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Haval H6 is GWM’s first localised model

GWM’s Australian vehicle development program to go global, beginning with the Haval H6

8 Apr 2026

GWM’S first vehicles to benefit from its Australian-led vehicle development program dubbed ‘AT-1’ have arrived in local showrooms, with most versions of the Haval H6 medium SUV now featuring extensive suspension and steering tweaks aimed at closely suiting driving conditions in Australia and New Zealand. 
  
Five distinct vehicle tunes have been developed to suit each powertrain and drivetrain combination across petrol, hybrid two-wheel drive, hybrid all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid two-wheel drive and plug-in hybrid all-wheel drive variants (all but the latter are available now). 
 
GWM says the process involved 24 front damper tunes and 40 rear damper calibrations to establish the right balance of ride and handling for each variant, while steering calibration required thousands of individual data-point adjustments over weeks of development. 
 
The Chinese car-maker – which sells vehicles under the Haval, Tank, Ora and GWM brands in Australia – said the AT-1 (pronounced ‘at one’) program is positioned as a long-term engineering philosophy rather than a single product update, focusing on improving ride, handling, steering feel, driver assistance systems and towing performance through ongoing refinement. 
 
GWM says insights generated through the AT-1 program will feed back into its global engineering knowledge base, with a cohort of the company’s China-based R&D and engineering staff travelling to Australia to work directly with the local team. 
 
The company says this positions its ANZ division as a contributor to global product development rather than simply a recipient of it but stopped short of confirming if or when global markets will adopt any of the suspension and steering settings developed Down Under. 
 
Fruits of the AT-1 program will be progressively rolled out across the broader GWM range in Australasia, though the company has not specified which models will follow the H6 or when. 
 
  
Central to the AT-1 program is local chassis expert Rob Trubiani, a former Holden engineer whose credits include ride and handling development on the VE and VF Commodore. 
 
At GWM, Mr Trubiani’s team has drawn on extensive testing across urban, regional and rural environments to better reflect the conditions Australian buyers encounter daily. 
 
“The objective of the AT-1 philosophy is to create a more unified and intuitive driving experience, specifically tuned for Australian conditions,” he said. 
  
“The result is a more cohesive and assured character, with improvements evident across everyday driving scenarios. 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.” 
  
GWM Australia and New Zealand chief operating officer John Kett said: “AT-1 reflects the investment GWM has made in our ANZ team and the support we receive from our head office. 
  
“With Rob joining the GWM family, we are leading the way, adjusting vehicles on real roads and taking those insights back to China to shape the next generation of products. Our Chinese management is listening and engaged; they want us to push the envelope. 
  
“We want GWM ANZ to be recognised not just as a support centre, but as a hub of engineering innovation that influences the brand globally.” 
  
GWM is not the first manufacturer to invest in local vehicle tuning for the Australian market.  
 
For Hyundai and Kia, such programs have proven return on investment, while former local manufacturers including Mitsubishi, Ford and Nissan have also benefited from ongoing localisation programs that adapt suspension, steering and other dynamic elements to suit Australian conditions. 
 
The AT-1 rollout comes after criticism of GWM’s ride and handling calibration on earlier products, although this has not prevented the brand from building momentum. 
 
GWM posted record Australian sales in 2025 with a 23.4 per cent year-on-year increase, finishing seventh overall, and is up 28.5 per cent year-to-date. 
 
The Haval H6 is GWM's second best-selling model range in its Australian line-up behind the Haval Jolion small SUV.

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