China's answer to the Ford Ranger Raptor locked out of Oz? GWM says Australia's new emissions standards will likely kill off its V6 twin-turbo powered ute

Australia’s New Vehicle Emissions Standards (NVES) has killed off GWM's thumping 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6-powered Cannon Alpha variant locally.

If you were hoping for a more powerful version of GWM’s incoming Cannon Alpha ute, you’ll have to wait for more hybrid versions.

Speaking to media in Baoding, China, GWM Australia’s communications boss, Steve Maciver explained NVES effectively rules out the Ranger Raptor-rivalling twin-turbo variant as the brand focuses on hybrids.

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The petrol V6 available in the Cannon Alpha puts out 260kW/500Nm as a mild-hybrid, and drives all four wheels via an in-house nine-speed automatic transmission. It is a significant boost over the base 2.4-litre diesel option, which provides 135kW/480Nm.

“We never say never - we have to weigh up our emissions very carefully in light of NVES - the fact that we have brought Cannon Alpha to market with hybrid and diesel - strong options - PHEV will be under consideration for Alpha and existing Cannon as well, so yeah, V6 probably isn’t on our radar right now.”

Instead of the V6 the brand is pinning its performance hopes in Australia on the hybrid variant, which pairs a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with electric motors to produce a combined peak output of 255kW/648Nm.

“Obviously Cannon Alpha is going into a new larger segment and a price-bracket we haven’t really been in yet - feedback has been really positive, we can probably see anywhere up to a third of our Cannon sales to go to Cannon Alpha.”

“The split between hybrid and diesel - we don’t know for sure yet, I think we’re sitting around 60/40 [diesel/hybrid]. It will likely skew a little more toward diesel thanks to the acceptance of diesel in our market.”

A potent version of the GWM Cannon Alpha is available in China. (Image: Tom White)

GWM hasn’t yet confirmed local pricing for its Cannon Alpha, which will hit the market mid-year, but it is likely to be more expensive than the smaller Cannon that starts at $35,990 drive-away and rises to 52,990.

Expect pricing more in the realm of the related Tank 500 SUV, which costs from $66,490 drive-away and jumps to a high-point of $73,990.

The V6 engine may still make it Down Under in the brand’s flagship off-road SUV, the Tank 700.

The Tank 700 is currently only available with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 paired with plug-in hybrid technology. It offers the brand’s latest Hi-4T axle-mounted motor set-up and is has the most powerful peak outputs to date, at a headline grabbing 385kW/750Nm.

The Tank 700 is being strongly considered for our market to sit as the brand’s halo offering, but is likely to be priced in excess of $100,000. CarsGuide understands the 2.0-litre turbo petrol hybrid engine option from the Tank 500 is also a possibility for that model.

Australian Cannon Alphas will use hybrid power. (Image: Tom White)

GWM's moves to bring more expensive and capable models to Australia are part of a push to focus on Australia as an important export location and as a test-bed for products which may be rolled out to other western markets.

“There’s no doubt GWM has big ambitions for growth and Australia is very important to that. We are one of the largest export markets - If GWM can have success in Australia there will be some really important lessons to be learned for other western markets,” said Maciver.

“I think HQ sees that and as such they understand what it takes. With every new model we bring out we are getting better prepared, we are getting our hands on cars a little earlier, and with future products it’s only going to improve more from there.”

“There’s an element of localisation - we’ve been working on suspension improvements in terms of handling and refinement for a number of products - that’s engineers coming out and working out what does it take to get this car to perform at its best in the Australian market and then taking that back and get it working in the factory.”

Expect more from GWM in the coming years and months, with major updates planned and extra variants expected for its Haval, Ute and Tank range.