New 3.0-litre is old-school when everyone is talking hybrid and electric, but it could be a banger for Cannon Alpha ute and Tank 500 SUV.

INTRODUCING in September, a new 3.0-litre turbodiesel for the Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha is a reminder that an old energy remains highly useful to GWM.

While most Chinese carmakers self-describe as ‘new energy’ brands, in reflection of their heavy focus on hybrids and battery-electric vehicles, GWM believes it also has to look to meeting need for an established old-school fuel: Diesel.

The incoming 3.0-litre turbodiesel for its Tank 500 large sports utility and Cannon Alpha one-tonne utility aims at owners who want the towing and off-road advantages of compression ignition.

Making 170 kiloWatts of power and 620 Newton metres of torque, the unit (codenamed GW4F30) presents a step up in performance compared to the models’ existing 2.4 litre turbodiesel, which has 35kW and 140Nm less.

GMW New Zealand boss Cameron Thomas is highly confident the engine can make high penetration, at last equally expectation for Australia, where it is tipped to command at least one third of volume for those models.

“We see a really strong opportunity for the new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel across both models,” Thomas said today.

“The market is certainly there for it, and we expect it to appeal to customers looking for more performance, capability, and choice.

“We believe it will be a popular addition to the GWM range as we look to provide a range of powertrains to meet NZ customer need and will give us another strong opportunity to grow our presence in the market.”

As to what percentage of Cannon Alpha utes and Tank 500s might be sold with this powertrain?

“Diesel remains a strong and important part of the NZ market, particularly for customers who tow a lot.

“We know there is a significant customer base that continues to value diesel powertrains. We see the new engine as a great opportunity to appeal to those customers and offer even more choice across our model lines. The final mix will depend on how the market continues to evolve once the vehicles are available.”

Before coming to GWM, Thomas was in a senior marketing position at Ford NZ, so it seemed relevant to ask if he could see Cannon Alpha 3.0-litre ute matching or bettering the uptake rate Ford experiences with its 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 in Ranger.

“We believe the new engine is exceptionally well specified and provides customers with a very compelling package against the competition.

“It brings the performance and capability customers are looking for, while combining that with the high level of technology, safety and features they’ve come to expect from GWM.

“We’re confident the 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine will stand up strongly against its competitors and deliver real value.”

In addition to the performance figures, GWM has also announced fuel consumption: 7.1L/100km for the Tank 500 and 7.3L/100km for the Cannon Alpha, which is an improvement over the 2.4-litre engine by 1.6L/100km in the latter, despite the extra size and performance on offer. It’s not clear if those are figures from NEDC scale or to the NZ-preferred, but not mandated, WLTP.

GWM’s new engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic the same transmission use by the 2.4.

GWM’s regional head of marketing and communications, Steve Maciver, said last week that the make has another nine models to come before end of this year with roughly 18 by the end of next year.