GWM has put the Tank 300 Hi4-T plug-in hybrid on sale in Australia at $55,990 drive-away for the Lux grade and $59,990 drive-away for the Ultra, and it now sits at the bottom of the PHEV four-wheel-drive price list by a clear margin. There is nothing else under $60,000 with low range, a charge port, and 300kW on tap.

What the money actually buys

The Hi4-T powertrain pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with an electric motor for 300kW and 750Nm combined, running through a nine-speed automatic and a low-range transfer case. GWM quotes 115km of electric-only driving on the NEDC cycle (closer to 80km in real urban use, going by overseas Hi4-T testing), a combined range of 955km, and a 37.1kWh battery that takes DC fast charging.

So this is a proper four-wheel-drive, not a tarmac SUV with a plug. Body-on-frame chassis, locking differentials available on the Ultra, the lot. The drive-away pricing includes on-road costs in every state, which is how GWM has been undercutting Japanese rivals at the showroom door for two years now.

Where this leaves everyone else

The Ford Ranger PHEV ute starts at $71,990 plus on-roads in Sport trim. The BYD Shark 6 ute lands at $57,900 drive-away. The Cannon Alpha PHEV wagon is $59,490 drive-away with the current $5,000 promo off. The cheapest petrol-only Toyota Prado is $74,490 plus on-roads.

If you wanted electric range and serious low-speed off-road hardware in one car, the Tank 300 Hi4-T Lux is now the entry point by roughly $15,000. That is not a recalibration. That is a different question being asked.

Cartell Assessment

The interesting thing here is not the price. Everyone expected GWM to do this. The interesting thing is the segment. Chinese brands have been cutting prices in passenger cars and crossovers for two years and the Australian market shrugged because Ford and Toyota still own the things people tow caravans with. The Tank 300 Hi4-T is the first proper Chinese assault on that hardware bracket. If it sells, the Prado conversation in 2027 is a very different conversation.

Two cautions. First, the "limited-time special launch offer" line in GWM's release suggests this pricing might creep up later. Buy now if you were going to buy. Second, PHEV resale values in Australia are still being worked out, and a body-on-frame plug-in is so new there is no used-market data at all. New buyers carry that risk.

AU Outlook

Deliveries begin from GWM dealers in May, with the Lux grade following the Ultra into showrooms across the month. Expect the Ranger PHEV and Cannon Alpha PHEV to respond with discounts before EOFY. Watch the Toyota Prado conversation closely once the next-generation 4Runner-shared platform variant lands in 2027; Toyota's pricing assumption was set before this car existed.