GWM doubles down on diesel with new 3.0-litre engine

As most car brands downsize their combustion engine options – or scrap them altogether – GWM is doing the exact opposite.

It has just confirmed a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is in development for its utes and SUVs, doubling down on the bombshell announcement of an all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8.

GWM executives confirmed the all-new four-cylinder 3.0-litre turbo-diesel engine will be more powerful and more efficient than its current 2.0-litre (120kW/400Nm) and 2.4-litre (135kW/480Nm) turbo-diesel powerplants.

No specific details or vital statistics on the new engine have been divulged but the Chinese challenger brand said the beefy new diesel will be offered in Australia in an updated version of the Cannon Alpha ute, arriving in 2027.

As previously reported, GWM is also developing a full-size V8-powered pick-up truck to rival the Ram 1500 but it's not clear if the diesel engine will employ plug-in hybrid technology like the new 4.0-litre petrol V8.

GWM Chairman Jack Wei confirmed the all-new diesel engine when Aussie journalists quizzed him on the brand’s diesel game plan going forward.

“We have already 2.0-litre and 2.4 diesel engines in many countries. These two engines are designed on the same platform but now we are developing the 3.0-litre diesel.

“The performance of this engine will be will be even better, with better fuel economy and also lower emissions,” said the GWM chairman via interpreter, who added that it is a ‘new generation diesel’ based on a different engine architecture to the current diesels.

“And in China, we believe we are one of the very few OEMs who [are still developing diesel engines],” added Wei, who said GWM is committed to diesel powertrains now and in the future.

Expected to give the Ford Ranger’s 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 (184kW/600Nm) a run for its money, GWM’s new diesel engine can be expected to pump out around 180kW and possibly up to 650Nm.

GWM’s global boss for right-hand drive markets, James Yang, explained that the big four-cylinder engine has been ‘developed for righ-hand-drive markets’ like Australia.

“We'll consider that [engine] in Cannon Alpha - not the current ute. Maybe in 2027,” he added.

The more powerful diesel motor “…will also go into the Tank 500 and Tank 700,” confirmed Yang.

It’s expected that all three vehicles equipped with the new oiler will have highly-competitive towing capabilities as well.

“We're not chasing any brand or trying to mimic them or copy them. At the end of the day, it's a customer who's going to purchase our vehicles and that's why we want to base the core of our decision making on customer experience and overall what the customers are wanting and actually buying,” he added.

“The [NVES] emissions policy for the future is strong in Australia so I think in the Australian market, the PHEV, HEV plus diesel is a good choice for the customer.

“We also have EV but I think for some scenarios the sales model will be become very hard [for EVs]. So maybe these three types of powertrains is much better for this market to balance the emissions,” he added.

GWM says it’s committed to offering a broad mix of powertrain options – from petrol and diesel to hybrid and electric – aiming to cater to the diverse needs of both urban drivers looking for efficiency and country buyers demanding durability and long-range capability.

“We're not looking to paint any of our customers into our corner in terms of powertrain choice,” said GWM Australia’s head of marketing and communications, Steve Maciver.

“We've talked a lot about developing diesel of late, when lots of brands are running away from it. You've heard today we're now developing a larger diesel.

“There's going to be changes that are going to be required of a lot of OEMs with NVES coming in. We're very well equipped for that. We can move with that as the legislation moves.

“But ultimately, if we want to grow this brand in Australia and New Zealand we've got to continue to give customers choice.”