GWM makes it official: New turbodiesel V6 arriving in 2027

Great Wall Motors (GWM) has confirmed the broadening of its current diesel engine portfolio with the introduction of a new V6 unit in 2027.

Three models earmarked

Announced to Australian media outlets on the sidelines of the Shanghai International Motor Show this past week, the new oil-burner will reportedly displace 3.0-litres and go into service in the Tank 500, 700 and the Shanhai Cannon bakkie known locally as the P500.

Surprisingly not earmarked for the Tank 300 or the smaller Poer bakkie, known until now as the P Series and before year-end, as the facelift P300 in South Africa, the V6 will slot-in above GWM’s existing 2.0-litre and 2.4-litre engines with substantially more grunt than the latter’s 135kW/480Nm.

Conversely, the bent-six will be a first for the Tank 500, which currently makes do with a series of petrol engines only, with and without electric assistance in the form of hybrid and plug-in hybrid hardware.

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“We have already 2.0-litre and 2.4 diesel engines in many countries. These two engines are designed on the same platform but now we are developing the 3.0-litre diesel,” GWM Chairman, Jack Wei, was quoted by carsales.com.au as saying.

“The performance of this engine will be will be even better, with better fuel economy and also lower emissions”.

In a related article, GWM boss for right-hand-drive markets, James Yang, told drive.com.au, “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.

In China or other markets, we have 2.4-litre diesel. Especially in Thailand, for the customer, the driving experience is okay, 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,” he concluded.

V8 and now V6

Announced days after debuting its new 4.0-litre plug-in hybrid twin-turbo V8, the V6 is anticipated to produce roughly the same or more power and torque than the 184kW/600Nm made by the 3.0-litre Lion unit in the Ford Ranger and its twin, the Volkswagen Amarok.

At present, GWM’s only other V6 engine, the 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol, comes in three outputs: 265kW/500Nm in Tank 500, and the same outputs but with mild-hybrid assistance in the Shanhai Cannon/P500 and China-only Tank 330.

In the Tank 700, the V6 is supplemented by a 37.1-kWh battery and electric motor for a plug-in hybrid configuration outputting a combined 385kW/800Nm.

Stay tuned

For the moment, details are unknown, as is the possibility of the V6 diesel featuring any form of electrification as the V8 petrol will incorporate.

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