GWM reveals new Haval H6 and Jolion, Tank 400 and 700 and more under consideration for Australia

It’s confronting, the sheer amount of fresh product GWM has.

At the Chinese giant’s Baoding test facility, we’re greeted by a dazzling array of metal from the Haval, Tank, Ora, Cannon and Wey sub-brands. 

This is a brand seriously on the move, and many of its latest offerings are “under consideration” for Australia.

That includes giant luxury SUVs, sleek sporty fastbacks, rugged pickups, cheap family vehicles and hardcore 4x4s. 

Powertrain choices span the electrification playground – hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full electric – while usual suspect petrols and diesels hang in there too.

Australian buyers, and rival car brands, should be on notice. GWM’s combines sales last year jumped 45 per cent: Aussies bought over 36,000 of its products, spanning the Haval, Tank, Ora and ute/Cannon nameplates. 

It was our 13th best-selling brand of 2023 – ahead of Mercedes and BMW, and snapping at Nissan’s heels – and such has been GWM’s rapid growth, it seems inevitable it’ll break into the top ten in a few short years.

Fresh product is key, and on the strength of what I witnessed at GWM’s China HQ, there’s no shortage of that. It’s just a matter of making a business case for them for our market, and if so, “cars could be here in six to nine months (in right hand drive) – that’s how quick GWM can move,” said Steve Maciver, head of marketing and communications at GWM Australia.

Here’s a taster of what we saw, sat in, passengered in and in some cases, very briefly drove.

Tank 700 PHEV

A new flagship Tank model could join Australia’s line-up to sit above the current Tank 300 and 500. 

An upper large SUV that would compete against Toyota’s LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol, for now it is powered exclusively by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol with plug-in hybrid backup. 

It combines for a LandCruiser and Patrol-smashing 386kW and 800Nm, hitting 100km/h in a surreal less-than five seconds.

Luxury’s at the core of this imposing, Mercedes G-Wagon looking body-on-frame unit. 

We sampled the Hi-4T Limited Edition – which translated to Australian currency would cost almost $150,000 – bringing air suspension, Nappa leather, heated, ventilated and massage seats, starry sky roof and what looks like at least a 14-inch touchscreen.

On paper, the off-roading credentials are mighty. Permanent four-wheel-drive, three diff locks, 970mm wading depth and 12 driving/all-terrain modes. It’d be likely able to tow 3000kg+ too.

Entry-level versions are priced closer to around $90,000 Australian in China, and if the 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid from the Tank 500 (currently on sale in Australia) could squeeze in and lower that price, the business case for this giant SUV would look even tastier. If so, expect it in 2025.

Tank 400 Hi4-T

Another tough-looking rig, it may crowd Tank’s line-up, but there could be space for the 400 between the 300 and 500 SUVs.

Launched overseas late last year, this plug-in offers a weighty 304kW/750Nm (combined), with an apparent very impressive 105km EV-only range.

This ladder-frame 4×4 would rival the likes of Isuzu’s MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, far bettering their performance figures with its 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol, two electric motors and 20kWh battery.

Towing is 2500kg, wading depth’s 800mm and ground clearance 224mm – numbers that would make it highly suited to Australia. 

Its PHEV tech would give it a key point of difference, and if priced around $60,000 it would be worth a serious look. Again, 2025 would be a likely launch date.

Haval Jolion facelift and new Hybrid

The Jolion small SUV’s been a sales champ for GWM: its best-selling model with over 11,000 shifting in Australia last year. In 2023, it outsold heavyweights Hyundai Kona and Kia Seltos. 

Change is coming to keep it fresh. Highly likely – and seen on our GWM China excursion – is a facelifted version of the current petrol-powered (non hybrid) Jolion, which we’d fancy (but not confirmed) will be landing here in a few short months. 

More interestingly, an all new Haval Jolion Pro – also called the Red Rabbit – will arrive later to replace the current Jolion hybrid. It’s a similar-sized small SUV already on sale in China, featuring matrix-style front headlights, 12.3-inch touchscreen, 7.0-inch digital driver display, long safety suite and plusher-looking cabin. It’d be a marked grown-up step for Jolion.

No details on the 1.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid’s outputs, but there’s a decent 5.1L/100km economy claim.

Facelifted Haval H6 and new generation H6

You don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to spot the already revealed Haval Xiaolong Max – GWM’s global mid-sized SUV – will be the next generation Haval H6 to come to Australia, but likely not until 2026.

Before that, a facelifted H6 – seen in China – is sure to hit our shores, likely to have a working life of up to 18 months before the new generation lobs. 

The facelift, which could be here before year’s end, would make most sense if it covered both the strong-selling conventional H6 SUV and the coupe-styled H6 GT.

More contemporary LED lighting and new GWM letter script are signatures of the facelifted H6, while inside there’s a panoramic digital driver’s display, giant central screen and clean, button-free dash and centre console design. 

