Key Takeaways
- New 3.0L four-cylinder turbo-diesel: 170kW / 620Nm, GWM nine-speed auto, 4WD with front, centre and rear diff locks
- Cannon Alpha from $58,990 driveaway (Lux) to $63,990 (Vanta); Tank 500 from $65,990 driveaway (Lux) to $71,990 (Vanta)
- At GWM dealers from mid-September 2026, with a $2,000 cash bonus or $2,000 fuel card on offer until late October
- Claimed combined fuel use 7.3L/100km (Cannon Alpha) and 7.1L/100km (Tank 500), braked tow 3,500kg for both
- Tank 500 Vanta gets a 131-litre long-range tank, and neither diesel needs AdBlue
- Backed by GWM's seven-year, unlimited-km warranty
Update, 1 October 2026: GWM Australia has published driveaway pricing for the 3.0L diesel. The Cannon Alpha Lux is $58,990 and the Vanta $63,990; the Tank 500 Lux is $65,990 and the Vanta $71,990, all driveaway, which GWM's model pages say are for private buyers in Victoria. Both models were due at dealers from mid-September 2026. GWM has also confirmed 7.3L/100km for the Cannon Alpha, a tow rating rise from 3,000kg to 3,500kg for the Tank 500, a 131-litre tank on the Tank 500 Vanta and front, centre and rear diff locks on both.
Image credit: GWM Australia. Tank 500 Vanta diesel shown.
For anyone who has been waiting for GWM to bring the Tank 500 in line with the rest of the seven-seat four-wheel drive market, the wait is over. GWM Australia's new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel is now priced for both the Tank 500 large SUV and the Cannon Alpha dual-cab ute, with the Cannon Alpha starting at $58,990 driveaway and the Tank 500 at $65,990 driveaway. GWM says the powertrain went through more than six months of local engineering and validation, led by GWM Australia's product dynamics and integration lead, before it was cleared for sale here.
For CarSorted readers cross-shopping the Toyota Prado, Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X, this is the first time a GWM four-wheel drive has landed with a diesel spec that lines up cleanly with the segment benchmarks on paper. Now that GWM has put a price on it, the value maths can be done properly: a seven-seat, 620Nm diesel Tank 500 Lux at $65,990 driveaway sits well below what a Prado GXL costs before on-roads.
Engine and Drivetrain
The new engine is a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel that GWM lists at 170kW of power and 620Nm of torque, with peak torque held from 1,400 to 2,400rpm. That is a big step over the Cannon Alpha's existing 2.4-litre diesel, which GWM still lists and which makes 135kW and 480Nm. On the Tank 500 it is even more of a shift, because there was no diesel option in Australia before at all. The engine drives through GWM's own nine-speed automatic and a four-wheel-drive system, and GWM says both models get front, centre and rear differential locks.
GWM says the gains come from work across the whole engine rather than just more capacity: shorter intake piping to cut turbo lag, a latest-generation Bosch common-rail injection system, and an electronically controlled cooling fan with revised thermal management. It also does not need AdBlue, which is one less fluid to carry on a long trip. GWM says its Australian and Chinese engineering teams worked together on the ride and handling, the engine and transmission calibration, towing performance and software.
What Australia Actually Signed Off
GWM says the powertrain went through more than six months of local engineering and validation work before it was cleared for sale. That covered ride and handling, engine and transmission calibration, towing performance and software. The reason this matters is that towing and carrying heavy loads is exactly how buyers of a $60,000-plus dual-cab actually use one.
GWM says its early development vehicles covered more than 35,000 combined kilometres in less than two months, in places like the Flinders Ranges, Victoria's High Country and the Big Desert. Towing got specific attention: brake controller functionality, cruise control while towing, and a transmission calibration for heavy loads. That work is what lets the Tank 500 diesel carry a 3,500kg braked tow rating, up from 3,000kg, matching the Cannon Alpha.
