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The upcoming Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 will have more torque than a Ford Ranger V6 thanks to GWM's new 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel.
GWM's upcoming 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine for the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 will make them the most powerful four-cylinder diesel models in their respective segments.
Set to make a world-first debut in Australia in the middle of 2026, GWM confirmed at a technical conference in China this week the 3.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder will develop 170kW and 620Nm.
The newly-developed 3.0-litre four-cylinder diesel, currently undergoing testing in Australia, will deliver 20Nm more torque than the 3.0-litre V6 diesel in the Ford Ranger, Everest, and Volkswagen Amarok.
It will also be more powerful than other four-cylinder diesel models in Australia, such as the Toyota HiLux and Prado (150kW/500Nm), Isuzu D-Max, MU-X and Mazda BT-50 (140kW/450Nm), Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara (150kW/470Nm), and LDV Terron 9 and MG U9 (163kW/520Nm).
GWM claims a 20 per cent acceleration improvement compared with the current 135kW/480Nm 2.4-litre diesel, along with a five per cent fuel consumption improvement, despite the larger capacity and increased outputs.
The Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel will retain a 3500-kilogram braked towing capacity.
GWM Australia told Drive earlier this month local evaluation testing of the new diesel engine has commenced in Australia, ahead of a debut expected in the middle of this year.
This includes powertrain refinement across a range of conditions – such as higher-speed freeway driving – as well as assessment of its towing capabilities, transmission, and noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
The 3.0-litre diesel will replace the 2.4-litre diesel engine in the Cannon Alpha, while it will remain available in the smaller Cannon and Tank 300.
It will be sold alongside the 2.0-litre turbo petrol-electric plug-in hybrid and, in the Tank 500, a plug-less hybrid version.
Australian details on the 2026 GWM Cannon Alpha and 2026 GWM Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel will be confirmed closer to its global debut, expected in the middle of this year.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
