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Great Wall Motors (GWM) has officially confirmed the plug-in hybrid P300 will be available in South Africa starting from the third quarter of the year. The announcement was made at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring. Unlike the China counterpart, the local version will go by the name PHEV rather than Hi4-T. The P300 PHEV slots above the existing 2.4-litre diesel models, both with and without four-wheel drive.

In China, two versions are offered, each differing only in the choice of drive wheels. The petrol-electric variant made its debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April. Its powertrain includes a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 180kW/380Nm, and a 33.1-kWh battery pack driving a single 130kW/495Nm electric motor. This results in a total output of 310kW/750Nm, enabling a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 6.4 seconds for the two-wheel drive and an electric-only range of 100 km according to the WLTP test cycle.

The four-wheel drive variant is quicker off the mark, completing the sprint in 6.1 seconds, but can only travel 95 km on electric power alone. When the engine is engaged, the two-wheel drive model claims a range of 947 km, while the four-wheel drive version can travel 886 km. The powertrain change is unlikely to result in significant differences from the diesel model.

Both variants feature a nine-speed automatic gearbox, with the latter also offering a BorgWarner-sourced part-time four-wheel drive system. The P300 PHEV retains a ground clearance of 229 mm, while only the four-wheel drive version comes with an electronically locking rear differential. Pricing in China starts at 149,800 yuan for the two-wheel drive and 166,800 yuan for the four-wheel drive.

When converted to South African currency, these prices translate to approximately R358,951 and R399,686 respectively, without taxes. However, given that the diesel double cab version of the P300 ranges from R446,950 to R699,900 in South Africa, the PHEV is expected to have a significantly higher asking price upon its local market launch. The final local market launch date is yet to be approved.