Zoomlion unveils "world's highest horsepower wheeled tractor"

Chinese manufacturer Zoomlion is introducing the 9D700, a four-wheel-drive articulated tractor featuring a hybrid diesel-electric powertrain that combines a diesel engine, generator and battery.

The company claims the tractor delivers 700hp of rated output and a peak of 1200hp.

The tractor, manufactured at Zoomlion's Kaifeng Industrial Park in Henan, China, made its Australian debut at AgQuip 2026 in Gunnedah, where Zoomlion was a gold sponsor.

In a recent global release, Zoomlion described the 9D700 as the "world's highest horsepower wheeled tractor."

Zoomlion Agriculture Australia business development manager, Nick Cadman, said the arrival of the 9D700 marks the first new four-wheel drive tractor brand to enter the Australian market in 80 years.

"This is pretty significant for us and we're certainly getting a lot of interest in the tractor," he said.

The 9D700 pairs a Cummins QSM16 six-cylinder, 15.9-litre common rail turbo diesel engine with a generator and high-capacity battery system, driving dual electric motors.

Cadman said the hybrid configuration was designed to deliver more usable power than the tractor's rated output suggests.

"At times of high load or high resistance on the drawbar, the electrical system that's being powered by the generator is supported by the battery," Cadman said. "That gives us an efficient boost in power in addition to the common rail boost that we get through the engine."

The engine operates under a Tier 3 emissions standard that does not require AdBlue in Australia.

The tractor on display rides on single Trelleborg TM900 tyres in a 710 footprint, with the option to fit dual tyres from the factory. It also features Kessler axles and final drive components.

The cab has been designed to provide good visibility and straightforward controls for ease of operation.

"The controls are pretty straightforward, and our systems right across this range is pretty easy to use," Cadman said.

The 9D700 that rolled off the factory floor in China last year was fitted with Zoomlion's self-developed EPIot smart driving system and AOS intelligent operations platform, which together are designed to enable autonomous driving and automatic implement operation with centimetre-level precision at high speed.

Cadman said current regulatory settings in Australia are preventing the technology from being offered locally, but added the company was working through this process with the aim of eventually bringing the autonomous systems it already operates in China to Australia.

"We will adapt the technology as soon as the legalities around it allow, and we will support it wholeheartedly as an organisation," he said.

Hydraulic capacity is rated at 415l/min from the main pump, with a secondary pump supplying 85l/min to the steering system. The tractor is fitted with six hydraulic remotes, power beyond, and air brake systems as standard.

The 9D700 has completed testing in China and Russia, where it has returned fuel reduction figures of up to 40 per cent compared with conventional tractors, according to Zoomlion.

"We haven't tested the tractor here yet," Cadman said. "We're seeing really good results [overseas], and we're really keen to put it through Australian conditions and see how it fares."

The 9D700 and other four-wheel drive models in the range are scheduled to undergo ground engagement testing in January and February 2027, with sales expected to follow once testing is complete.