2013, the two brothers successfully manufactured 2,000 Izis vehicles, 80% of which were exported, mainly to Belgium, Italy and France, but also to some Latin American countries, such as Brazil, Panama and many Caribbean islands.
Since then, Wallyscar has marketed many other models, such as the Wallys 619 and the 2016 pick-up, which for Omar Guiga was “a great success”. In an interview given to Sayarti, a Tunisian media specialized in the automobile, Omar revealed that a new sedan is being marketed. “This is the new 719 which, for us, represents a renewal in the sense that Wallys will produce a product for the general public for the first time. We are no longer in a niche product like the 619, which was niche in particular because of its design,” he said.
A new SUV to go further
On July 4, the Tunisian automaker unveiled its latest production, the Wolf. This SUV is the result of a joint venture with the Chinese manufacturer Jetour. Breaking away from the traditional Wallyscar visual identity, the Wolf SUV features a distinctive rear profile, featuring quad tailpipes and an aerodynamic diffuser. The plunging hood is extended by a low grille. The interior of the SUV is made from recycled polyester, polyamide and semi-aniline leather. The cockpit is equipped with a 25 centimeter entertainment screen.
Under the hood, the SUV is equipped with a turbo engine 1.5 liter 4-cylinder, developing 150 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive. The SUV should reach a top speed of more than 180 km/h and realize the 0 to 100 km/h in just 8.8 seconds.
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