Toyota LandCruiser apocalypse: Five Chinese hybrid 4WDs coming to Australia from 2027 GAC Yue 7 to Geely Galaxy Cruiser

The list of Australia’s favourite off-road SUVs is set for a massive shake up in the coming years, as a 4WD-obsessed boom in the Chinese market starts to overflow to Australia.

The GWM Tank 300 and Tank 500, as well as Denza’s B5 and B8, might have been the first to tackle ever-popular legends, the Toyota LandCruiser, Nissan Patrol and Ford Everest, but they will soon be joined by new offerings from GAC, Geely and Chery.

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Geely Galaxy Cruiser

Also known as the Geely Battleship 700, this large hybrid off-roader is part of an all-new family of flagship products for the Geely brand.

It will debut a new off-road architecture for Geely, which can be equipped with either a 1.5-litre or 2.0-litre engine mated to a front electric motor, and dual rear electric motors that feature a mechanical differential lock.

There is no mechanical connection between the front and rear axles, with that space taken up by a 47kWh battery pack, which grants it up to 185km of CLTC driving range, according to preliminary specs out of China.

Combined power for its tri-motor system is a headline-grabbing 830kW, and the boxy off-roader has luxurious interior fittings which take Geely into new territory. 

Pricing is yet to be revealed, and while the Galaxy Cruiser hasn’t been confirmed for an Australian arrival, it is slated for a UK arrival, confirming right-hand drive production.

Read more about the Geely Galaxy Cruiser here

GAC Yue 7

With styling more reminiscent of the Toyota Prado rather than the Defender-esque look of the Geely, GAC’s upcoming Yue 7 was recently revealed at the 2026 Beijing Motor Show.

Also a plug-in hybrid with no mechanical connection between the engine and rear axle, the over-five-meter-long SUV boasts formidable off-road angles.

It is not as punchy as the Geely claims to be, with a mere 400kW of combined power on tap from its 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and dual electric motor set-up, which is a familiar formula for these Chinese 4WDs.

It will be offered with either a 28.3kWh or 46kWh battery pack, which grants it either 116km or 188km of CLTC electric driving range, respectively.

The computer-based 4WD system is said to be capable of sending power to just one wheel at a time if needed and simulating low-range driving.

While GAC Australia is yet to comment on the arrival of the Yue 7, the company is plotting 10 new models in our market in just five years, with the local boss telling CarsGuide recently this will include a large SUV and a pick-up truck.

Read more about the GAC Yue 7 here

iCaur V27

The Chery sub-brand’s flagship off-road machine is squarely designed to target rivals like the Tank 500 and Denza B5, according to executives.

Unlike some of its rivals here, the V27 doesn’t ride on a ladder-frame platform and instead rides on a car-line monocoque underpinnings.

This isn’t an indicator of its off-road performance, with prior iterations of the famous Mitsubishi Pajero and current Land Rover Defender also based on unibody platforms.

The V27 uses a range-extender hybrid system (meaning the 1.5-litre engine is not mechanically connected to the front or rear axles), being purely electrically driven at the wheels.

It uses a 34.3kWh battery pack which grants it 150km of electric driving range to an also lenient NEDC standard and power outputs from its dual-electric motor set-up combine for a total of 335kW/505Nm.

Despite being over five meters in length, the V27 is only a five-seater, but has a cavernous boot area, and like the above GAC Yue 7 is able to be equipped with a tailgate mounted full-size spare.

Expect to learn more later in 2026 as the iCaur brand gears up for its Australian debut.

Read more about the iCaur V27 here

Freelander 8

You may remember Freelander as a Land Rover nameplate from the 90s, but it has now been spun off as a new sub-brand and joint-venture between Land Rover and Chery, as the British company embraces ‘China Speed’ for best use of its intellectual property.

Utilising a Chery platform and Huawei cabin tech, the Freelander 8 large SUV also wears iconic elements of the Freelander nameplate’s British design.

A far cry from the original Freelander of the 90s, which was a relatively small but capable SUV, the new model is a large three-row offering chasing the trendy boxy bodystyle trend in the Chinese market.

Also using a 1.5-litre engine in a range-extended set-up, the brand has at least confirmed that it will have some kind of tough off-road ability despite an over-three-meter long wheelbase.

Power figures are yet to be confirmed, but it will get over 200km of electric driving range from an enormous 60.33kWh battery pack, while promising 2000kg of towing capacity and at least a central differential lock.

Read more about the Freelander 8 here

GWM Tank 700

GWM’s long-expected off-road monster is still on the cards for an Australian launch. 

The good news is, the brand is strongly considering an upcoming updated model featuring the company’s new 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine.

The bad news is this update, which is expected to be the first version of the 700 available in right-hand drive, isn’t due until 2028.

The Tank 700 is available in both rugged Hi4-T form, which maintains the mechanical linkage from the engine to the rear axle, maintaining a low-range transfer case and placing the electric motor in the transmission, as well as new-age Hi4-Z form that forgoes the mechanical connection for a larger battery and more electric driving characteristics.

As for specs the latest Hi4-Z version produces a combined 720kW/1375Nm, according to Chinese specs. Its 59kWh battery pack grants it a WLTC-measured 190km EV driving range.

Expected to be priced well north of $100,000 in Australia (perhaps even more in its ultimate V8 form), the Tank 700 would move GWM into new pricing territory and test the limits of what its buyers are prepared to pay. 

Even so, GWM is expected to debut a Tank model even higher up the price scale, with an expected Tank 800 to be launched on the same GWM One platform as the flagship Haval H10 and Wey 9X from the Chinese giant’s other sub brands.

Read more about the GWM Tank 700 here