GWM Australia is bringing a second plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute to battle the BYD Shark and Ford Ranger PHEV, confirming the smaller Cannon Hi4-T for launch before the middle of 2026.
Revealed in Chinese government filings in February, the 2026 GWM Cannon Hi4-T PHEV will use a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine, four-wheel drive and a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery of as-yet undisclosed capacity.
Further local details are still to be confirmed, though local executives confirmed the new plug-in ute will offer a 3.5-tonne maximum braked towing capacity – easily eclipsing the BYD’s 2500kg claim.
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Combined power for the Chinese model is listed at 180kW – less than the Ford Ranger PHEV’s 207kW/697Nm system outputs – with torque and further specifications yet to be revealed for the Cannon PHEV, known as the ‘Poer’ in China.
Meanwhile, the larger Cannon Alpha PHEV currently offered in Australia uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a 37.1kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) battery, delivering a combined 300kW/750Nm.
With the launch of the Cannon HI4-T, GWM will be in the unique position of offering two different plug-in hybrid dual-cab utes. The new, smaller model due this year will likely be priced quite sharply too, given the larger Cannon Alpha Hi4-T PHEV is currently being offered from $51,490 drive-away.
The Cannon PHEV also forms part of the Chinese broader push of its ‘Hi4-T’ plug-in hybrid tech, which offers mechanical four-wheel drive linkage rather than E-AWD or E-4WD like some new entrants in the market.
A spokesperson for GWM says the Hi4-T system means opting for a PHEV ute is “uncompromised”, maintaining the level of 4WD and towing capabilities of a diesel equivalent. It’s a similar story for the related ‘Tank’ 4WD SUV range, with the Tank 300 and Tank 500 both offering the same Hi4-T technology.
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales in Australia have been booming of late, largely off the back of the already-mentioned BYD Shark 6 ute and a number of new entrants across numerous segments from fresh-faced Chinese brands.
The category posted the largest percentage growth in 2025 of any fuel type in the Australian new car marketplace, up 130.9 per cent year on year to 53,484 units, or around 50 per cent of EV sales (103,270, up 13.1 per cent).
A large chunk of this growth was driven by new makes and models from China, including the BYD Shark 6 (18,073 units) and Sealion 6 (9055 units, up 46.1 per cent). Other strong performers included the GWM Haval H6 (2542) and Cannon Alpha (1371) PHEVs, as well as the Japanese Mitsubishi Outlander (4110).
That momentum looks to be continuing in 2026, with January VFACTS showing 170.5 per cent growth in the PHEV segment, while pure petrol and diesel sales continue to fall and hybrid sales stabilise. EVs also increased by an impressive 93.3 per cent in the first month of 2026.
GWM registered 52,809 new vehicles across all its sub-brands in 2025 according to VFACTS sales data, posting growth of 23.4 per cent over the previous year in a flat market. It finished seventh overall in the manufacturer sales race.
Key drivers included strong growth from the GWM Cannon Alpha dual-cab ute as well as the Tank 300 4WD SUV, and solid performance from the Toyota RAV4-rivalling Haval H6 medium SUV.
Sixth place was held by Mitsubishi (61,198 units, down 17.9 per cent), meaning GWM could leapfrog towards the top five should it manage over 60,000 sales this year. The company has said to break said top five, it would need to crack the 75,000-80,000-unit mark which is a 50 per cent increase in current volumes.
Given the BYD Shark 6 managed over 18,000 units in 2025, GWM could tap into a very lucrative part of the market with the new plug-in Cannon.
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