GWM Australia's 2026 Rollout: Nine New Models, an All-New Haval H7 and the Wey Brand All Locked In

Image credit: GWM Australia

GWM Australia has laid out its biggest local product plan yet, and if you are cross-shopping a mid-size SUV, a dual-cab, a small EV or a family PHEV over the next six months, this is the one to pay attention to. The brand is bringing nine new or updated models to Australia before the end of 2026, adding a fifth sub-brand called Wey, and dropping the existing Haval H7 hybrid barely a year after it launched to replace it with an all-new, all-wheel-drive version. All while chasing a lifted sales target of more than 60,000 cars this year on the way to top-five brand status by end of 2027.

There is a lot moving. The short version is: more powertrain choice inside every sub-brand, a proper 3.0-litre turbo-diesel for the top of the ute and 4x4 range, a real premium play with Wey, and an EV push through Ora and the new Jolion Max. For an Australian buyer, that means the value floor GWM already set with the Haval Jolion, Tank 300, Cannon Alpha PHEV and Ora 5 is about to get pushed further into premium territory too.

Pricing: What Is On Sale Now vs What Is Still To Come

This is a plan announcement, not a single-model launch, so we have split it two ways. First, what GWM already lists on Australian roads today, at real driveaway or plus on-road pricing on CarSorted. Second, the incoming cars that GWM has confirmed but not yet stickered.

Pricing on the incoming cars is still being finalised. GWM has said the incoming models will use five separate powertrain types across the plan: petrol, hybrid, Hi4 plug-in hybrid, battery-electric and a new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel.

All-New Haval H7: Standard AWD, Hi4 PHEV and a Locking Diff

Image credit: GWM Australia

The biggest surprise in the plan is that the current front-wheel-drive Haval H7 hybrid, which only turned up in mid-2025 with the 179kW hybrid four and a 5.7 L/100km claim, is already being replaced. The all-new H7 keeps the mid-size footprint but leans harder on the rugged brief. GWM has confirmed it will be offered with both a hybrid and a Hi4 plug-in hybrid, and unlike the current H7, all-wheel drive is standard across the range. It also picks up a rear-mounted spare wheel, a locking rear diff and off-road drive modes, and the styling goes full Defender-adjacent. If you liked the current H7 but wanted more capability, you are the customer for this one.

For anyone about to sign on a current H7 Vanta HEV, the honest advice is to wait or negotiate hard. The old car is not being deleted overnight, but a new-generation replacement inside 18 months hurts residuals, especially when the new one adds AWD and a plug-in option.

Haval Jolion Max: A Bigger Jolion With EV and PHEV

Image credit: GWM Australia

The Jolion Max sits between the existing Jolion and the H6. It is about 118mm longer than the standard Jolion at 4,590mm long, on a 2,710mm wheelbase, so you get more rear-seat and cargo room without stepping up to full mid-size money. GWM has confirmed four powertrain options: a petrol, a full hybrid making 164kW and 482Nm combined, a plug-in hybrid rated at 238kW and 528Nm, and an EV variant. Hybrid and PHEV Max grades carry a 362L boot with the seats up. Australian steering and suspension tuning is being handled locally by an ex-Holden chassis specialist. GWM Australia is targeting an October 2026 launch.

Cannon and Cannon Alpha: A 3.0L Diesel and a Cannon PHEV

The ute lineup gets the biggest engine changes. GWM is adding a new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel to the top-spec Cannon Alpha and the Tank 500, aimed at buyers who want six-cylinder-adjacent torque without a plug-in setup. Alongside that, the smaller Cannon dual-cab gets a Hi4-T plug-in hybrid variant for the first time, which is the same core drivetrain approach as the Cannon Alpha PHEV that already tows 3,500kg braked and combines a 2.0L turbo petrol with an electric motor for 300kW and 750Nm. A new Cannon Alpha XSR off-road grade is also confirmed, aimed at the crowd that would otherwise be picking between a HiLux Rogue X, a Ranger Wildtrak X or an LC70.

For CarSorted readers the interesting cross-shop is against the 2026 plug-in hybrid ute set. GWM is now offering PHEV at two ute sizes and a diesel at both. Very few other brands in Australia are doing that.

Ora and Wey: EV Growth and a New Premium Brand

Ora keeps expanding. The Ora 5 only landed here at $33,990 driveaway for the Lux, making it the cheapest electric SUV in the country, and GWM has flagged at least one further Ora electric model before the end of 2026 to sit alongside the existing 5 and Ora GT. That keeps GWM in the mix at the sub-$40k EV end where the BYD Atto 3, Jaecoo J5 EV and MG S5 EV all live.

