- Tricked-up Cannon Alpha 3.0 costs same as base Ranger V6.
- GWM claims 'class-leading' torque for new engine.
- Demand justifies diesel development, says the company.
GWM says its commitment to an all-new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine for its Cannon Alpha ute and Tank 500 large SUV demonstrates that "New Zealanders still want diesel power, and GWM is giving them more of what they want, for less".
Australasia has been identified as a key market for the new powertrain: first in the queue, in fact. Pricing just announced for NZ puts the Cannon Alpha at $71,990 and the Tank 500 at $79,990, which GWM says is "thousands of dollars below comparable competitors".
That must mean the Ford Ranger and Everest, then. It's probably no coincidence that the fairly basic Ranger XLT with the 6-cylinder engine starts at $71,990, running all the way up to $92,990 for the most luxurious Platinum.
The Everest Sport is $85,990 with the big-six, topping out at $93,490 for the Platinum.
The key difference between the GWM and Ford engines is that the former is a 4-cylinder, while the latter is a V6, but the Chinese maker still serves up more torque: 620Nm against 600Nm.
Both the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 will come in Vanta specification, a trim level new for NZ but used on a number of GWM models in Australia. It's presmably a reference to the blacked-out exterior detailing: Vantablack is an acronym standing for vertically aligned nanotube arrays, which creates a super-dark material.
Vanta can also mean to boast in Italian, to wait in Swedish or to be sick in Nepali. Yeah, we're pretty sure it'll be that first thing.
The new engine makes 170kW/620Nm. Peak torque is available from 1400-2400rpm. GWM claims 7.3l/100km in Cannon Alpha and 7.1l/100km in Tank 500 (NZ-specific 3P-WLTP figures are yet to be published).
Localised development has been led by GWM ANZ’s lead product dynamics and integration manager, Rob Trubiani. The company says the new powertrain has undergone more than six months of local engineering and validation, carried out by GWM’s ANZ and Chinese engineering teams.
Testing vehicles have already accumulated more than 35,000 combined kilometres in less than two months, across Australian environments including the Flinders Ranges, Victoria’s High Country and the Big Desert.
The Cannon Alpha retains its 3500kg braked towing capacity, while the Tank 500 sees its rating increase from 3000kg to the same 3500kg. The company says it has worked on brake controller functionality, cruise control and towing/transmission calibration for heavy loads.
Neither the Cannon Alpha nor Tank 500 require AdBlue. The Tank 500 Vanta has a 131-litre long-range fuel tank, up from 78l.
Both models are expected to arrive at GWM dealerships in NZ from mid-September 2026, with customer pre-orders now open.
