GWM Steed Reviews

Chinese cars have conquered a lot of segments, but the next wave of vehicles is going after the best in the business. GWM has teased its Ferrari-fighting plug-in hybrid supercar, which is the latest in a line of a new breed of performance cars such as the Yangwang U9 and Xiaomi SU7 Ultra.

GWM Australia has confirmed the pricing and specifications of its new Haval H7 mid-size SUV ahead of deliveries starting in August.Positioned above the Haval H6 and H6 GT but below the Tank 300, the Haval H7 is exclusively being offered at launch in a single, range-topping Vanta trim with a hybrid powertrain.It’s priced from $46,990 drive-away, which is $3000 more than the Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid and $10,000 cheaper than the Tank 300 Ultra Hybrid.Despite the rugged looks, the Haval H7’s hybrid powertrain is only offered in front-wheel drive configuration. It features a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor with total system outputs of 179kW of power and 530Nm of torque.GWM claims the Haval H7 has a combined fuel consumption of 5.7L/100km. For context, the H6 Hybrid with the same powertrain is claimed to consume 5.2L/100km.The Haval H7 measures in at 4705mm long, 1908mm wide and 1780mm tall, with a 2810mm wheelbase. This is slightly wider and taller than a Haval H6, also with a 72mm longer wheelbase.Despite the longer wheelbase, the Haval H7 has a smaller boot than the similarly sized Haval H6. It has 483L of boot space with the rear seats upright, compared to 560L.The Haval H7 has a braked towing capacity of 1500kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg.On the outside the Haval H7 features 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, LED tail lights, heated side mirrors, a hands-free power tailgate, as well as a panoramic glass sunroof.Only four exterior colours are being offered at launch – Hamilton White, Dusk Orange, Moon Grey and Golden Black. All the colours apart from Hamilton White cost an additional $495.Inside there is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, eight-speed sound system, wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, leather-accented upholstery, eight-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, four-way electrically adjustable front passenger seat, as well as heated and ventilated front seats.On the safety front there are seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, a surround-view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors.The GWM Haval H7 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the high-voltage battery pack is covered by an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.Additionally, there’s five years of roadside assistance and five years of capped-price servicing. At this stage GWM hasn’t disclosed how much servicing will be.

The days of ultra-cheap Chinese cars could be numbered, as the Chinese government starts to loot at regulating the ongoing price-war being waged between BYD, GWM, SAIC and others.

So far in 2025, China’s GWM has been setting new sales records again and again despite the overall new car market cooling down.Momentum for the Chinese brand has been gaining slowly but surely and it’s now setting its sights on sustaining a top five placement by 2030.In order to do this it would likely see GWM topple brands like Mitsubishi and Hyundai, as well as another established Chinese brand in the shape of MG.Earlier this year the Chinese carmaker set a lofty target of selling at least 50,000 new cars in Australia during 2025.In the first six months of 2025, the brand has sold a total of 25,189 new vehicles, which puts it on track to achieve its target. This is helped by GWM achieving its best ever monthly sales in June.GWM is the seventh best-selling brand in Australia so far in 2025.It’s ahead of brands like MG (21,674 sales) and Isuzu Ute (21,883 sales) but still behind Mitsubishi (33,379 sales).BYD (23,335 sales) is catching up quickly, however, with astronomical year-on-year growth of 144.6 per cent. For context, GWM’s year-to-date sales are up 17 per cent year-on-year.Rounding out 2025, GWM plans to sell a total of around 8000 examples of the Haval H6 in the second half, bringing total annual sales to 15,000.A mid-life updated version of the Haval H6 just launched in Australia. Initially only hybrid variants are available, though petrol versions are arriving in August and new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants are launching in September.Beyond the Haval H6, GWM is launching a vast number of new vehicles in Australia.The Chinese carmaker has confirmed the Haval H7 is launching in August and the Tank 500 PHEV is arriving in October.Beyond these, GWM Australia and New Zealand Chief Operating Officer John Kett said the company is expecting to have a total of three electric vehicles (EVs) on sale by the end of September 2026.One of those will likely be the Ora hatchback, which is set to get an update soon. Another could be the Ora Sport liftback that’s been earmarked for a local launch for years now and the other could be a production version of the Haval Xiaolong SUV prototype.

China sells nearly double the entire yearly Australian new car market in just one month

The hybrid small SUV segment is on fire, with Chinese brands changing the value landscape in a big way. Two of the most compelling are the MG ZS Hybrid+ and the GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid, and they're battling out here in flagship Essence and Ultra guises respectively. Amusingly similar in overall dimensions and specification, they diverge dramatically inside, on the road and at the petrol pump.

