GWM has a big product offensive planned for South Africa in 2024, as it aims to introduce four vehicles across its Haval, Tank, and P-Series sub-brands before the year is out.
Having only just launched its Tank 4×4 division and its first model, the 300, the week before, the Chinese automaker has now revealed its ambitions for the new Jolion, H7, Tank 500, and Shanhai Cannon bakkie.
What’s on the horizon
Starting with what is arguably the biggest addition to the company’s roster this year, the popular Haval Jolion is ushering in its mid-life update, entailing a big shakeup to its current line-up.
The Jolion, which made its local debut in 2021, currently has eight models in South Africa spread out over five trim levels – City, Premium, Luxury, Super Luxury, and S.
Upon its arrival in South Africa, the facelifted crossover will drop the mid-range Premium and Luxury trims, and the remaining units will all be sold with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, meaning the base City is losing its six-speed manual option.
Furthermore, a new “Jolion Pro” is joining the ranks with both petrol and hybrid (HEV) guises, the latter of which will replace the current Luxury and Super Luxury HEVs.
All versions of the Haval are retaining their respective engines, with a 1.5-litre, turbo-petrol block for the standard units producing 105kW and 210Nm, and a 1.5-litre hybrid system with 140kW and 375Nm for the HEVs.
2023 Haval Jolion HEV
Haval is also be getting a new model this year with the H7 (known as the Big Dog in China), which will take its place above the H6 as the flagship of the brand’s local catalogue.
A full breakdown of its specifications shall only be provided at a later date, but according to CARmag, it is getting two different powertrains.
The first is a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol with 170kW and 380Nm, which connects to a nine-speed automatic and either a two-wheel or four-wheel-drive layout.
Alternatively, there’s a 1.5-litre turbo HEV model that produces a combined 179kW and 530Nm, and will only be available in front-wheel-drive guise with a CVT.
The remaining two models have already been announced for a South African introduction, starting with the GWM Tank 500, which is arriving in the second quarter of the year.
The bigger sibling to the recently launched 300, the 500 is a seven-seater measuring just over five metres in length, which will initially only be sold in a single HEV spec.
This is the same drivetrain as the flagship 300, namely a 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol powerplant with an electric motor that delivers 255kW and 648Nm and connects to a nine-speed automatic shifter.
Finally, there’s the GWM Shanhai Cannon, which is being rebranded as the P500 in South Africa, and is set to take pole position in the carmaker’s P-Series of bakkies when it launches in the second half of 2024.
The P500 is an enormous vehicle clocking in at 5,440mm long, 1,991mm wide, and 1,924mm tall, and will offer a different experience to most other double cabs in the country as it is considered an equivalent to something like the Ford F-Series of American pick-ups rather than the Ranger we are more familiar with.
The manufacturer previously confirmed to TopAuto that it is looking at a price point in the ballpark of R800,000, which would also make it one of the most affordable range-topping 4x4s in the country now that there are several models going for over R1 million.
It features two engines, a petrol HEV and a diesel: the former of which is the same 2.0-litre plant as the Tank 300 and 500, while the other is a 2.4-litre, turbo-diesel with 135kW and 480Nm.
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