GWM flagship seven-seat SUV could be here in 2026

A luxury three-row SUV borrowed from fellow-GWM brand Wey could become the range-topper in the local Haval line-up.

Looking increasingly likely to be seen here in 2026, the Wey Blue Mountain would line up as a direct competitor for the likes of the Toyota Kluger and Hyundai Santa Fe.

It could be one of up to seven new models GWM brings to Australia in 2026 as it continues a model blitz that kicked off this year.

The Blue Mountain would sit above the new-generation mid-size H6 and H7 five-seat SUVs in the local Haval line-up, both of which launch in Australia within months.

“The Wey Blue Mountain is not confirmed for Australia yet but if you look at the Haval SUV line-up that we have got right now, the new H6 when it comes out will be the newest and biggest in that segment and there may be an opportunity for us to add something bigger in maybe a six- or seven-seat configuration above that,” said GWM Australia marketing chief, Steve Maciver.

Wey is the only GWM brand not sold in Australia. Haval, Tank, Cannon and Ora are all part of the rapidly expanding local operation.

Named after GWM Chairman Wei Jianjun (westernised as Jack Wey), Wey focusses on premium crossovers and SUVs and retails primarily in China and some European countries.

The Blue Mountain, also known as the Lanshan in China and 07 in some export markets, is a 5156mm-long SUV powered by a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain. Longer than a Toyota LandCruiser, it is offered in multiple trims and in both two- and four-wheel drive in China.

Combined with front and rear axle e-motors, the claimed combined outputs are about 380kW and 930Nm.

Claimed electric range in the latest Blue Mountain via a 52.3kWh battery pack is up to 220km, while the combined range is 1343km according to the WLTC protocol.

Offered in China as a six-seater, the latest Blue Mountain includes tech including dual 15.6-inch infotainment touchscreens, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 17.3-inch rear screen and a 29-inch head-up display.

Pricing for the Blue Mountain tops out at 326,800 yuan in China, which equates to $A70,815. Given its cut-throat pricing, GWM’s local goal would logically be to get it in well under $100,000.

“We already have a seven-seat option in the Tank 500 we don’t have a seven-seat option in the Haval SUV range,” said Maciver.

“H9 [large SUV] in the past did pretty well for us, so we are looking at that car [Blue Mountain] and seeing if it is an option for us.

Maciver confirmed the Blue Mountain had edged ahead of the latest H9 as the favourite to become Haval’s seven-seat entry in Australia because of its plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The H9, launched in 2024, comes only with turbo-petrol and turbo-diesel engines in China.

“Plug-in hybrid is one of the core technologies available on the Blue Mountain,” said Maciver. “It gets us that efficiency, plays well with us in the NVES [CO2 reduction scheme] space and that is a space that we think we can be very, very strong in with the number of options we have got.

“That’s probably one of the reasons we are looking at [Blue Mountain] more than H9. H9 hasn’t been 100 per cent definitively ruled out, but certainly the powertrain technology of the Blue Mountain is perhaps a bit more preferable for us and I think consumer tastes going forward.”

The Blue Mountain is one of a number of new three-row SUVs potentially coming to Australia from GWM. The PHEV version of the Tank 500 is confirmed, although its powertrain remains undecided, while the Tank 700 could join the line-up as soon as 2026.

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