GWM Steed Reviews

Chinese carmakers aren’t just winning over Aussies with affordable electric SUVs, the same manufacturers have quickly established themselves as serious competitors in the popular ute segment that's dominated by the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger. Just this year we’ve seen a stack of new Chinese utes models arrive in Australia to join some already well-established players. So, here’s the ultimate list of Chinese utes in Australia to help you keep up to date with what’s on the ground now and those expected to arrive soon.BYD has taken Australia by storm with its affordable electric cars, but wading into the treacherous and competitive waters of the ute segment inhabited by the likes of Toyota’s HiLux and Ford’s Ranger was brave. BYD, however, didn’t just wade in, it backstroked in during late last year and stole a sizable chunk of the market with the Shark 6 becoming the fourth best-selling 4x4 ute on the market so far in 2025.The Shark 6 is a plug-in hybrid that uses a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors for a combined output of 321kW and 650Nm. Braked towing capacity is 2500kg.The GWM Cannon is the most established Chinese ute in Australia and is popular for its combination of good looks and good value.The Cannon dual-cab has a 2.4 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit making 135kW and 480Nm. Braked capacity is 3500kg.JAC’s T9 arrived in Australia in late 2024 and there are currently two grades on sale - the Oasis and the Haven. Powering the T9 is a 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine making 120kW and 410Nm, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Braked towing capacity is 3200kg.LDV’s Terron 9 is the latest member of the brand’s growing ute family. Larger in every way than the T60 both in dimensions and grunt.Powered by a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel four cylinder making 163kW and 520Nm, the Terron 9 has a braked towing capacity of 3500kg.An eTerron 9 electric version could also be arriving in Australia soon. The LDV T60 is the smaller stablemate of the Terron 9 and is powered by a 160kW/500Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder, mated to an-eight speed automatic, with a six-speed manual gearbox also available. LDV upgraded the T60 in 2025 and this T60 Max, as it's called now, has a higher braked towing capacity of 3500kg.The new Foton Tunland arrived late in 2025 a very different vehicle to the one we used to know with strikingly handsome exterior and lavish looking cabin.All variants have a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine with a 48V mild hybrid system, with outputs of 120kW and 450Nm.Chery has confirmed that it will bring a plug-in hybrid ute to Australia to compete against BYD’s Shark 6 in 2026 and the Rely P3X could be it.Rely is one of the many brands owned by Chery, along with Omoda and Jaecoo which are already in Australia. Rely showed off the P3X recently at the Chengdu motor show and it's very likely one or both of these will be vehicles to be picked and arrive wearing a Chery badge.The P3X appears to have all the ingredients to make it a tough rival to the BYD Shark 6 with its ladder frame chassis and 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine with dual electric motors.MG’s U9 arrives right about now and could be a game changer, even if it’s based on a ute that’s already here - the LDV Terron 9.MG’s bosses say that the U9 will come with a choice of diesel, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains, and that variety, along with its good looks and expected affordable price point, will make it a big market disrupter. A 3500kg braked towing capacity is confirmed as well - possibly only on the diesel.Unlike all the other utes here the Geely Riddara doesn’t sit on a ladder frame and is far more car-like and lifestyle focused than a work truck.Still, there’s definitely a market for a small and comfortable little ute like the Riddara RD6, which is likely to come to Australia with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.When it does come isn’t certain, with Geely appearing to concentrate more on growing its passenger car line-up first.

To borrow a line from Mark Twain, reports of the death of the V8 engine are greatly exaggerated.

GWM Australia has confirmed the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system seen on the Cannon Alpha PHEV ute will make its way to the brand’s Tank 500 4WD.The 2026 GWM Tank 500 PHEV will launch before the end of the year and will feature a large battery and electric motors with plenty of power and an impressive driving range. Importantly, the Tank 500 PHEV will be a five-seater to accommodate the battery.GWM is yet to confirm pricing for the Tank 500 PHEV, but the pricing difference between traditional hybrid and plug-in hybrids in the same trim level is typically less than $5000 for the brand. The standard hybrid Tank 500 starts from $73,990 drive-away.GWM says much of the powertrain, which it calls ‘Hi4 plug-in hybrid technology’, will be the same as found in the Cannon Alpha PHEV ute, including the 300kW total power output and hefty 750Nm of torque on tap. A claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds is relatively handy for a full-size family 4WD.This comes thanks to the combination of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 120kW electric motor, which put power to all four wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission.Importantly, the GWM Tank 500 PHEV is rated for 3000kg of braked towing capacity, has 213mm of ground clearance and a wading depth of 800mm. It has an approach angle of 30 degrees, breakover of 22.5 degrees and departure angle of 24 degrees.GWM claims 120km of electric driving range thanks to its 37.1kWh battery, but that’s tested via NEDC methods that tend to be more generous than more accurate WLTP testing. The brand also claims fuel consumption of 2.1L/100km, also not likely reflective of full-time real-world efficiency.Charging at 50kW on DC means a claimed 30 to 80 per cent in 24 minutes, or AC charging at 6kW should result in about 6.5 hours of charging.Instead of the third row, a more spacious second row will include heated, ventilated and massaging seats, with a touchscreen for rear passengers to control climate, lighting, media and comfort settings.The front of the cabin will have a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, three-zone climate control, LED lighting and a suite of safety kit including a surround-view parking monitor.GWM says pricing will be confirmed in the coming weeks as the Tank 500 PHEV’s launch approaches. A page for customers to register interest is live on the brand’s website.

