GWM has announced the showroom arrival of its first Australian-tuned model, the Haval H6 mid-size SUV, marking a significant milestone in the Chinese auto brand’s local development program, which is engineering vehicles specifically for Australia and New Zealand.
The H6 is GWM’s first model developed locally under its ‘AT-1’ (pronounced ‘at one’) program, which was announced in July 2025 and has seen it take up permanent residency at the former General Motors proving ground in Lang Lang, Victoria, and recruit ex-Holden engineering guru Rob Trubiani to lead development.
GWM says the purpose of the program is to ensure its vehicles “deliver confidence, capability and comfort in the diverse and often demanding conditions experienced across the ANZ region,” by undertaking “ride and handling calibration, refinement of advanced driver assistance systems, enhancements to towing and overall vehicle driving performance”.
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It has also outlined that AT-1 is “a long-term development philosophy” intended to guide engineers in tuning each specific GWM model and variant, rather than offering only a standalone update or a fixed set of changes.
In the case of the H6, this has resulted in five distinct vehicle tunes depending on the variant “to align with each powertrain configuration, vehicle weight and drivetrain combination”, says GWM.
That applies to non-hybrid front-wheel drive (2WD), hybrid 2WD, hybrid all-wheel drive (AWD), plug-in hybrid 2WD, and plug-in hybrid AWD variants. Upgraded versions of all 2WD variants are now available in showrooms, with remaining variants “to follow shortly”.
GWM says each variant went through roughly 24 front and 40 rear suspension damper tunes, along with extensive steering calibration, to optimise ride, handling, and overall driving behaviour.
The program is intended to provide incremental improvements over time, with an “ongoing cycle of refinement” to be informed by “real-world insights, customer feedback and usage”.
“The result is a more cohesive and assured character, with improvements evident across everyday driving scenarios,” Mr Trubiani said.
“From enhanced ride compliance on uneven surfaces to more precise and consistent system responses, every element has been refined to contribute to a more resolved and capable vehicle.”
Further, GWM says AT-1 will contribute to the company’s global engineering knowledge base and inform future product development worldwide. This has been supported by a “significant cohort” of the brand’s global engineering teams travelling to China to work directly with Mr Trubiani to optimise Australia’s localisation program.
It’s not yet known which models will follow the H6 in receiving an Australian chassis tune, but it’s possible that bigger body-on-frame vehicles like the Tank 500 large SUV and the Cannon ute will be next in line for GWM’s localisation treatment.
MORE: GWM becomes a permanent resident at former GM Holden proving ground