Headline Specs
| Spec | Tank 500 3.0L Diesel | Cannon Alpha 3.0L Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 3.0L 4-cyl turbo-diesel | 3.0L 4-cyl turbo-diesel |
| Power | 170 kW | 170 kW |
| Torque | 620 Nm | 620 Nm |
| Gearbox | GWM 9-speed auto | GWM 9-speed auto |
| Drive | 4WD, front/centre/rear diff locks | 4WD, front/centre/rear diff locks |
| Braked tow | 3,500 kg | 3,500 kg |
| Combined fuel (claimed) | 7.1 L/100km | 7.3 L/100km |
| Seats | 7 | 5 |
| Grades | Lux, Vanta | Lux, Vanta |
| Driveaway price | $65,990 to $71,990 | $58,990 to $63,990 |
| At dealers | From mid-September 2026 | From mid-September 2026 |
| ANCAP (3.0L diesel) | No data | Not confirmed |
Current price on CarSorted: GWM Tank 500 3.0L Turbo-Diesel $65,990 drive-away (VIC), as at 1 Oct 2026; GWM Tank 500 Vanta 3.0L Turbo-Diesel $71,990 drive-away (VIC), as at 1 Oct 2026; GWM Cannon Alpha Lux 3.0L Turbo-Diesel $58,990 drive-away (VIC), as at 1 Oct 2026; GWM Cannon Alpha Vanta 3.0L Turbo-Diesel $63,990 drive-away (VIC), as at 1 Oct 2026.
Pricing
GWM Australia prices both diesels driveaway, and its model pages state the figures are for private buyers in Victoria, so the number in your state can differ.
| 3.0L turbo-diesel | Grade | Driveaway (VIC, private buyer) |
|---|---|---|
| Cannon Alpha | Lux | $58,990 |
| Cannon Alpha | Vanta | $63,990 |
| Tank 500 | Lux | $65,990 |
| Tank 500 | Vanta | $71,990 |
As an introductory offer, GWM is adding either a $2,000 driveaway cash bonus or a $2,000 fuel card on the diesel Cannon Alpha and Tank 500. GWM's release says the offer runs until 30 October 2026, and its model pages say purchases before 31 October 2026, so check the terms with your dealer.
That is a sharp number in the seven-seat 4WD segment. As at 11 August 2026 the Toyota Prado GXL seven-seat diesel listed at $79,990 before on-road costs. The Tank 500 Lux diesel at $65,990 is a driveaway figure, so it already includes the on-road costs the Prado price leaves out.
Image credit: GWM Australia. Cannon Alpha PHEV shown, not the 3.0L diesel.
Cannon Alpha: Why the Diesel Actually Changes the Story
The Cannon Alpha has never been short on kit, and the diesel adds GWM's Coffee OS software with a 14.6-inch central touchscreen, up from 12.3 inches, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and over-the-air updates. What it has been short on is a diesel with the outputs to match its 3,500kg tow rating. On paper, the 2.4-litre four's 135kW and 480Nm is modest for a ute asked to tow that much.
Adding 35kW and 140Nm changes that on paper. It puts the Cannon Alpha ahead of the Ford Ranger V6 (184kW / 600Nm) on torque, and clearly ahead of the Toyota HiLux 2.8L (150kW / 500Nm) and Isuzu D-Max 3.0L (140kW / 450Nm). With GWM's own nine-speed, three diff locks and a starting price of $58,990 driveaway for the Lux, it turns the Cannon Alpha from a value pick into a genuine tow-vehicle contender. The Vanta adds black exterior styling and 19-inch black alloys with red brake calipers.
Tank 500 Diesel: The First Real Ford Everest Answer
The Tank 500 has been a strong value pick in seven-seat 4WDs since it launched, but the petrol hybrid drivetrain has been the sticking point for buyers who tow, tour or spend a lot of time in remote country where a diesel is easier to feed. Adding a 170kW/620Nm diesel fixes that in one move, and the tow rating climbs from 3,000kg to 3,500kg with it.
On paper, the Vanta is the one for long-distance touring. GWM fits it with a 131-litre long-range fuel tank, up from 78 litres, along with black styling, electronic retractable side steps and 19-inch black alloys. The diesel sits alongside the hybrid and plug-in hybrid Tank 500, so buyers now choose from three powertrains. Compare the seven-seat 4WD segment to see how it lines up.