Australian new car sales are booming. We bought more than 100,000 new cars in August, which is an all time high for the month.

GWM’s Haval H6 family sized SUV has been given a boost with the addition of two new model grades. The facelifted mid-sizer only just went on sale at the end of July, but the Chinese giant has already added a pair of variants.While the petrol grades remain as is, there’s a new flagship Ultra hybrid that’s the only hybrid grade available with all-wheel drive. That costs $47,490 drive-away, which is $3500 more than the front-drive Lux Hybrid.GWM has also introduced an entry-level plug-in hybrid. The H6 Lux PHEV is front-wheel drive and costs $44,990 drive-away. This undercuts the H6 Ultra PHEV by $3000. GWM says these new grades will be in local dealerships from mid-September.The 2026 GWM Haval H6 is available with three different powertrain, including a petrol engine, hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The new grades are hybrid and PHEV.The hybrid powertrain is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a hybrid setup with total system outputs of 179kW and 530Nm.GWM’s family SUV is available with two different PHEV powertrains. Both feature a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, but either one or two electric motors, depending on the configuration.Total system output for the H6 PHEV is 240kW/540Nm, while the H6 PHEV AWD is 268kW/760Nm.All Haval H6 PHEVs come with a 19.09kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Claimed electric range for the PHEV 2WD is 106km and the PHEV AWD is 100km, according to NEDC testing.Just some of the standard features in the Haval H6 Lux includes;14.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android AutoBluetoothDAB+Eight speaker audioVoice command2 x front and 2 x rear USB outletsWireless phone chargerMicrofibre leather steering wheelSynthetic leather seatsDriver six-way electric adjustable seatFront passenger four-way manual adjustable seatDual zone climate control with rear ventsAuto-dimming rear-view mirror10.25-inch digital instrument clusterAutomatic rain-sensing front wipersPush-button startUltra grades add;Rear privacy glassPanoramic sunroofFront heated and ventilated seatsFront passenger four-way power adjustable seatFront stainless steel scuff platesEight-speaker audio (HEV Ultra)Nine-speaker audio (Petrol Ultra, PHEV Ultra)Driver seat memoryHead-up displayHeated steering wheelFront parking sensorsSafety features from Lux up include;Seven airbags – 2x front, 2x side, 2x curtain, 1x centre360-degree surround-view camera180-degree transparent chassisRear parking sensorsTyre pressure monitoring systemTrailer sway mitigationISOFIX child restraintsHill ascent / descent controlAdaptive cruise controlCollision MitigationAuto emergency braking junction assistTraffic sign recognitionFront collision warning (pedestrian and cyclist)Traffic jam assistEmergency signal system (indicators)Driver fatigue monitoring systemGWM guarantees its cars with a seven year/unlimited km warranty, which beats mainstream players Mazda, Toyota and Subaru and equals Kia, Mazda and Chery.All H6 variants are covered by a capped price servicing program for five years or 70,000km.

Chinese car brands aren’t just content to dominate the electric car game, they are coming for our favourite dual-cabs, too.

Stellantis, parent company of Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Leapmotor, has reportedly put its ‘AutoDrive’ self-driving software on hold over concerns there is no demand for it among buyers.

GWM has upgraded the Tank 500 yet again.A new Smart Edition is now available in China bringing more advanced safety systems and luxury touches such as an on-board fridge and James Bond-esque thermal imaging, to the full size SUV.The Tank 500 Smart Edition brings GWM’s new advanced driver safety and navigation system Coffee Pilot Ultra, which uses a roof-mounted LiDAR system along with cameras fitted to the vehicle’s rear spoiler and side panels. A night vision thermal camera image shown in the instrument cluster also provides better visibility of pedestrians and wildlife on dark roads.The Smart Edition also showcases GWM’s new entertainment software — Coffee OS3 — promising faster processing and better graphics for the existing 14.6-inch central media screen and rear passenger display.Luxury touches coming on the Smart Edition include a 50W fridge in the centre console armrest, which can now keep items cool to -6C.    The new edition also brings updated exterior styling to the Tank 500 including the brand’s new grille, redesigned headlights, fixed sidesteps and a new green body colour.The new Tank 500 Smart Edition launched in China this week, and CarsGuide has reached out to GWM Australia to confirm its arrival locally.The current Australian GWM Tank 500 range has three grades: the Lux Hybrid, Ultra Hybrid and Vanta Hybrid with prices starting at $66,490 driveaway.The Tank 500 is a petrol-electric hybrid vehicle and it's also a capable off-roader with a ladder frame chassis and four-wheel drive making it a rival to the Toyota Prado for budget conscious buyers.In Australia the Tank 500 is offered with one powertrain — a petrol-electric hybrid combining a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor making a combined 255kW and 648Nm.Since the vehicle launched in Australia in 2024 the Tank 500 has undergone a host of upgrades to suspension, driver safety alert systems and exterior design.Australian sales of the Tank 500 this year have lagged behind its smaller Tank 300 stablemate. GWM has sold a total of 894 Tank 500s (until the start of August this year) compared to the 2810 for the Tank 300. 

If you need any proof that Australians are well and truly in favour of Chinese cars, just take a look around your local supermarket car park.

If you like the GWM Haval H6 but want something that at least looks like it can go off road, say hello to the Haval H7. A family mid-size hybrid SUV with boxy looks and a packed features list.