Wey is the surprise addition. It is the brand's premium sub-brand, sold as a step above Haval and Tank. GWM has confirmed it will land here before the end of 2026 with a large luxury SUV and a people mover, both plug-in hybrid at launch. In China the range headliner is the V9X, a 5.3-metre-long six-seat luxury PHEV SUV that runs a 2.0L turbo petrol paired with an electric motor. Positioning-wise, Wey lines up against Zeekr, Denza, IM and the upper end of the BYD range in Australia. Same 123-strong GWM dealer network for now, expanding to 135 by end of 2026.

Safety and Warranty

The new cars in this plan have not been assessed yet, so their ANCAP ratings are not yet rated. Existing GWMs sit at 5-star ANCAP for the Haval Jolion, H6, H6GT, Tank 300, Tank 500 hybrid, Cannon Alpha and Ora 5 under recent protocols, and GWM has been consistent about running new models through the crash program at launch, so we would expect the H7 and Jolion Max to follow the same path.

Warranty stays at 7 years unlimited km across the GWM passenger car range, with an 8-year battery warranty on EV and PHEV models, plus 5 years of roadside. That is a match for MG, Kia and Mitsubishi on the vehicle side, and better than Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai and Ford's 5-year offer. Wey pricing and warranty terms have not been confirmed for Australia yet.

How It Compares: GWM Against Its Own Segment

This is where the CarSorted data actually helps. On our variant database, a family cross-shopping a mid-size hybrid SUV right now is looking at the current Haval Jolion at $27,990 driveaway, a Chery C5 Hybrid Urban at $31,990 driveaway, the MG HS Hybrid+ around $37,990 driveaway and a Haval H6GT Hi4 PHEV at $52,990 driveaway. Add the incoming all-new H7 with AWD-standard Hi4 PHEV between those two GWMs and GWM is starting to cover almost every price point from $27k to $53k on its own.

On the 4x4 side, the CarSorted directory shows the current Tank 300 at $49,990, the Tank 500 Hybrid at $66,490 and the Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T PHEV at $77,490. Layer in a new 3.0L diesel Tank 500 and the incoming V8-powered Tank 700 and Tank 800 at the top, and GWM is quietly building a full Toyota LandCruiser 300 to Prado ladder inside one showroom. That is not something anyone predicted five years ago.

Direct comparisons already live on CarSorted: GWM Cannon vs Isuzu D-Max, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV vs Ford Ranger, GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado, MG HS vs GWM Haval H6 and GWM Ora vs MG4.

CarSorted Angle: What This Actually Does to the Shopping List

This is where a nine-model rollout stops being a press release and starts changing budgets. Running the CarSorted variant database against GWM's plan, three shifts jump out. First, the new AWD-standard Haval H7 lands right on top of the Haval H6GT Hi4 PHEV at $52,990 driveaway and the current H7 hybrid at $45,490 driveaway, which means GWM will likely have to cut or reshape one of the two to avoid the H7 cannibalising itself. That is the single biggest reason to wait rather than sign in Q3. Second, the new Cannon PHEV puts a plug-in ute inside the $50,000 to $60,000 driveaway band that the Cannon Alpha PHEV already lives in, at a smaller and lighter bodystyle. If you tow up to 3,000kg and not 3,500kg, that is a real saving.

Third, the CarSorted running-cost model has the current Ora 5 Lux at about $1,050 a year to charge, compared to $2,650 for a small petrol SUV over the same 15,000km. Adding a second Ora keeps that gap open on the cheap-EV side of the shopping list. Add it all up and GWM will occupy price points from $27,990 to well past $80,000 driveaway across five sub-brands by December. That is a genuinely rare thing for one importer to pull off in Australia. Cross-shop the current range in our GWM directory or start a live head-to-head via CarSorted Compare.

What This Means for Buyers

If you are in the market for a mid-size family SUV under $50,000 driveaway, GWM's current lineup is already a strong buy, the Haval H6 hybrid and Jolion Max both sit right in the Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage cross-shop bracket. But if you specifically want AWD and a PHEV in that price band, waiting for the all-new H7 makes sense. That gap is only about 4 to 5 months away.

If you are buying a dual-cab ute and you want a plug-in setup that can still tow, the existing Cannon Alpha PHEV at $59,490 driveaway is on sale today and reviewers keep giving it awards. If you want a smaller PHEV ute for lower everyday running cost, the incoming Cannon Hi4-T is worth waiting for. If you want a diesel because you tow long distances weekly, the incoming 3.0L in the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 is worth waiting for too.

If you want a luxury Chinese-brand SUV or people mover, don't sign anything yet. Wey is the closest GWM has been to a proper Zeekr or Denza rival, and the Blue Mountain and V9X large PHEV SUVs are competitive on paper. On the cheap EV side, the current Ora 5 is still the cheapest electric SUV on sale here, and a second Ora will make that end of the market even harder to ignore. For a live head-to-head against everything else in the Australian directory, run any two of these through CarSorted Compare.

Best mid-size SUVs 2026 | Best plug-in hybrid utes 2026 | Cheapest PHEVs 2026