Safety
ANCAP's current Tank 500 record, rated in 2024, covers the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions only, so there is no ANCAP data for the Tank 500 diesel yet. The Cannon Alpha's 2024 ANCAP record lists all variants built from April 2024 and includes diesel, but we have not seen confirmation that it extends to the new 3.0L version, so we are treating that as unconfirmed rather than assuming it carries over. For a refresher on how the star system actually works, see our ANCAP explainer.
Cars in this story
4 cars
Price shown is each car's stored figure with its basis and check date.
See all GWM modelsHow It Compares
| Seven-Seat 4WD | Engine | Power / Torque | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| GWM Tank 500 Lux 3.0L Diesel | 3.0L 4-cyl diesel | 170kW / 620Nm | $65,990 driveaway |
| Toyota Prado GXL 7-seat | 2.8L 4-cyl diesel MHEV | 150kW / 500Nm | $79,990 + on-roads |
| Ford Everest Sport V6 | 3.0L V6 diesel | 184kW / 600Nm | Not quoted |
| Isuzu MU-X X-Terrain 3.0L | 3.0L 4-cyl diesel | 140kW / 450Nm | Not quoted |
The Prado price is Toyota's list price before on-road costs as at 11 August 2026. We have not quoted Everest and MU-X prices because we could not confirm them against Ford's and Isuzu's current Australian pricing. On raw outputs, the GWM out-torques the four-cylinder Prado and MU-X in this table and out-torques the Everest V6 by 20Nm. It splits the difference on power. The interesting head-to-head is the Prado. Toyota's 2.8L four gives away 20kW and 120Nm to the GWM, and the Prado GXL's list price before on-roads is $14,000 more than the Tank 500 Lux's driveaway price. That makes the decision uncomfortable for Toyota.
Warranty and Servicing
Both cars get GWM Australia's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and seven years of roadside assistance, and GWM's Cannon Alpha page also lists seven years of capped-price servicing. That is longer than Ford's and Toyota's five-year standard warranty. Check GWM's terms for commercial use, where different limits can apply.
The CarSorted Angle
A 170kW/620Nm diesel plugs a big hole in the Tank 500 pitch, and GWM has priced it to hurt. If you are cross-shopping the Toyota Prado GXL seven-seat at $79,990 before on-roads, the Ford Everest Sport V6 or the Isuzu MU-X X-Terrain, the Tank 500 Lux diesel lands at $65,990 driveaway with more torque than the Prado, more torque than the Everest, and a longer warranty than both. Use our 4WD directory and side-by-side comparison tool to line them up on the specs that actually matter to your use case: towing weight, payload, wading depth and combined fuel figures. If you tour off-grid, the Vanta's 131-litre tank is worth a close look.
What This Means for Buyers
If you have been weighing a Prado GXL or an Everest Sport, the diesel Tank 500 is now priced and at dealers, so it belongs on the shortlist. The Prado still has the much longer track record in Australia. But if the question is price per kW plus warranty per year, this new drivetrain rewrites the maths in GWM's favour in a way the petrol-hybrid Tank 500 could not. Keep the missing ANCAP data for the diesel in mind if safety ratings are a deciding factor for you.
If you are a Cannon Alpha buyer, the calculation is even simpler. If the 2.4L diesel's outputs were what sent you back to a Ranger or a HiLux, this engine answers that. At 170kW/620Nm on a nine-speed with a 3,500kg tow rating from $58,990 driveaway, on paper it is exactly the truck the Cannon Alpha should have launched with.
Related reading: GWM Australia's 2026 rollout | GWM Tank 800 V8 PHEV confirmed | Toyota HiLux factory GVM upgrade
Disclaimer: Powertrain, specification and pricing details for the diesel Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha are sourced from GWM Australia's 17 August 2026 release and its Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha model pages. GWM prices are driveaway for private buyers in Victoria and were current at 1 October 2026; the introductory offer is subject to GWM's terms. ANCAP details are from ANCAP's published records. Comparison pricing for the Toyota Prado is Toyota's RRP before on-road costs as at 11 August 2026. Images show the Tank 500 Vanta and the Cannon Alpha PHEV. Manufacturer figures for fuel economy are claimed and real-world consumption will vary with load and terrain.