Off-roading in a hybrid? GWM thinks its new plug-in hybrid 4WD tech can do it with monster driving range and beefy power

Toyota may be the reigning hybrid champion, but GWM is keen to challenge the Japanese brand with its new generation of plug-in hybrid technology that is says is suitable for “off-road driving” and outputs as much as 340kW.

Dubbed Hi4 (for Hybrid Intelligent 4WD), the latest technology serves up a driving range of “over 100km on pure-electric power”, according to the Chinese brand, though details on battery size are yet to be revealed.

Charging times, however, from 30-80 per cent capacity, will take less than 30 minutes due to high-voltage, fast-charging technology.

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Key amongst the advancements from GWM also include a new energy management system that is eight per cent more efficient, while a thermal efficiency of 41.5 per cent is achievable through an “advanced combustion system, high-pressure direct injection and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation”.

Drawing power from two electric motors as well as a petrol engine (diagrams show two 1.5-litre engines, one with turbocharging and one naturally aspirated) to feed all four corners, the series-parallel hybrid set-up from GWM also enables torque vectoring that should improve handling characteristics.

Or, as GWM puts it, “effectively preventing slipping on low-adhesion road surfaces and improving handling stability and driving safety during turns”.

According to GWM, the Hi4 will provide a driving range of “over 100km on pure-electric power”.

Nine different driving modes are also on offer, which includes a two-wheel-drive mode for increased efficiency, but exact details on all options are still forthcoming.

“The Hi4 platform represents a major breakthrough in hybrid technology, providing an innovative combination of efficiency, safety, and value that has been previously considered impossible,” said GWM’s Powertrain Technical Officer.

“The Hi4 platform provides powerful performance and lower fuel consumption, and with its innovative dual-motor and dual-axis control functions, it also improves handling stability and driving safety during turns.”

The Hi4 technology will proliferate across A-, B- and C-segment vehicles.

Despite the “lower fuel consumption” claim, fuel economy figures are yet to be shown for any of the Hi4 powertrain configurations.

The Hi4 technology will proliferate across A-, B- and C-segment vehicles, which currently only includes the Jolion in Australia.

For reference, the Jolion is currently offered with a hybrid powertrain (though not a plug-in hybrid one) that outputs 139kW/375Nm and is priced from $36,990 drive-away.