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The GWM Haval H6 GT petrol and Tank 500 hybrid have been replaced by newly introduced PHEVs, and in the Tank 500, a soon-to-arrive diesel.
GWM Australia has cut the petrol-only H6 GT and the Tank 500 'plug-less' hybrid from its range following the recent launch of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) versions.
The Haval H6 GT petrol will cease production in China this month, GWM Australia product planning manager Tim Leong told Drive, while the Tank 500 hybrid has entered run-out, ahead of the launch of a non-hybrid diesel version that is set to join the Tank 500 PHEV.
Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) was a factor in the decision to axe the non-hybrid H6 GT petrol grade, Leong said, along with the factory's restriction of a recent specification upgrade to the H6 GT plug-in hybrid.
In Australia, the GWM Tank 500 hybrid will be replaced by a choice of plug-in hybrid petrol or non-hybrid diesel powertrains, with the latter set to debut in mid-2026, including in the related Cannon Alpha ute.
Due to tightening NVES regulations from 1 January, 2027, GWM is also considering the future of the petrol-only Haval H6 when a new-generation model launches in Australia early next year.
Petrol-only versions of the Haval H6 usually account for approximately 50 per cent of sales, with the remaining amount split between hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.
However, Drive understands the electrified share of sales within the Haval H6 range in Australia has increased in recent months due to fuel price increases.
The 2026 GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV, launched in Australia last month, gained an updated Hi4 all-wheel-drive system, a larger infotainment touchscreen with new software, a revised centre console design, a new steering wheel, built-in telematics, and other changes.
It is priced from $52,990 drive-away, compared with $44,490 for the petrol-only, all-wheel-drive H6 GT Ultra now in run-out.
GWM Australia first signalled it was considering axing the 'plug-less' version of the Tank 500 when the plug-in hybrid model launched in October 2025.
A limitation of the Tank 500 PHEV is its five-seat layout, due to its high-voltage battery, rather than the seven-seat configuration of the 'plug-less' hybrid and the soon-to-arrive diesel.
The Tank 500 diesel will feature a newly developed, non-hybrid 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 170kW and 620Nm, delivering more power than a Toyota Prado and more torque than a Ford Everest V6.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
