GWM has capped off a strong year in Australia by finishing 2025 as the country’s top-selling Chinese car brand, climbing from tenth place overall in 2024 to eighth position last year.
The result marks a notable turnaround for the brand, with total sales climbing 23.4 per cent year-on-year to 52,809 vehicles. That figure put GWM narrowly ahead of BYD (52,415), while also outpacing established players such as Isuzu Ute (42,297) and MG (41,298).
SUV and ute heavy-hitters drive growth
Much of GWM’s momentum in 2025 came from a trio of key models in the brand, namely the Haval Jolion small SUV, the Tank 300 off-road SUV, and the Cannon ute range.
In the competitive Small SUV under $45K segment, the GWM Haval Jolion finished fourth overall with 19,413 sales, representing a 36.3 per cent improvement on its 2024 performance. A midlife update introduced in mid-2024, combined with an expanded hybrid line-up and lower pricing, helped reposition the Jolion as a strong value contender in the segment. Further price adjustments throughout 2025 only strengthened its appeal.
The brand’s second-best seller, the larger GWM Haval H6, also posted modest growth. Deliveries rose 6.5 per cent to 13,207 units, aided by a mid-life refresh and local ride-and-handling tuning carried out during the year.
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GWM Tank 300 gains traction
GWM Tank 300 off-road SUV also enjoyed a solid year, with sales rising 26.9 per cent to 5035 units. Initially launched with turbo-petrol and petrol-hybrid powertrains, the addition of a turbo-diesel variant in 2025 broadened the model’s appeal and gave GWM a more direct rival to popular ladder-frame SUVs such as the Isuzu MU-X and Ford Everest.
While the GWM Tank 300 is officially classified in the Large SUV Under $80K category, its more compact dimensions, just 57mm longer than the Haval H6, and lack of third-row seating limited its class share to 3.6 per cent. That left it trailing segment leaders, including the Ford Everest (18.9 per cent), Toyota Prado (18.8 per cent) and Isuzu MU-X (11.2 per cent).
GWM Cannon ute range builds momentum
GWM also recorded healthy growth in the ute market during 2025. The brand rebranded its light commercial line-up from GWM Ute to GWM Cannon, while simultaneously introducing a new 2.4L turbo-diesel engine with increased outputs.
Across both run-out stock and updated models, GWM sold 9888 Cannon 4×2 and 4×4 utes in 2025, up from 8163 units the year prior, a 21.1 per cent increase.
Above that, the larger Cannon Alpha 4×4 added further volume. After launching in mid-2024 with diesel and petrol-hybrid options, the model switched to diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains during 2025, lifting sales to 2524 units for the year, compared with 1095 in its partial first year.
Read more: Top 10 Best-selling Chinese cars in Australia for 2025
Not all models shared the growth
Despite the strong overall result, growth wasn’t unanimous across GWM’s line-up. Sales of the Ora electric hatchback fell sharply, down 37.7 per cent to 763 units, while the larger Tank 500 SUV slipped 9.2 per cent to 1519 deliveries.
What’s next for GWM in 2026?
Looking ahead, GWM is planning to build on its 2025 momentum with a wave of new and updated models. These include a plug-in hybrid version of the Tank 300, along with new Haval Jolion Max PHEV and fully electric variants positioned above the existing Jolion range.
The brand is also expected to introduce a more powerful 3.0L diesel engine for the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500, while expanding its electric footprint with the potential arrival of the Ora 5 compact electric SUV.
Rounding out the plan is a move upmarket, with GWM’s premium Wey brand tipped to launch locally later in 2026, signalling the company’s ambitions to grow beyond its value-focused roots in the Australian market.
Read more: Top 10 New Cars Launched in Australia in 2025
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