GWM P-Series P500 (2024) Price & Specs

14 Aug 2024

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The new GWM P-Series P500 – which debuts a fresh 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine and is also offered in 255 kW hybrid form – has officially launched in South Africa!

The new GWM P-Series P500 (2024) Price & Specs has officially launched in South Africa, some 3 weeks after Cars.co.za published its pricing scoop (22 July 2024). As we reported at the time, this supersized Chinese double-cab bakkie debuts a fresh 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine and is also available in 255 kW hybrid guise.

At launch, the new P-Series P500 is offered in 3 forms, with this trio of double-cab derivatives slotting in above the existing P-Series variants.

First up is the P-Series P500 2.4TD Luxury 4×4 9AT, which is priced from R799 900. Power comes from a new 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel mill codenamed GW4D24, which generates peak outputs of 135 kW and 480 Nm. Drive is delivered to all 4 wheels via a 9-speed automatic transmission as standard, while claimed fuel economy comes in at 8.6 L/100 km.

This fresh powertrain – which makes 15 kW and 80 Nm more than the 2.0-litre oil-burner that’s employed across the standard P-Series portfolio – is likewise offered in the P-Series P500 2.4TD Super Luxury 4×4 9AT, which starts at R889 900.

Finally, there’s the P-Series P500 2.0T HEV Ultra Luxury 4×4 9AT, which is priced at R999 900, narrowly avoiding admission to SA’s growing club of 7-figure bakkies. This flagship variant uses GWM’s turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid set-up, which is already familiar from the top-spec Tank 300 and also features in the Tank 500.

As it does in those ladder-frame SUVs, the P500 version of this powertrain churns out 255 kW and 648 Nm, outputs that are channelled to all 4 corners through a 9-speed automatic transmission. Claimed fuel consumption is listed as 9.8 L/100 km.

The P-Series P500 2.0T HEV Ultra Luxury 4×4 9AT thus launches as South Africa’s first full parallel hybrid bakkie (remember, Toyota’s Hilux 48V derivatives use a mild-hybrid arrangement, while Ford’s electrified Ranger employs a plug-in hybrid set-up and has yet to hit the market). For now, at least, it seems the 260 kW/500 Nm turbocharged V6 petrol engine GWM offers in some other countries is off the menu for Mzansi.

So, what about specifications? Well, the Luxury trim level includes items such as 18-inch alloy wheels (shod in 265/60 R18 tyres), a 12.3-inch touchscreen system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), a 360-degree camera, a 6-speaker sound system (with integrated amplifier), parking sensors (fore and aft) and keyless entry.

The list of standard safety equipment includes a full complement of airbags (front, front side, curtain and front centre), adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, trailer sway mitigation, rear cross traffic alert, lane-change assist, front collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian safety assist, bicycle safety assist, automatic collision unlocking, brake assist and downhill assist.

The Super Luxury grade adds items such as front-and-rear electronically controlled differential locks, an electric rear sliding window, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, electric adjustment for the front seats (8-way for the driver and 6-way for the front passenger), front-seat ventilation, front-seat heating, a front-seat massage function, Nappa leather upholstery, a 14.6-inch touchscreen, a panoramic sunroof, wireless smartphone charging, a 220V power outlet, auto-folding side mirrors (with a memory function), an “easy-lift” 40:60-split tailgate and front foglamps.

Finally, the Ultra Luxury furthermore scores steering-wheel heating and storage trays under the rear seats, along with a ventilation-and-heating function, 2-way electric adjustment and wireless smartphone charging for rear passengers. Other features specific to this hybrid model include ambient lighting, a head-up display, a “retro” clock, a 10-speaker Harman Infinity sound system, parking assist, adjustable regenerative braking, extra parking sensors (up from 4 to 6) and a demister function for the side mirrors.

Known as the “Shanhai Cannon” in its domestic market of China, as the “Poer Sahar” in Thailand and as the “Cannon Alpha” in Australia, the jumbo-sized bakkie measures a whopping 5 445 mm from snout to rump, making it a considerable 120 mm longer than a Hilux Legend RS double cab and 85 mm lengthier than a Ford Ranger Raptor. It stands 1 991 mm wide and 1 924 mm tall, while sporting a 3 350 mm wheelbase.

While payload capacities are curiously not listed for the SA-market P500, it’s worth noting the equivalent Cannon Alpha offered Down Under is rated to carry between 735 kg and 821 kg, depending on the derivative (with the hybrid at the lower end of that scale). All variants, however, boast the full 3 500 kg braked towing capacity.

How much does the new GWM P-Series P500 cost in SA?

GWM P-Series P500 2.4TD Luxury 4×4 9AT – R799 900

GWM P-Series P500 2.4TD Super Luxury 4×4 9AT – R889 900

GWM P-Series P500 2.0T HEV Ultra Luxury 4×4 9AT – R999 900

A 5-year/75 000 km service plan ships standard, with the standard warranty taking the form of GWM’s 7-year/200 000 km arrangement (plus 8-year/150 000 km coverage for the hybrid variant’s battery pack).