GWM product expansion continuing with four new models for 2025

As part of its ever-expanding product range, Great Wall Motors (GWM) has confirmed the arrival of four additional models to the South African market in the first and second quarters of the year.

P300

Announced at the local market launch of the Haval H7 this week, Baoding’s second arrival will be the revised P-Series bakkie that adopts the P300 moniker as per the local market Shanhai Cannon wearing the P500 nameplate.

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Unveiled in China last June, and expected to debut locally in the first quarter, the P300’s exterior revisions from the current P-Series, sold as the Poer in China and the Ute Cannon in Australia, consists of redesigned front and rear bumpers, a new grille and headlights, refreshed taillights and the first-time option of a hard-lid tonneau cover.

Inside, the noted updates include horizontal air vents, a 12.3-inch infotainment system and a seven-inch digital instrument cluster as part of the wholly new dashboard, and a new steering wheel.

Up front, the biggest highlight centres around the new 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine that debuted in the P500.

Set to be sold in conjunction with the current 2.0-litre unit, the oil-burner develops 135kW/480Nm and will be mated to a new nine-speed automatic gearbox.

Unlike in China, the 140kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol is not expected to form the South African range.

Still to be priced, the P300 is expected to command a substantial premium over the P-Series, whose double cab variants are priced from R444 650 to R694 950.

As a comparison, stickers for the P500 range from R799 900 to R999 990.

Tank 300 Diesel

Also debuting in the first quarter, the retro-styled Tank 300 range will be bolstered by the same turbodiesel engine as the P300 and P500 following reported market demand from key export nations outside China.

Alluded to back in May on Chinese social media platforms, before being subsequently confirmed for South Africa by cars.co.za in October, the oil-burning Tank 300 will produce the same 135kW/480Nm as in its bakkie sibling, fed to all four wheels through the nine-speed automatic ‘box.

An alternative to the current 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.0-litre petrol-electric hybrid, the diesel is expected to be significantly dearer than the former currently priced between R725 900 to R775 950.

More than likely though, it will slot in below the latter, whose stickers range from R851 950 to R925 000.

H7 HEV

Confirmed to arrive in the second quarter of the year, the H7 range will be topped off by the HEV hybrid that made a cameo appearance at the model’s mentioned launch on Wednesday (15 January).

An inclusion that will expand the range to three variants, the HEV combines the familiar 1.5 T-GDI petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack for a total system output of 179kW/530Nm.

Unlike the conventional petrol-powered H7, the HEV won’t have the option of four-wheel-drive with drive instead going to the front wheels only through the Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).

Available for ordering though, the H7 HEV is only offered in top-spec Super Luxury grade with its price tag of R730 950 including a GWM first seven-year/200 000 km warranty, a seven-year/75 000 km service plan and an eight-year/150 000 km battery warranty.

Notable standard spec consists of a 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an eight-speaker dts sound system, Head-Up Display, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, auto on/off High Beam Assist LED headlights, 19-inch alloy wheels, plus the following;

• heated steering wheel;
• heated, electric and ventilated front seats;
• imitation leather upholstery;
• frameless rear-view mirror;
• electric tailgate;
• wireless smartphone charger;
• ambient lighting;
• 360-degree surround-view camera system;
• tyre pressure monitor;
• Adaptive Cruise Control;
• Autonomous Emergency Braking;
• Traffic Jam Assist;
• Forward Collision Warning;
• Lane Keep Assist;
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Reverse Automatic Braking;
• Lane Departure Warning;
• Lane Centring Assist;
• Driver Attention Alert;
• Corner Brake Control;
• Traffic Sign Recognition;
• Blind Spot Monitoring

H6

Anticipated to arrive in the second quarter of the year as well, the facelift H6 will cap off GWM’s new arrivals despite details, at present, being under wraps.

Revealed in China in April last year, the H6, which had been the Haval division’s flagship SUV in South Africa until the H7, benefits from new headlights, a restyled rectangular-studded grille, new alloy wheels, a revised bumper and fog lamps running from the main cluster down the flanks of the bumper itself.

At the rear, the changes to the now almost five-year old third-generation H6 include a new tailgate, a centrally placed block letter Haval badge, a restyled bumper and new light clusters.

Inside, the interior refresh consists of a new steering wheel, a minimalist centre console devoid of a gear lever that now moves to the steering column, a new dashboard and air vents, a 14.6-inch infotainment system and a freestanding 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Chinese-market H6 no longer offers a hybrid option, leaving a choice of two conventional combustion engine petrol options; the 1.5 T-GDI uprated to produce 135kW/275Nm, and the 2.0 T-GDI retuned to produce 175kW/385Nm.

Respective transmissions are a seven-speed dual-clutch and a nine-speed dual-clutch, with the former being front-wheel-drive only and the latter with the option of all-wheel-drive.

As it stands, no further details about the H6 for South Africa are known – the same applies to the H6 GT that received a number of model specific updates last year – however, expect more to become apparent within the coming months.

As a refresher, the current H6 spans six variants priced from R492 050 for the entry-level 2.0 T-GDI Premium, to R679 950 for the HEV Ultra Luxury with the GT carrying a sticker of R662 250.

Additional information from carnewschina.com.

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