Tech & Business
7.6.2023
Wallyscar, the success story of the Tunisian automotive industry
Tunisian carmaker Wallyscar has unveiled the design of its new SUV. The group, founded in 2005 by brothers Ziad and Omar Guiga, is the first local manufacturer in Africa and the Arab world to export its vehicles to Europe.
How the journey began
Wallyscar’s journey began back in 2006, when brothers Zied and Omar Guiga crossed paths with René Boesch, one of the creators of the Jeep Dallas, in Wallis-et-Futuna. Inspired by the French archipelago, they embarked on a mission to establish a brand of leisure vehicles that would bear the name Wallyscar. Omar Guiga tells the story to news outlet Tuniscope: “In 2006, my brother and I were on a small island called Wallis-et-Futuna, in the Pacific, and we happened to meet a man called René Boesche, who was a former car manufacturer, and he explained to us how you could get into the car industry without necessarily starting with tens of millions of euros, but how you could start producing cars and eventually become car manufacturers on a small budget.”
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Three years later, in 2008, the Wallyscar introduced its Izis model at the renowned Paris Motor Show, drawing inspiration from the Jeep Willys of the U.S. Army. The Izis made history by becoming the first car designed and manufactured in Tunisia. To ensure a high standard of quality, the Guiga brothers joined forces with PSA to supply the powertrain.
“Thanks to our synergies with major automakers 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 are continuing to invest in R&D to master the transition to cleaner, autonomous mobility”, said co-founder Zied Guiga.
The meandering road to success
Despite initial forecasts predicting the sale of 200 vehicles by 2009, escalating to almost 800 per year by 2010, a mere fifteen units were actually sold by the end of 2009. This underwhelming outcome was ascribed to production constraints, but it failed to dampen the resolve of the brothers to achieve success. Over the span of 2008 to 2013, the car manufacturers successfully manufactured 2,000 Izis vehicles, with a noteworthy 80% of them being exported globally, chiefly to Belgium, Italy, France but also in some Latin American countries, like Brazil, Panama, and numerous Caribbean islands.
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Since then, Wallyscar has marketed many other models, such as the Wallys 619 and the 2016 pick-up, which for Omar Guiga has been “a great success”. In an interview with Sayarti, a Tunisian automotive media outlet, Omar revealed that a new sedan is being put on the market. “We’re talking about the new 719, which for us represents a renewal in the sense that Wallys will be producing a product for the general public for the first time. We’re no longer in a niche product like the 619, which was a niche product in terms of design,” he said.
A new SUV to take things further
Breaking free from the traditional Wallyscar’s visual identity, the Wolf SUV exhibits a unique rear profile, boasting four tailpipes and an aerodynamic diffuser. The plunging hood extends over a low grille. The inside of the USV is crafted with recycled polyester, polyamide, and semi-aniline leather. The cockpit features a 10.2-inch entertainment screen.
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Under the hood, the SUV features a 1.5 L, 4-cylinder turbo engine, delivering 150 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque, paired with a 6-speed automatic gearbox and front-wheel drive. The SUV is set to reach a top speed of over 180 km/h, and achieves the 0 to 100km/h sprint in a mere 8.8 seconds.
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