GAC Australia is gearing up for a massive assault on the local sales charts, officially confirming a new dual-cab ute and larger SUVs will arrive in local showrooms next year.

The Chinese automaker is currently rolling out an aggressive expansion strategy, aiming to launch a total of 10 models within a five-year window.

With this product blitz, the brand has set its sights on becoming a top 10 player in the highly competitive Australian market.

Speaking to CarSauce at the local launch of the new AION UT, GAC International Australia CEO Kevin Shu revealed the brand's immediate plans to push beyond its current crop of passenger vehicles.

"For next year, we can take in [a] more, larger SUV and pick-up for this market, maybe [the] HT or S7 based on planning," Shu confirmed.

While Shu didn't detail the specific ute, it is most likely the production version of the sci-fi-inspired GAC PICKUP 01 concept that debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025.

That futuristic, Cybertruck-esque concept rides on the GAIA (GAC Adaptive Intelligent Architecture) platform.

Given the Australian market's shift and the arrival of rivals like the BYD Shark 6, Ford Ranger PHEV, and GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, it is highly likely the production GAC ute will feature a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain to meet local demands.

The larger SUVs mentioned, such as the HT, belong to the "Hyptec" (or Hyper Tech) sub-brand internationally. However, Shu confirmed a streamlined approach for Australia.

"In [the] Australian market, we centralise all of them as one: GAC," Shu explained.

Ultimately, GAC's 10 model roadmap aims to cover all the major bases.

"We take 10 models in this market [to] cover all the segment – passenger, SUV, pick-up, people mover – all four segments and all engines," Shu said.

"This is why we have confidence to achieve top 10 within five years," he added.

The confirmation of a GAC dual-cab ute will put the brand on a direct collision course with established heavyweights in Australia's extremely popular dual-cab segment.

However, despite the rapid influx of new models and the ongoing EV price war, Shu was adamant that GAC will not be joining the race to the bottom.

He confirmed that GAC will "never be [the] cheapest brand". Instead, the company wants to secure a strong foothold through reliability.

"We want to get long-term trust and approach for [the] business market," he noted.

"So we just keep the high-value balance and complete [sic] price, right price, and a stable price in this market," he added.

When asked about how these new models will be tailored for Australia's unique road conditions and consumer preferences - specifically encompassing localised suspension tuning, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) calibration, and robust battery thermal management - GAC International CTO Katsumata Masato noted that the brand's highly adaptable vehicle architectures make this level of local tuning straightforward.

"We have already prepared a quite wide range of this underbody platform portfolio," Masato told CarSauce.

Rather than starting from scratch, this modular strategy allows the brand to easily swap hardware to suit local conditions.

"How [are we] to select? Like the independent suspension system or non-independent suspension system, and higher ground clearance system or standard ground clearance system... this is [a] modular strategy," Masato explained.

Beyond the chassis, Masato confirmed GAC will actively tune its ADAS technology specifically for Aussie roads to avoid overly intrusive safety alerts.

Furthermore, rather than relying solely on software to mask cheap components, the brand is prioritising premium hardware - like the water-cooled battery system in the new AION UT - to ensure optimum thermal management and efficiency in the harsh Australian climate.