GWM to launch its first V8 in Australia in 2027, likely without hybrid help

GWM will bring its first V8-powered model to Australia in 2027, and the eight-cylinder engine is likely to arrive without the hybrid assistance that had been expected. John Kett, chief operating officer for GWM Australia and New Zealand, said a V8 model will "certainly" join the local range next year, speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the new H7 mid-size SUV.

Asked whether the V8 would include hybrid technology, Kett replied: "No, the V8 will be V8". That points to a conventional V8 rather than the plug-in hybrid set-up GWM has confirmed for its GF supercar.

Which V8 model is coming

GWM has confirmed two V8 powertrains: a high-performance V8 plug-in hybrid for the upcoming GF supercar, and a V8 for the Tank 700 off-road SUV. Kett's comments appear to refer to the Tank 700 for Australia in 2027.

In May, GWM global chairman Jack Wei said the Tank 700 will offer a V8 engine as a potential addition for markets including Australia and New Zealand. "In the future, the Tank 700 will also use a V8 engine. The supercar uses a high-performance V8, while the Tank 700 uses a normal V8," Wei told media at the Beijing motor show.

Wei framed the engine as a counter-trend move: "This is completely opposite to the current environment or trend in China… We developed this V8 to meet the needs of more global users, in markets such as Australia and New Zealand".

Power and torque still unannounced for the V8

GWM has not published power or torque figures for the non-hybrid V8 destined for the Tank 700. The only outputs confirmed so far relate to other powertrains.

The GF supercar's twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid is "expected" to produce around 600kW of power and 1000Nm of torque. The Tank 700 was initially revealed in 2023 with a 386kW/750Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain under the company's Hi4-T branding, paired with a nine-speed automatic and mechanical four-wheel drive. A more road-focused Hi4-Z variant launched in China earlier this year teams a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with dual electric motors for electrified all-wheel drive, outputting 635kW/1195Nm.

None of those figures applies to the V8, so buyers will have to wait for GWM to confirm its output.

Positioning and price

A non-hybrid V8 version could serve as a performance flagship for off-road enthusiasts, giving GWM a cut-price alternative to the turbo V8-powered Mercedes-AMG G63 and Land Rover Defender OCTA.

GWM has not announced Australian pricing for the V8 model. The Tank sub-brand currently offers the Tank 300 and Tank 500 off-road SUVs with a mix of plug-in hybrid and turbo-diesel powertrains, but those models do not set a price for the V8.

The timing is firmer than the specification: GWM Australia has again promised the V8 will touch down here in 2027, and Kett's "at least one V8 next year" line is the clearest signal yet that the Tank 700 is the vehicle in question. What remains open is how much power it makes, what it costs, and whether the no-hybrid plan holds through to launch.

Kia has presented Rafael Nadal with a full-size sculpture of the EV4 GT, built using clay gathered from the courts where he built his reputation as the "King of Clay". The model was handed over at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, and carries no interior or drivetrain.

A one-off tribute, not a production car

The sculpture is a single display piece rather than a running vehicle. It matches the footprint of the production EV4 GT hatchback and sits on production wheels and tyres, so it can likely be rolled, but it has no interior and is not designed to be driven. Most styling clay models rest on platforms with cart wheels for moving them in tight spaces, which Kia did not use here.

Because it is a showpiece, Kia has not announced any production version of the clay car. The EV4 GT hatchback it mirrors is the road-going model, and the sculpture exists only as a tribute in Nadal's collection.

Clay from Monte Carlo, Paris, Rome and Madrid

Kia blended traditional styling clay with earth from courts in Monte Carlo, Paris, Rome and Madrid to form the body. White design tape picks out the character lines, a nod to the white lines of a tennis court, and custom exterior graphics mark Nadal's career milestones.

The lettering is specific: "63 TITLES ON CLAY" beside the headlight, "81 CONSECUTIVE WINS ON CLAY" on the hood, "4 FRENCH OPEN TITLES" at Roland-Garros among his 22 Grand Slam singles titles along the profile, and his signature next to "5 SEASONS AT NUMBER 1" at the rear.

Twenty years of ambassadorship

Nadal has been a Kia global brand ambassador since 2006, after his first Grand Slam win, and retired from professional tennis in late 2024. "For more than twenty years, Kia has been by my side throughout my career, through all the highs and the challenges," Nadal said. "Receiving this tribute, created from the material that has defined so much of my journey, is incredibly meaningful".

Kia noted that clay modelling remains part of vehicle development despite the rise of digital tools, because designers use physical models to judge proportions, surfaces, finishes and tensions. Choosing the compact EV4 GT rather than a flagship model puts the tribute on a car that is itself a production hatchback, which makes the sculpture a recognizable link to something customers can actually buy, even though this particular example is not one of them.