The Xiaolong Max (our next gen H6) has already been on sale on China for a year, and there it’s plug-in hybrid only. It uses a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol (one is turbocharged, the other naturally aspirated), with 9.4kWh or 19.3kWh battery. 

Our market would likely best embrace a petrol-hybrid – we’d fancy that motor would end up featuring – but a plug-in hybrid would certainly help with incoming NVES legislation.

Ora Sport 

Highly likely for Australia, this would join the tiddly budget Ora EV. 

Known overseas as the Lightning Cat or Ora 07, it’s a ‘challengingly’ designed four-door coupe with adaptive electric rear wing and shades of first-gen Porsche Panamera to the rear design.

It’s an intriguing thing in the metal, and not short of speed. It’s a twin-electric motor and all-wheel-drive, and deals with 100km/h in 4.3 seconds thanks to 300kW and 680Nm. GWM claims a 640km range (NEDC) from its sizeable 83kWh battery.

Pop-out door handles, very funky alloys, luxurious leathery interior and digital driver display all feature. It’d be an interesting thing to lob in the mix at under $60k.

Wey 07

A brand too far for GWM? Perhaps, but Wey products are included in the “under investigation for Australia” folder, according to Steve Maciver. 

Weys have been on sale in Europe since 2022 (in Germany and France, but not RHD UK), and are basically posh versions of Havals, adding luxury and sharper style to their established platforms. And the luxe is lengthy.

SUVs Wey 03, 05 and 07 were all shown, with the 07 plug-in hybrid three-row large SUV most catching the eye as it dripped in fanciness.

Also known as the Wey Lanshan, the interior’s a blend of plush leather seating with trio of dashboard screens running the length of the dashboard – the pair in the centre and in front of the passenger looking to be around 14-inches.

We believe it uses a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, plus a large (for a PHEV) 44.5kWh battery to feed one or two electric motors. 

All electric range should be over 100km, and performance likely seeing 100km/h dispatched in under five seconds.

Our sample vehicle had three rows sporting two seats each (captain’s chairs in the middle row), while the front passenger seat could recline to near business class levels.

If it hit Australia it’d have to compete with the BMW X5, Lexus RX and Genesis GV80, but could no doubt undercut them for price.

Haval H5

Miss the Toyota HiLux Surf? Me too. The rugged-looking, chunky and off-road ready Haval H5 harks back to the much-missed Surf. 

The H5 on show boasted serious ground clearance, all-terrain tyres, roof bars and aggressive rear wheel arches.

Another one under consideration for Australia, it’s a five-seat rear-wheel-drive or 4×4 body-on-frame large SUV, ready to rival the likes of a Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, albeit with one less row of seats. 

The H5 is based on the same platform as GWM’s King Kong Cannon (great name) full-size pickup.

It’s offered with two engines: a 165kW two-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol and two-litre 122kW turbo-diesel, and although no details were given regarding tow capacity, we can speculate this low-range transfer-cased SUV will have decent off-road abilities.

As is the trend for these latest GWM products, there’s proper luxury inside: leather seats, dual digital displays, very spacious rear with folding seat bases and, thanks to no third row, a giant boot.

Priced correctly, this thing would surely go well Down Under.

Haval H9

The flagship Haval. Remember we had the H9 in Australia from 2015-2021? This is the second-gen seven-seat, ladder frame chassis 4×4, and sold in China with the option of petrol or diesel engine. 

It’d be fair to say it’s likely to come to Australia considering the ever-increasing acceptance and sales volumes of Haval’s smaller SUVs. 

What engines would we get? Diesel would keep the old-school happy, but a hybrid petrol would be a welcome addition too.

Gifted a boxy style with round headlights – as has become the current vogue – there’s a rear side-hinged boot with spare wheel mounted. 

There’ll be diff-locks, and an increase in the former H9’s not-enough 2500kg tow rating, and the example vehicle we saw had a nicely appointed, very leathery interior with giant central touchscreen.

Another solid rival to the established ute-based seven-seat 4x4s, if it undercuts them on price or over-delivers on specification, it’d surely attract buyers.

Wey 80

This people mover doesn’t really have a front end; it’s basically all grille. A less likely thing to arrive on our shores, but good grief it’s a lovely way to travel.

Sliding side doors reveal two business class seats in the centre row, which recline to dentist chair levels. But you get heated, cooling, massaging and impossibly soft pillows, plus a chilled 12.5-litre drinks cabinet able to take a couple of bottles of wine.

There are solid feeling tray tables and three rear seats, all able to be removed to make best use of the luxury middle row. 

Harman Kardon surround sound and a single panoramic dash panel housing two digital displays up the luxury. 

Sumptuous airport transport loveliness would surely see the 80 get some Australian buyers, but it’s a harder business case than most else here.