GWMs The local operations manager has described rival EV-focused brands from China as “one-dimensional” when referring to his own company’s strategy for sales growth and powertrains.
Speaking to media in Melbourne, GWM Australia chief operating officer John Kett said the Chinese brand is targeting annual sales volumes of around 75,000 units in the coming years and, unlike rivals such as BYD and Geely, will look to offer an extensive portfolio of nameplates, body styles and powertrains, including petrol and diesel.
“That 52,000 (units) growth, which is hard to achieve, is even harder to get to 75,000. We look at the Hyundais of the world that have achieved scale, stuck to the 75,000 zone and have growth ambitions, and we also look at Kia, another incredibly well-run company, trying to get from 75,000 to 85,000 (units) – You.” “You just can’t do that with one product, it doesn’t work,” said Mr Kett, taking a subtle swipe at the underperforming Tasman ute.
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“We don’t make any fancy statements about 100,000 (sales) and our premium brand will be 10,000, we just want to get to 75,000 – that’s why this year we’re aiming for a ‘6’ ahead of our volume number, we have 20,000 ideas to get there.”
“Our advantage is that we have representation across all fuel types. Our nemesis is that we don’t quite have the history of BYD or Geely because we’re not as one-dimensional,” Mr Kett added. It is also worth noting that Mr Kett is the former COO of Hyundai Australia, a position he held for over five years.
According to VFACTS sales data, GWM registered 52,809 new vehicles in 2025, representing 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. However, as Mr Kett mentioned, the Chinese company would need to break the 75,000 to 80,000 unit mark to reach the top five, which represents a 50 percent increase on current unit numbers.
A key pillar of GWM’s continued growth in Australia will be the local development and tuning of its models at the Lang Lang Proving Grounds in Victoria, formerly owned and operated by GM Holden.
GWM has taken up permanent residence at the former General Motors proving ground and will continue to carry out Australian suspension tuning there under the leadership of former Holden engineering guru Rob Trubiani.
The company says Lang Lang will “become the heart of GWM’s mission to deliver refined and locally tuned vehicles,” and that its expanded commitment to local chassis tuning comes after several years of “close listening, learning and adapting within global parameters.”
The fast-growing brand is the only automaker to have a permanent base at the proving ground since GM sold the historic purpose-built facility 95km southeast of Melbourne to Vietnamese automaker VinFast in September 2020 as part of its decision to scrap the Holden brand following the end of Australian production in 2017.
However, VinFast remains owner of the sprawling 877-acre facility, which opened in 1957 and has been used to test all locally produced Holdens since the 1958 FC, after a deal with three potential new owners reportedly fell through at 11am in October 2024.
GWM’s local operations manager also confirmed that the brand’s plug-in hybrid technologies “Hi4” and “Hi4-T” will be strongly promoted in the short term.
The popular Tank 300 will be equipped with Hi4-T PHEV technology from April, strengthening the petrol, diesel and hybrid drives already on offer. The Haval H6 GT will soon receive the option of the regular H6 SUV’s Hi4 AWD PHEV system, coupled with a comprehensive interior upgrade to bring it in line with its facelifted sibling.
Also confirmed for this year is a new 3.0-litre turbodiesel for the dual-cab Cannon Alpha, aimed squarely at the best-selling Ford Ranger, while the smaller Cannon will get a PHEV powertrain to compete with the BYD Shark 6.
Another opportunity is the all-electric sub-brand Ora, which will expand from the currently unique “Ora” hatchback to possibly “three, maybe even four models” by the end of 2026 – including an SUV.
Additionally, GWM has confirmed it will also launch its premium sub-brand Wey in 2026, bringing a further product portfolio to market and pushing the Chinese company into new segments in Australia.
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