More power and torque are due to be revealed for GWM four-wheel-drive models – likely the Cannon Alpha ute and Tank 500 SUV – mid-next year.
The reveal window for GWM’s most powerful diesel engine – a new 3.0-litre four-cylinder expected for the Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha – has been set.
The new-generation 3.0-litre engine has been confirmed for use in GWM utes and Tank-branded 4WDs, and will outgun the 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre and 135kW/480Nm 2.4-litre engines in the brand’s current diesel models.
It is due to make its world premiere in Australia by the middle of next year, before arriving in showrooms in 2027.
“Our diesel line-up – 2.0-litre turbo, 2.4-litre turbo, and a 3.0-litre turbo coming soon,” GWM chief technology officer Nicole Wu told a global media and dealer conference in Melbourne today.
“Here is the kicker, our 3.0-litre turbo-diesel Tank and the pick-up model will make their global debut right here in Australia by mid-next year.”
Wu did not name the models earmarked for the engine, but Drive has previously reported the closely-related Cannon Alpha ute and Tank 500 SUV are likely candidates.
It could also be used to debut the even-larger Tank 700, sold in China as GWM’s flagship off-road SUV, which appears increasingly likely to be offered in Australia.
As other brands move away from the technology – or scale down their offerings to one, smaller-displacement engine – GWM is doubling down on diesel power, amid strong sales of the just-introduced Tank 300 diesel locally.
Outputs for the 3.0-litre GWM diesel engine are yet to be published. It remains to be seen how close it can get to the 184kW/600Nm of a Ford Ranger’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6.
Scaling up the 2.4-litre’s 135kW/480Nm outputs to a 3.0-litre displacement suggests as much as 169kW and 600Nm, enough to make it the most powerful four-cylinder in the ute class, ahead of the 165kW/550Nm Toyota HiLux GR Sport and 164kW/520Nm LDV Terron 9.
Not expected to receive the engine is the regular-sized GWM Cannon ute, which has passed the mid-way point in its life cycle.
GWM Australia managing director Charles Zhao told Australasian media at the Shanghai motor show earlier this year that “we’ll consider that [engine] in Cannon Alpha, but not the current [smaller] Cannon”.
“I think we also have some products [we will] wait [before] launching in Australia because some powertrain, especially the high-end SUV, off-road SUV you need the high torque,” GWM’s boss of right-hand-drive markets, James Yang, told media at the Shanghai show.
“In China or other markets we have 2.4-litre diesel. Especially in Thailand for the customer, the driving experience is OK, but I think in Australia we need high torque, the big engine.
“So [for] some products we will wait [for] this engine to launch [before introducing them] in Australia.”
The 2.4-litre turbo-diesel is currently fitted to the Cannon Alpha in Australia, but its size and weight gives it one of the lowest power-to-weight ratios in the dual-cab ute category.
The engine is also offered in the Tank 500 in Thailand, but it is not being considered by GWM Australia, likely given the 3.0-litre is on the way.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
