GWM invited GoAuto to drive its 4×4 PHEV vary on native soil, forward of a market introduction that can bolster its quickly rising vary of petrol, diesel, hybrid and electrical choices – with its first plug-in ute confirmed for the primary half of 2025.
The producer introduced in a left-hand-drive Cannon Alpha Hi4T and Tank 500 Hi4T, to tease the PHEV fashions and achieve product suggestions at Norwell Motorplex in Queensland, earlier than shuttling them again to China.
GWM does already supply standard hybrid variations of the Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha regionally, however that is the primary time plug-in variations have been pushed in Australia – albeit briefly, and never on actual roads.
Whereas the Haval H6GT would be the model’s first PHEV to hit showroom flooring, confirmed for Q1 subsequent yr, it’s the two pre-production off-roaders that pose a threat for the slow-to-move Japanese producers.
Each the Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha PHEVs share the identical powertrain, with a formidable electric-only driving vary of 110km – eclipsing the electric-only vary of fashionable PHEV fashions just like the Mitsubishi Outlander (84km), Jeep Compass 4xe (47km), Mazda CX-60 (76km) and Kia Sorento GT-Line (68km).
The Hi4T powertrain consists of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 180kW/380Nm and electrical motor producing 120kW/400Nm, for mixed outputs of 300kW/750Nm, working via a nine-speed computerized.
They’re each as punchy because the numbers recommend, though there’s a noticeable delay with fast stabs of the accelerator, because the system decides how a lot energy it needs to ship to the tyres.
The Tank 500 will get to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds and does so driving an extremely clean wave of torque – the little 2.0-litre by no means feeling strained. Whereas GWM doesn’t supply an acceleration time for the Cannon Alpha, it feels related.
A 37.1kWh battery underpins the Hi4T system, which might be charged at as much as 50kW to take it from 30 to 80 per cent cost in round an hour. GWM opted for a ternary lithium battery sort, which it says gives higher efficiency in excessive temperatures.
Gas economic system is quoted at 2.1 litres per 100km for the Tank 500 and 1.7L/100km for the Cannon Alpha, however we weren’t capable of confirm the claims throughout such a short drive. Low-charge gas figures of 8.8L/100km for the Tank 500 and 9.3L/100km for the Cannon Alpha are additionally quoted.
The Cannon Alpha is the massive brother to the smaller Cannon, with each presently accessible in Australia with diesel or petrol-hybrid energy, and the incoming Hi4T PHEV mannequin scores much more off-road centered {hardware}, however payload suffers.
A coil-sprung rear finish for the Cannon Alpha Hi4T places it forward of most dual-cab utes – together with the common hybrid Cannon Alpha – however mixed with the heavy kerb weight (2775kg) and battery on the rear, payload is available in at simply 535kg.
The common hybrid Cannon Alpha, for context, gives 735kg of payload, which continues to be down on the one-tonne most dual-cabs supply however it’s on par with 1500-class American pick-ups just like the Ford F-150 or Ram 1500.
Off-road, which is the place we spent the majority of our time with the Cannon Alpha Hi4T, it felt composed and provided loads of grip. The electrical-only mode seems to revert to common hybrid energy when low-range is engaged, a minimum of it did for us.
The Cannon Alpha Hi4T feels similar to the common hybrid model, however the coil-sprung rear is undoubtedly extra compliant, even with a heavy battery tucked above the rear axle. The additional weight was not noticeable.
We have been additionally given the keys to the Tank 500 Hi4T, which is visually like its closed-loop hybrid twin, but it surely gives extra energy, higher gas economic system and continues to be more likely to undercut fashionable 4×4 wagon fashions just like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Sequence.
The Tank 500 Hi4T was equally spectacular off-road, consuming up the brief take a look at loop with ease.
Price noting is how proficient the traction management is, each on- and off-road. Paul Morris, ex-racer and proprietor of Norwell Motorplex, jumped within the Tank 500 PHEV at one level and took us onto his skid pan to see the way it carried out.
In his phrases, it outdoes lots of the fashionable wagons and taking turns we couldn’t get all of it that unstuck, regardless of making an attempt (other than one foray onto the grass). It was much less rolly-polly via high-speed corners than different fashionable 4×4 wagons, too, regardless of its almost three-tonne heft.
Journalists in attendance have been requested throughout the day what worth they suppose the fashions would promote for within the Australian market, which is the kind of probing typical of Chinese language producers seeking to introduce new fashions regionally.
An inexpensive query although – name it market analysis…
The consensus for the Cannon Alpha Hi4T was {that a} worth of $85,000 or beneath would supply compelling worth, significantly for fleet or commerce patrons, however past trackside conversations about the opportunity of a sub-$90k plug-in hybrid ute, no indication of precise pricing was provided.
For the Tank 500, it seems more likely to land at beneath $100,000, however GWM should watch out to not worth the PHEV wagon too near the six-figure mark if it needs to compete with Toyota’s LandCruiser 300.
Talking with media, GWM head of selling, Steve Maciver, prompt the worth premium for plug-in hybrid fashions is “wherever from six grand to fifteen” relying on battery measurement and vary.
“We’ve acquired quite a few choices accessible to us, and there are plug-in battery pack choices accessible to us that would give us as much as 160km vary, however with that comes value,” he mentioned.
With that in thoughts, the Tank 500 Hi4T, which tops out at $73,990, may sneak in properly beneath $100,000 and the Cannon Alpha Hi4T may are available across the $80,000 mark given its commonplace hybrid twin is offered from $64,990.
The Ora Sport was additionally previewed throughout the day, in right-hand drive configuration, offering considerably extra punch than its single-motor sibling. Regardless of the mannequin not being confirmed, GWM did recommend that particulars of a “potential Australian launch” ought to come earlier than the top of the yr.
Past a couple of sizzling laps on-track, our time with the Ora Sport was restricted but it surely was each bit as pokey because the Good #1 and #3 Brabus fashions we drove lately. It’s more likely to compete extra carefully with the BYD Seal Efficiency or MG4 X Energy, although.
What we did discover is that regardless of carrying the ‘Sport’ badge, the dual-motor Ora is sprung for consolation, not all-out efficiency, making it extra of a straight-line hero than a nook carver.
It seems GWM is gunning for the hybrid market, citing gross sales that places them behind solely Toyota because the second-best vendor of hybrid automobiles in Australia final yr. Whereas Toyota doesn’t supply any plug-in hybrid choices but, its spot atop the gross sales ladder isn’t in danger, attaining greater than 100,000 hybrid gross sales within the 12 months to June 2024.
“For the time being, GWM gives 5 devoted hybrid fashions and one devoted EV, and a few of you is perhaps conscious that outdoors of Toyota, GWM now sells extra hybrid automobiles in Australia than another model,” added Mr Maciver.
GWM gross sales throughout the board are up 21.8 per cent year-to-date, monitoring properly towards the typical market enhance of 5.3 per cent, and the corporate says it expects to high 40,000 gross sales in 2024.
The model clearly plans to up the ante subsequent yr, committing to 6 new fashions for the primary half of 2025, made up of a Cannon Ute with a bigger 2.4-litre diesel engine and a model of the Tank 300 with the identical engine, the Haval H6GT and Cannon Alpha Hi4T PHEVs, and the brand new Haval H6 and H7.
Whereas GWM was tight-lipped about native specs and pricing for its Tank and Cannon Alpha PHEVs, the corporate has mentioned it’s going to share extra info nearer to launch.
