GWM Australia brings a second plug-in hybrid double-cab car to compete against the BYD Shark and Ford Ranger PHEV, confirming the smaller one Cannon Hi4-T should come onto the market before mid-2026.
This was revealed in Chinese government filings in February 2026 GWM Cannon Hi4-T PHEV will use a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine, all-wheel drive, and a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery of yet-to-be-announced capacity.
Further local details have yet to be confirmed, although local executives have confirmed that the new plug-in ute will offer a maximum braked towing capacity of 3.5 tonnes – far dwarfing the BYD’s claim of 2500kg.
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The Chinese model’s combined power output is quoted at 180kW – less than the Ford Ranger PHEV’s system output of 207kW/697Nm – torque and further specifications for the Cannon PHEV, known as ‘Poer’ in China, have yet to be announced.
The larger Cannon Alpha PHEV currently on sale in Australia uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a 37.1kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) battery, delivering a combined 300kW/750Nm.
With the launch of the Cannon HI4-T, GWM will be in the unique position to offer two different plug-in hybrid crew cabs. The new, smaller model launching this year is also likely to be quite expensive, considering the larger Cannon Alpha Hi4-T PHEV currently starts at $51,490.
The Cannon PHEV is also part of the broader Chinese push for its “Hi4-T” plug-in hybrid technology, which features mechanical all-wheel drive rather than E-AWD or E-4WD like some new entrants to the market.
A GWM spokesman says the Hi4-T system means the choice of a PHEV ute is “uncompromised”, retaining the level of four-wheel drive and towing capabilities of a diesel equivalent. The situation is similar with the related all-wheel drive SUV series “Tank”, with the Tank 300 and Tank 500 both having the same Hi4-T technology.
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales have been booming in Australia recently, largely thanks to the aforementioned BYD Shark 6 ute and a number of new entrants in numerous segments from fresh Chinese brands.
The category recorded the largest percentage growth of any fuel type in the Australian new car market in 2025, increasing 130.9 per cent year-on-year to 53,484 units, or around 50 per cent of EV sales (103,270, up 13.1 per cent).
A large part of this growth was driven by new brands and models from China, including the BYD Shark 6 (18,073 units) and the Sealion 6 (9,055 units, up 46.1 percent). Other strong performers were the PHEVs GWM Haval H6 (2542) and Cannon Alpha (1371) as well as the Japanese Mitsubishi Outlander (4110).
This momentum looks set to continue into 2026, with January VFACTS showing 170.5 percent growth in the PHEV segment, while pure gasoline and diesel sales continue to fall and hybrid sales stabilize. The number of electric vehicles also rose by an impressive 93.3 percent in the first month of 2026.
According to VFACTS sales data, GWM registered 52,809 new vehicles across its sub-brands in 2025, recording 23.4 percent year-on-year growth in a stagnant market. It finished seventh overall in the manufacturer sales race.
Key drivers included the strong growth of the GWM Cannon Alpha dual cab and Tank 300 4WD SUV and the solid performance of the Haval H6 mid-size SUV, which competes with the Toyota RAV4.
Sixth place was taken by Mitsubishi (61,198 units, down 17.9 percent), meaning GWM could jump into the top five with more than 60,000 sales this year. To reach the top 5, the company would have to break the 75,000 to 80,000 unit mark, which corresponds to a 50 percent increase in current unit numbers.
Given that the BYD Shark 6 sold over 18,000 units in 2025, GWM could be tapping into a very lucrative part of the market with the new plug-in Cannon.
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