The latest Australian new-car sales figures show one clear leader among Chinese brands. GWM could be the first one to crack the top five for year-to-date sales in Australia as it overtakes MG and Isuzu.Japanese and Korean brands along with Ford have dominated for the past decade with their range of utes and SUVs drawing in plenty of buyers.Now manufacturers from China are storming up the sales charts. The original success story was MG, which rapidly fought its way to the top 10 off the back of an appealing array of cars at price points now abandoned by rivals, and a steady supply of new vehicles during COVID-era shortages.MG has now been surpassed by one of the longest-serving Chinese automakers in Australia, GWM.GWM has sold 25,189 new vehicles in Australia through the first six months of this year, which places it just ahead of both MG (21,674) and Isuzu (21,883).This puts it in a solid seventh position in Australia, with something of a gap between it and Mitsubishi in sixth (33,379).Mitsubishi will be looking over its shoulder in the second half of this year with stock of its ASX, Eclipse Cross and Pajero Sport SUVs runs dry, as the Japanese brand awaits new generation vehicles.GWM itself is rapidly being chased down by BYD (23,335), with its rate of growth at 144.6 per cent year-on-year much higher than that of GWM, which is up what would normally be an impressive 17 per cent.The rise of both GWM and BYD is thanks to a rapidly expanded or updated model line-up, which includes in-demand vehicles not being fulfilled by big name players.Both GWM and BYD now offer a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute, as well as a range of sharply priced PHEV SUVs (BYD), hybrid SUVs and off-roaders (GWM), and affordable electric cars.MG has languished slightly off the loss of its bargain-basement previous-generation MG3 hatch, ZS small SUV, and HS mid-sizer, which have all been replaced by more expensive new-generation offerings.MG is no doubt hoping its Kluger-rivalling QS large SUV and incoming U9 ute will be major volume additions in the latter part of the year. They will also be joined by the Camry-rivalling MG7 sedan.The next-biggest Chinese challenger, Chery, is also leaping up the sales charts, up an unprecedented 228.8 per cent so far in 2025 thanks to its bargain Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 mid-size SUV pair, and the Tiggo 4 small SUV which seems to have replaced the MG ZS as the bargain entry-level SUV of choice. It is still several thousand units away from a top-10 entry, but will almost certainly be within striking distance in 2026 if its growth continues.The rise of MG, GWM, and BYD has seen Nissan join Subaru as top-10 has-beens.The biggest gap remains between Toyota and the rest, with the 'Big T' still having moved a steady 120,978 units in 2025.

GWM will discontinue sales of the Cannon Alpha Hybrid ute just weeks after the launch of its new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant.The move comes as the 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV is available on a limited-time offer from $57,490 drive-away for the base Lux variant until September 30, 2025.With the top-spec Ultra PHEV variant available from $64,490 drive-away for the same period, the two plug-ins are both cheaper than or the same as the $64,490 DA standard hybrid variant.The change in line-up isn’t a coincidence, according to GWM the move hasn’t come due to a lack in popularity for the hybrid, but rather due to wanting to offer relevant products to customers.“With advancements in PHEV technology and a competitive price point, our goal is to offer a range that truly connects with customer needs,” a GWM Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide.“The Cannon Alpha PHEV strikes an ideal balance between cutting-edge electrification and uncompromised 4x4 capability. “For those who prefer a more traditional option, the diesel variant remains an integral part of the Cannon Alpha lineup.”For reference, the Cannon Alpha Hybrid made up around a third of Cannon Alpha sales — the rest being diesel — before the plug-in hybrid arrived. In the first half of 2025, GWM registered 1063 Cannon Alpha sales all-up.The PHEV is also more powerful than the standard Hybrid — its 300kW tops the 255kW thanks to more powerful motors assisting the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine. The PHEV also boasts a claimed 115km electric driving range under (generous) NEDC testing thanks to its 37.11kWh battery.The only other full-hybrid ute on sale in Australia is the larger American Toyota Tundra, the Cannon Alpha PHEV is one of three plug-in utes on sale in Australia alongside the popular BYD Shark 6 and the recently arrived Ford Ranger PHEV.The Cannon Alpha and Shark sit closely on pricing, with the latter kicking off from $57,900 before on-roads, the Ford Ranger PHEV is much more expensive — it starts from $71,990 before on-road costs.

GWM Australia has confirmed the pricing and specifications for its "significantly updated” Haval H6 mid-size SUV ahead of deliveries starting in July.

The final installment of the Berry family's long-term test of the GWM Tank 500 Ultra is here. Does a recent discovery change the verdict?