Local future uncertain as plug-in hybrid GWM P300 bows in Beijing

Plug-in hybrid P300 made its premiere in Beijing as the Cannon Hi4-T. Picture: Shaun Holland Great Wall Motors (GWM) bolstered its hybrid bakkie portfolio by officially showing the plug-in hybrid P300 at the Beijing Motor Show last month. Joining the already available P500 PHEV, known as the Shanhai Cannon in China and Cannon Alpha in Australia, the P300 will be marketed under the Hi4-T banner as the Cannon Hi4-T in its home market.

Leaked at the beginning of February in documents submitted to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology office, the Cannon Hi-4T differs little from its petrol and diesel-powered siblings externally. While the example shown in Beijing sported a drone-landing platform, complete with a monstrous three-armed multi-rotor drone itself, the latter’s inclusion is unlikely to be offered as an eventual option. Differentiated from its siblings only by the secondary flap hiding the charging port plus an Hi4-T badge on the tailgate, the newcomer’s powertrain consists of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine combined with a 33.1-kWh battery pack.

While the initial documents came with an output of 185kW according tocarnewschina.com, the now claimed figures are 300kW/750Nm – the same as the P500 PHEV, which has a larger 37.1-kWh battery. This, according toautohome.com.cn, who also claims an all-electric range of 115km. As with the rest of the range, the Cannon Hi4-T is equipped with a nine-speed automatic transmission.

[paywall]

Drive is routed to the rear or all four wheels through a BorgWarner-sourced part-time four-wheel drive system. Set to go on-sale later this year in China priced from 149 800 to 169 800 yuan (R369 032 to R418 302), GWM South Africa has not confirmed the Cannon Hi4-T as the P300 Hi4-T for the local market. As is well known, the brand will introduce itsnew four-cylinder 3.0-litre turbodiesel enginein the P300 and Tank 500 later this year, while leaving the 2.4-litre unit to power the P300 range. With the former diesel seemingly replacing the alreadyconfirmed plug-in hybrid P500, supposed to have debuted last year, don’t be surprised if the eventual same applies to the P300.

[/paywall]