GWM is developing a larger 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that will offer more grunt than its existing 2.0- and 2.4-litre oilers.
The company has confirmed it will be used in the Cannon Alpha ute, and the Tank 500 and Tank 700 off-road SUVs, but not the current Cannon ute.
The new engine is due for release around 2027.
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GWM Cannon Alpha
GWM says it wants to offer Australian buyers a variety of powertrains, and believes it can offset the emissions of its turbo-diesel offerings with a range of hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery-electric (EV) vehicles.
“So in the future, I think the Australian market, the PHEV, and HEV, plus diesel is a good choice for the customer… and also we have the EV, but I think for some scenarios the sales volume can be not very high,” GWM International vice president James Yang told Australian media in Shanghai.
“So maybe these are the three types of powertrain that’s much better for this market and also can balance the emissions.”
The Cannon Alpha is already offered with diesel and hybrid powertrains, with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) launching imminently.
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GWM Tank 500
The Tank 500 is offered here only with hybrid power, though petrol and plug-in hybrid options exist overseas, while the Tank 700 is set to be introduced here but GWM is still weighing whether to bring the current model or an upcoming, updated version.
The Cannon Alpha diesel uses the same 2.4-litre mill now employed in the Cannon, which produces 135kW of power and 480Nm of torque.
While much more stout than the 2.0-litre seen in entry-level Cannon variants, it’s down on the 154kW and 500Nm outputs of the 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel four used in the Ford Ranger and Everest.
Ford can also boast a 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, though unlike GWM’s upcoming oiler – or the 3.0-litre engine in the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50, for that matter – the up-spec Everest and Ranger engine has six cylinders.
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GWM Tank 700
“We’re not looking to paint any of our customers into a corner in terms of powertrain choice. Yes, there’s going to be changes that are going to be required for a lot of OEMs with the NVES [New Vehicle Emissions Standard] coming in,” said GWM Australia and New Zealand’s marketing and communications boss, Steve Maciver.
“As we sit here today we’re very well-equipped for that. We can move with that as the legislation moves.
“But ultimately we want to grow this brand in Australia and New Zealand, we’ve got to continue to give customers choice.”
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