GWM confirms NVES cost for popular Jolion SUV

Australia’s new CO2 reduction scheme will tax one of Australia’s cheapest and most popular SUVs $1500 in 2026, but GWM Australia says petrol versions of the Haval Jolion will not be cut from the range even if prices have to rise.

The $1500 impost triggered by the New Vehicle Emissions Standard (NVES) was confirmed by GWM Australia during a briefing to explain its multi-faceted approach to NVES.

The NVES, which begins measuring vehicle emissions by brand from July 1, imposes fines of up to $100 per gram of CO2 per vehicle imported for exceeding mandated CO2 emissions limits.

The NVES also hands out credits for undercutting the limits.

Brands such as GWM can potentially use those credits to balance out their emissions to avoid fines, or sell them on to other brands that lack enough low emission vehicles.

The first fines for exceeding the NVES will be issued and payable in 2028.

The objective of the NVES is to encourage auto brands to offer more zero and low emissions hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles and to move away from orthodox petrol and diesel internal combustion engines.

More on the NVES can be found here

But GWM Australia, which sells the Haval SUV, Cannon commercial, Tank 4x4 and Ora electric brands in Australia, says it will exploit its pricing advantage over rival brands to keep orthodox ICE in its line-up as long as possible.

It is convinced it has to keep selling lower-priced higher-emission ICE models for as long as commercially possible to hit its ambitious 70,000 sales and top five targets in coming years.

Emphasising that, it’s launching a turbo-diesel version of the Tank 300 this week.

There are three 1.5-litre turbo-petrol Haval Jolions in the line-up, with pricing starting from $23,990 drive-away. There are also three hybrid models that are priced as much as $8000 more expensive.

With 2592 examples sold so far in 2025, the Jolion is the third most popular compact SUV sold in Australia behind MG ZS and Hyundai Kona class leader.

It is also the number one selling GWM Australia model outright.

“The [NVES] fines on the Jolion petrol are 1500 bucks next year,” confirmed GWM Australia marketing and communications chief Steve Maciver.

“We are selling Jolion at $23,990 today, so even if we had to go up $2000 on that car you could still get into a Jolion petrol for $26k.

“We don’t believe there are many other models that are going to be able to compete there.

“We are saying ‘yeah prices are going to have to go up’, but we are still giving you that option. If you want to come in and have a look at what we have got in a sub-$30,000 price-point then we have an option for you.”

While a report by the auto industry analysts Blue Flag nominated GWM Australia as a likely victim of NVES, the Australian arm of the Chinese giant is convinced its expansion of hybrid and especially plug-in hybrid models will minimise the financial cost of retaining ICE.

“Ultimately, if we are going to get to 50, 60, 70,000 sales further down the line we don’t believe we can wash our hands of ICE,” Maciver said.

“Ultimately NVES will increase the price of ICE for everyone, but given our strong value advantage over other brands right now – assuming other brands have to drop internal combustion or price up – even if we have to price up, we believe we will have that price advantage.

“Equally, with the significant number of hybrids and plug-in hybrids we will have in market we should be able to off-set quite a few of those prices. So it’s about maximising that mix into hybrid and plug-in hybrids.”

GWM Australia’s price advantage is at its starkest with the newly updated Cannon dual cab 4x4 ute, which is priced between $40,000 and $50,000 drive-away.

The top-out price for the Cannon is cheaper than the starting price for many rival utes including as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux. And there are cheaper models coming.

Maciver insisted GWM made money on Cannon. Asked how that could be considering how much cheaper it was than rivals, he flipped the proposition on its head.

“If you have got brands who are able to command a price premium and have customers willing to pay it, then good luck to them,” he said.

“But we are democratising technology, we are able to make money on cars at this price, we’re bringing a good value proposition to market and excellent technology.

“That’s how we are doing it. We are basically making money as any company should, but we are not over-charging.”

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