GWM has more new SUVs coming to Australia in 2025
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Sydney Morning Herald
17 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Digital upgrade costs are turning Opal into a wild card
The upgrading of NSW's Opal ticketing system for public transport has turned into a runaway train, with costs threatening to surge by up to $171 million to $738 million. The Herald 's Matt O'Sullivan revealed the cost blowout is also likely to delay the scheduled completion of the work for at least a year. Dubbed Opal Next Gen, the modernisation of the ticketing system was first announced in mid-2022 by the previous NSW Coalition government, which provided conditional funding for the project over three years. It involves the replacement of thousands of electronic readers and back-office billing. Infrastructure NSW has changed Opal Next Gen from a 'tier-two' to a 'tier-one' project, which means the transport agency now has to be 90 per cent sure its final cost price will fall within budget. More than eight months after tenders closed, Transport for NSW is yet to announce short-listed bidders for the main contract to overhaul the ticketing system, and another to supply Opal readers and other technology for the state's fleet of buses. The government has been dragging the chain on an Opal upgrade for years, but the new upgrade includes digital transit cards that allow the use of smartphones. The government had planned to complete the rollout of the new Opal system next year. However, the Herald has previously reported that internal Transport for NSW documents show it has been targeting September 2027 as a 'go-live' date for the ticketing system. Automatic ticketing has had an unsettled history in NSW. The $1.2 billion contract for the public transport smartcard, it should be remembered, was signed by former Labor transport minister David Campbell but only after years of fruitless persistence with the T-Card. The Barry O'Farrell-led Coalition in 2012 started introducing the Opal card, which is now used almost ubiquitously across Sydney's transport system. For the most part, it has been a great success. Now comes the realisation that upgrading transport ticketing systems is problematic for state governments. In Victoria, overhauling the Myki Card system is a major political and financial liability for the Labor government. This year's budget revealed the overhaul was running 18 months late and was already $137 million over budget. The Victorian government and Conduent, the US company installing and operating the new system under a $1.8 billion contract, have been at loggerheads over unexpected costs and technical issues that have put back scheduled completion until 2028. As noted, in NSW, tenders closed for contracts to overhaul the ticketing system and supply Opal readers and other technology for the state's fleet of buses last year. Transport for NSW secretary Josh Murray said nine companies were in the mix and contracts were expected to be signed early next year, but he did not wish to rush it.
7NEWS
28-07-2025
- 7NEWS
GWM upgrades its answer to the Toyota Prado
GWM has upgraded its Tank 500 yet again, with the launch of a facelifted version of the large SUV in China last week, but it won't be available in Australia any time soon. The updated 2026 GWM Tank 500 brings minor styling enhancements plus a range of new luxury and safety equipment little more than a year after the Toyota Prado rival was released Down Under. But its new look and new equipment – which includes a built-in fridge and roof-mounted rear entertainment system – won't be introduced alongside a plug-in hybrid powertrain due in Australia from October. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. 'For now, ANZ [Australian and New Zealand] will continue with the current version,' said a GWM Australia spokesperson. '[We have] No plans to confirm our intention to align with revised specification recently seen in China.' China's MY26 Tank 500 brings a revised grille that now underlines the headlights on both sides, and differs from the 'sports' grille introduced earlier this year – including for the black-themed Vanta range-topper. There are also new alloy wheel designs, a Dunhuang (dark green) exterior colour option, revised GWM Tank badging at the rear and, inside, a column-mounted gear selector and new blue and white colourway. The biggest interior upgrade is reserved for rear-seat occupants, who score a 50W refrigerator built into the centre console, and an entertainment system comprising a 17.3-inch 3K multimedia screen that flips down from the roof and can be controlled by voice, gesture, touch, or mobile phone. According to Autohome, the Chinese-market Tank 500 also gains a new roof-mounted Hesai LTX LiDAR sensor plus new cameras on the front fenders and rear spoiler to support upgraded advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) capabilities powered by GWM's third-generation Coffee Pilot Ultra safety suite. The Tank 500 was first revealed in China in 2021, before its domestic launch in 2022 in both turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 and turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid forms. The latter has powered the Tank 500 in Australia since its local launch in March 2024, but the seven-seat off-road wagon did receive a safety and powertrain system upgrades in response to criticism in December 2024, which were made available to new and existing owners earlier this month. Recently, GWM also revealed its first Tank 500 diesel, powered by the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel as the smaller Tank 300 and the Cannon Alpha ute. However, this Thai-built variant was ruled out for Australia, which will instead receive a beefier new 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel by around 2027. For now, Australia's Tank 500 hybrid will be joined by one of two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains already available in China from October, beating both the Prado and the top-selling Ford Everest to market with PHEV power – and becoming the first large, ladder-frame SUV to offer such a powertrain in Australia. GWM Australia won't say whether it will be the same off-road-focused 'Hi4-T' system that's also available in the Cannon Alpha PHEV, which combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a single electric motor to produce 300kW of power and 750Nm of torque, or the on-road-focussed, dual-motor Hi4-Z powertrain that slams down a mammoth 635kW and 1195Nm. 'There's no confirmation yet on which powertrain will be offered for the ANZ market,' the GWM Australia spokesperson told CarExpert today. 'The [Tank 500 PHEV] launch in October will be centred on the powertrain reveal.' Both of the Tank 500's PHEV powertrains are based around the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four, but while the Hi4-T continues with a mechanical four-wheel-drive system, transfer case and differential locks, there's no mechanical connection between the front and rear electric motors of the Hi4-Z, which has multi-link rear suspension and almost double the battery capacity. In China, the Tank 500 Hi4-Z has a 59.05kWh battery pack positioned between the axles rather than at the rear, offering a claimed 201km (WLTC) of electric-only driving range and 1096km of total range. But even the Hi4-T offers 45kW/102Nm higher outputs than the standard Tank 500 hybrid, while still being capable to ford water up to 800mm deep and offering similar off-road geometry, albeit with 11mm less ground clearance. It offers 110km of range on the WLTC cycle. The Tank 500 Hi4-T weighs 398kg more than the plugless hybrid version already on sale here, while the Hi4-Z weighs another 150kg at 2980kg. GWM Australia previously told CarExpert the PHEV version would attract an estimated price premium of between $6000 and $15,000 over the current Tank 500 HEV, which is available in two equipment grades priced from $66,490 drive-away. So you can expect a starting price of about $72,000 drive-away for the cheapest Tank 500 PHEV, given the single-motor Hi4-T powertrain seems more likely for Australia. 'It's going to depend on the size of the battery pack… range and battery size is what defines pricing,' GWM Australia marketing and communications boss Steve Maciver told us previously.
