GWM Launches First Hybrid Off-Road Pickup in Australia

Recently, GWM’s POER Sahar was officially launched in Australia, marking the debut of Australia's first HEV-powered off-road pickup. Tasked with elevating the GWM brand's presence in the high-end segment, POER Sahar fills a crucial gap in Australia's market for premium pickup trucks. During its launch and test drive phase, the vehicle's impressive performance garnered widespread acclaim from Australian media.

The POER Sahar enters the Australian market with two main power options: a powerful hybrid and a diesel engine. The top-tier 2.0-liter turbocharged hybrid gasoline engine delivers a combined output of 255 kW and torque of 648 Nm. The 2.4-liter turbocharged diesel engine has a combined output of 135 kW and torque of 480 Nm. Both engines are paired with GWM’s 9-speed automatic transmission, which has received multiple accolades as one of the world’s top ten transmissions. This robust power combination gives the POER Sahar a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, significantly higher than the common 3-ton capacity seen in the Australian market.

Before its launch, the POER Sahar underwent localization adjustments based on Australian road conditions, regulations, and driving habits to better align with local consumer preferences. In Australia, pickup trucks are commonly used as passenger vehicles, with good road conditions for daily driving but frequent trips to suburban campsites and coastal areas on weekends. Overall, local drivers tend to have aggressive driving habits and demand a solid chassis feel. To address this, the chassis tuning and development team enhanced the vehicle's comfort and control over complex road conditions. They conducted meticulous adjustments based on Australian pickup scenarios (towing, carrying loads) and various local road conditions (highways, urban roads, fast roads, suburban roads, mountain roads, unpaved gravel roads, and farms). Regarding intelligent features, GWM’s safety specialists worked on-site in Australia to benchmark and improve the vehicle with feedback from local professional media and technical staff, resulting in the POER Sahar’s leading position in intelligence among similar pickups and mainstream models. Additionally, for common towing scenarios in Australia, GWM's development team designed exclusive high-speed stability protection, using ESP to monitor the vehicle's yaw and tire traction during towing, and included a trailer sway mitigation function for real-time control, enhancing stability at high speeds. For start-up power response and torque, the team optimized torque values between gears, improving power response by 0.36 seconds.

The launch of the POER Sahar garnered extensive praise from Australian media. The test drive route was specifically chosen in Melbourne's urban areas and off-road terrains with multiple dips and steep slopes typical of Australian scenarios. This allowed media and users to experience the POER Sahar HEV's powerful performance through various complex road conditions, such as climbing, city streets, and uneven terrain.

After experiencing both on-road and off-road test drives, core automotive media outlet Carsales gave high praise to the POER Sahar: "The POER Sahar has proven to be a high-performance off-road vehicle with excellent power and torque figures. Its actual performance is impressive, with strong acceleration and a quiet driving experience. The combination of high and low gears and the differential lock can handle quite challenging off-road obstacles. The off-road performance is very stable, and the overall performance of the hybrid powertrain demonstrates how electrification can enhance pickups, leaving a lasting impression."

It is often believed that a robust core is enough for a powerful off-road vehicle, but the POER Sahar offers pleasant surprises beyond expectations. Veteran automotive critic Matt Campbell praised the POER Sahar's exterior and interior design: "The POER Sahar's cabin is impressive at first glance, with detailed and decorative interior, electric seats with heating and massage functions, and entertainment multimedia features, giving a high-quality feel. This interior outclasses other models in the same price range, offering a comfortable and convenient experience."

For a long time, GWM has been adhering to a multi-category, multi-power product layout. In terms of category layout, GWM is actively expanding into overseas markets with high-value products like off-road vehicles and pickups. For powertrains, GWM is committed to the comprehensive development of pure electric, hybrid, and hydrogen power, actively exploring the new energy market in line with the actual conditions of overseas markets. As the first hybrid pickup model in Australia, the POER Sahar hybrid version better meets the diverse needs of Australian consumers, strengthening the local new energy vehicle (NEV) strategic layout.

Leveraging the strength of its Forest Ecosystem, GWM aims to provide safer and superior products to global users. The launch of the POER Sahar offers Australian users a higher-quality travel experience, building communication through good products, earning a reputation through good service, and establishing trust through a good brand. The POER Sahar fulfills users' desires for outdoor life and exploration, accelerates its global expansion, represents Chinese pickups in the international market, and aims to compete with mainstream global brands, targeting a position among the top three globally and making Chinese pickups popular worldwide.

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