As we highlighted in Every bakkie confirmed for SA in 2026, GWM is set to introduce a 3.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine option to its local P500 lineup.

Now, the Chinese automaker’s SA arm has announced the new powertrain is ‘coming soon’ via a post published on Instagram.

The 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged oil-burner produces 170kW and 620N.m of torque – increases of 35kW and a substantial 140Nm over the 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbodiesel currently available with the P500.

Power is delivered to the road via a four-wheel drivetrain, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. As a reminder, the flagship double-cab in GWM’s portfolio is also available in 2.0-litre hybrid (HEV) format. The HEV derivative produces combined system outputs of 255kW – the latter making it one of the most powerful bakkies in SA – and 648Nm.

When the Baoding-based marque’s 3.0-litre turbodiesel arrives in SA, it will be one of the largest-capacity turbodiesel units available in the double-cab segment. The other includes Isuzu’s 140 kW/450Nm 3.0-litre four-pot and Ford’s 184 kW/600Nm 3.0-litre V6 – the latter offered with the Ranger and VW Amarok.

According to GWM’s local website, the 3.0-litre turbodiesel P500 is ‘built for those who demand more from every journey’, with the combination of ‘uncompromising’ power, a ‘commanding’ presence, and ‘intelligent’ capability.

“It’s engineered to take on life’s toughest demands […] delivering exceptional performance with effortless control wherever you go,” the firm said.

Pricing and specifications for the 3.0-litre turbodiesel P500 have yet to be revealed, though a fair bet would be that the more powerful diesel model will be priced between its 2.4-litre turbodiesel and HEV siblings.

The former is priced from R799 900 and R889 900 for the luxury and super luxury derivatives, respectively, while the HEV is priced from R999 900.

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