GWM Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha: a 620Nm diesel and 500kg more towing
B. Naumkin / 32CARS.RU
The new 3.0-litre four-cylinder makes 231hp and 620Nm, more torque than Ford’s V6. Tank 500 towing rises from 3000 to 3500kg, with a claimed 7.1L/100km. Prices are still to come.
GWM’s new 3.0-litre diesel delivers 620Nm, and for the Tank 500 that translates directly into a heavier trailer: the body-on-frame SUV climbs from 3000 to 3500kg — exactly what the Cannon Alpha already tows. Expressions of interest are open in Australia and New Zealand ahead of the September launch, though prices and final specifications have not been announced.
The four-cylinder turbo-diesel produces 231hp and works with an in-house nine-speed automatic and four-wheel drive. Against the 2.4-litre unit it replaces in the Cannon Alpha, that is 47hp and 140Nm more. The diesel V6 in the Ford Ranger and Everest is stronger on power at 250hp, but trails GWM by 20Nm of torque.
By displacement it is the largest four-cylinder diesel on the Australian market, level with the 3.0-litre engines in the Isuzu D-Max, MU-X and Mazda BT-50. Those, however, are far more modest in output at 190hp and 450Nm.
Claimed consumption is 7.1L/100km for the Tank 500 and 7.3L/100km for the Cannon Alpha on the NEDC cycle. For the ute that is 1.6 litres less than the outgoing version. NEDC, though, says little about consumption with the heavy trailer this engine was built for.
The Tank 500 faces a different trade-off. The diesel replaces the outgoing hybrid with 347hp and 648Nm. The new engine is weaker on both counts, but it is built for long-distance touring, towing and predictable range with no reliance on charging infrastructure. On CO2, GWM says the diesel lands roughly level with the hybrid.
32CARS.RU reported earlier that the diesel Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha form part of GWM’s extensive slate of Australian launches for 2026.
Price and real-world consumption under load will decide what the new diesel is worth, not a 20Nm edge over Ford. But the extra 500kg of towing is exactly the argument the Tank 500 was missing against the Ford Everest, Toyota Prado and Isuzu MU-X and their 3500kg.
