GWM right-hand-drive push widens Tank 800 Australia outlook

GWM widens the right-hand-drive pool

GWM Australia says it will launch eight new products by mid-2027, while GWM South Africa is planning 14 product launches over the next 18 months. CarExpert says the South African push matters because South Africa, like Australia and the UK, is a right-hand-drive market, which increases the number of models that can be adapted for Australian showrooms. ¹

In the same CarExpert report, GWM South Africa chief operating officer Conrad Groenewald said the company’s global expansion was creating more opportunities for right-hand-drive models. He said the group CEO had reviewed the South African market earlier this year and that vehicles once limited to left-hand-drive or domestic Chinese use were being opened up for the rest of the world. ¹

Tank 800 timing and development status

CarExpert reports that the Tank 800 is locked in for Australia and expected to arrive in 2027. The article quotes GWM Australia product planning manager Tim Leong in Baoding as saying, “We will see it next year”, and adds that the vehicle is expected to be revealed in production guise before the local launch. ³

The supplied reporting places the Tank 800 still in development rather than already on sale. CarExpert says the Tank 700 is already in production in China, while the Tank 800 has not yet been revealed, and notes that the Tank 800 remains under consideration for South Africa even though it has been confirmed for Australia. ¹³

Flagship SUV size, layout and powertrain

CarExpert describes the Tank 800 as a new flagship off-road SUV built on a larger ladder-frame platform than the Tank 700, and says it is expected to be a properly full-sized SUV with three rows of seating. That report also says the Tank 700 is the current Tank flagship and that the Tank 800 should sit above it in size and positioning. ³

The same report says the Tank 800 will be V8-powered, with the new petrol V8 described as unrelated to GWM’s four- or six-cylinder engines. It says the engine has a hot-vee layout, two identically sized turbos between the cylinder heads and a 6000rpm redline, and that it will support hybrid and plug-in hybrid systems. ³

CarExpert also reports that GWM has developed two V8 iterations: a standard version for the Tank 700 and potentially other large models, and a separate high-performance V8 for an upcoming supercar. The outlet says both engines are intended to be paired with plug-in hybrid systems, and that the Tank 700 has been confirmed by GWM chairman Jack Wei to receive a V8 in future. ¹

Price positioning and existing Tank benchmark

CarExpert says the Tank 800 could wear a price tag north of $100,000, which it says would make it among the most expensive Chinese-branded models in Australia. In the same report, the publication says GWM’s most expensive Tank-badged model in Australia is currently the Tank 500, which tops out at $76,990 drive-away in Ultra PHEV guise. ³

For broader market context, CarExpert notes that the current priciest Chinese-brand models are the MG Cyberster at $115,000, the Denza B8 at $97,990 and the Zeekr 009 at $139,900, all before on-road costs. It also lists the Nissan Patrol at $110,660 before on-roads and the LandCruiser 300 Series at $147,910 before on-roads. ³

South African right-hand-drive launches already underway

GWM South Africa’s own news pages show recent right-hand-drive activity, including a 16 September 2026 announcement for a new Tank 500 range with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel powertrain. The page says the Tank 500 update delivers 170kW and 620Nm, with three derivatives offering luxury, touring and towing capability. ²

On the same date, GWM South Africa also announced a new P500 with a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel powertrain, also quoted at 170kW and 620Nm, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and towing capacity of up to 3.5 tonnes. Those announcements show the brand is already expanding its right-hand-drive line-up with new diesel variants in South Africa. ²