Great Wall Motor, China's biggest SUV and pickup producer by sales volume, is set to release SUVs that meet the tougher China VI emission standard, the company said.

The stricter standard, formulated in 2016, will be adopted in Hebei province - where the company is headquartered - in July, 2019, according to the Hebei Provincial Environmental Protection Department.

"The company started conducting research earlier this year on upgrading the powertrain system to meet the new standard," said Yuan Zhancheng, deputy general manager of Great Wall Motor's domestic market.

"Developing technologies to facilitate upgrades is not difficult, but the cost for each round of research will increase," he said.

According to Yuan, a small amount of its major SUVs will be released at the end of the year with the upgraded powertrain system already equipped, including the Haval H6 and H4 models. The amount of vehicles and models will gradually expand from 2019 onward, he said.

"The aim is to meet the market's changing needs as soon as possible, so that we can maintain our leading market share," Yuan said.

About 851,900 Haval SUVs - Great Wall Motor's major brandwere sold worldwide in 2017, topping the SUV sales volume rankings in China for the 15th consecutive year.

Yuan said more and more new customers or car owners are hesitating when searching for a new car. "Buying a car that meets the new emission standard is the best option, but there are not as many options as compared to vehicles with the old standards," said Wu Di, a resident in Baoding, Hebei, who considered changing her car after her second child is born.

Many automakers are preparing to roll out upgraded vehicles to meet the stricter measures, and some have already released cars that meet the new standard, Yuan said.

According to the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the new emission standard will take effect from July next year, starting in certain regions including the Pearl River Delta, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Chongqing.

Some regions, including South China's Hainan province, have already introduced the stricter emission standard for motor vehicles.

The standard will be expanded across the country gradually, aiming to reduce vehicle emissions and combat air pollution, according to the ministry.

"It's a development trend for automakers to manufacture vehicles that are more environmentally friendly," Yuan said.

He said Great Wall Motor is also developing new energy vehicles in addition to upgrading petrol-powered cars.

In July, Great Wall Motor and automaker BMW signed an agreement to set up a joint venture for their planned production of Mini electric vehicles in China.

Following its first big move into the cleaner electric vehicle field, it unveiled a new brand in August, Ora, which is dedicated to making and selling micro and small electric cars.