Perth Now
28-07-2025
- Perth Now
GWM upgrades its answer to the Toyota Prado
GWM has upgraded its Tank 500 yet again, with the launch of a facelifted version of the large SUV in China last week, but it won't be available in Australia any time soon. The updated 2026 GWM Tank 500 brings minor styling enhancements plus a range of new luxury and safety equipment little more than a year after the Toyota Prado rival was released Down Under. But its new look and new equipment – which includes a built-in fridge and roof-mounted rear entertainment system – won't be introduced alongside a plug-in hybrid powertrain due in Australia from October. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert 'For now, ANZ [Australian and New Zealand] will continue with the current version,' said a GWM Australia spokesperson. '[We have] No plans to confirm our intention to align with revised specification recently seen in China.' China's MY26 Tank 500 brings a revised grille that now underlines the headlights on both sides, and differs from the 'sports' grille introduced earlier this year – including for the black-themed Vanta range-topper. There are also new alloy wheel designs, a Dunhuang (dark green) exterior colour option, revised GWM Tank badging at the rear and, inside, a column-mounted gear selector and new blue and white colourway. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The biggest interior upgrade is reserved for rear-seat occupants, who score a 50W refrigerator built into the centre console, and an entertainment system comprising a 17.3-inch 3K multimedia screen that flips down from the roof and can be controlled by voice, gesture, touch, or mobile phone. According to Autohome, the Chinese-market Tank 500 also gains a new roof-mounted Hesai LTX LiDAR sensor plus new cameras on the front fenders and rear spoiler to support upgraded advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) capabilities powered by GWM's third-generation Coffee Pilot Ultra safety suite. The Tank 500 was first revealed in China in 2021, before its domestic launch in 2022 in both turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 and turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid forms. The latter has powered the Tank 500 in Australia since its local launch in March 2024, but the seven-seat off-road wagon did receive a safety and powertrain system upgrades in response to criticism in December 2024, which were made available to new and existing owners earlier this month. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Recently, GWM also revealed its first Tank 500 diesel, powered by the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel as the smaller Tank 300 and the Cannon Alpha ute. However, this Thai-built variant was ruled out for Australia, which will instead receive a beefier new 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel by around 2027. For now, Australia's Tank 500 hybrid will be joined by one of two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains already available in China from October, beating both the Prado and the top-selling Ford Everest to market with PHEV power – and becoming the first large, ladder-frame SUV to offer such a powertrain in Australia. GWM Australia won't say whether it will be the same off-road-focused 'Hi4-T' system that's also available in the Cannon Alpha PHEV, which combines a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a single electric motor to produce 300kW of power and 750Nm of torque, or the on-road-focussed, dual-motor Hi4-Z powertrain that slams down a mammoth 635kW and 1195Nm. 'There's no confirmation yet on which powertrain will be offered for the ANZ market,' the GWM Australia spokesperson told CarExpert today. 'The [Tank 500 PHEV] launch in October will be centred on the powertrain reveal.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert Both of the Tank 500's PHEV powertrains are based around the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four, but while the Hi4-T continues with a mechanical four-wheel-drive system, transfer case and differential locks, there's no mechanical connection between the front and rear electric motors of the Hi4-Z, which has multi-link rear suspension and almost double the battery capacity. In China, the Tank 500 Hi4-Z has a 59.05kWh battery pack positioned between the axles rather than at the rear, offering a claimed 201km (WLTC) of electric-only driving range and 1096km of total range. But even the Hi4-T offers 45kW/102Nm higher outputs than the standard Tank 500 hybrid, while still being capable to ford water up to 800mm deep and offering similar off-road geometry, albeit with 11mm less ground clearance. It offers 110km of range on the WLTC cycle. The Tank 500 Hi4-T weighs 398kg more than the plugless hybrid version already on sale here, while the Hi4-Z weighs another 150kg at 2980kg. Supplied Credit: CarExpert GWM Australia previously told CarExpert the PHEV version would attract an estimated price premium of between $6000 and $15,000 over the current Tank 500 HEV, which is available in two equipment grades priced from $66,490 drive-away. So you can expect a starting price of about $72,000 drive-away for the cheapest Tank 500 PHEV, given the single-motor Hi4-T powertrain seems more likely for Australia. 'It's going to depend on the size of the battery pack… range and battery size is what defines pricing,' GWM Australia marketing and communications boss Steve Maciver told us previously. MORE: Everything GWM Tank 500
