The all new GWM
Tank 300 has finally arrived in Australia. While it might look like the love child of a bizarre
three-way between a Suzuki Jimny, a Jeep Wrangler, and maybe a Ford Bronco, this Chinese mud slinger
backs up its chunky design with a proper ladder frame, low range and front and rear-locking diffs.
Plus, it's got a starting price of less than $50,000, drive away. We've had a brief taste
of this car previously in controlled conditions, but now we're free to roam and we're keen to see
how it fares on our favourite stomping ground and to check out the value equation, now we
know the price. And what's your take? Would you consider a budget Chinese off-roader like this?
Have your say in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
The GWM Tank 300 starts at $46,990, drive away, making it one of the most affordable
four-by-fours in Australia. In fact, the only large off-road SUV that's cheaper is the new
six-seat Mahindra Scorpio. And although the tank 300 only has five seats, it's a bigger vehicle.
We're testing the non-hybrid top spec ultra model here, fitted with loads of premium equipment.
It's a brazen move using the tank name because well, if it ain't built like one, it's going
to turn into a public relations disaster. And it's impossible to know what it will be like
in the long-term in regards to reliability, but it does come with a seven-year unlimited
kilometer warranty and five years roadside assist, which should add a little bit of reassurance.
This vehicle's closest rival is probably the Jeep Wrangler, which starts at $81,450. And
before you jump to conclusions, bear in mind the Tank 300 is not just an empty shell, pretending
to be a four-by-four Wrangler lookalike. It's got plenty of off-road governs, including front and
rear diff locks, a dual range transfer case, decent ground clearance and generous approach
and departure angles. Here we have a fairly conventional turbo petrol combustion engine,
which pumps out pretty decent power and torque for its size. There is a turbo diesel engine
available in China but not Australia. And it's also going to be interesting to see if Aussie
after-market companies get behind a vehicle like this with a whole bunch of accessories. There
is a stack load already available in China from China's biggest four-by-four supplier,
Yunliang. So there's no reason why I couldn't see a whole bunch of accessories
being developed for a vehicle like this. I don't know about you, but when I look at
this tank, I'm seeing a lot of Jeep Wrangler DNA in that boxy shape, those flared wheel arches, and
there's a bit of Suzuki Jimny around the grill, and the headlights, they are dead ringers for the
Ford Broncos. But the almost 4.8 meter long four by four is still a striking vehicle, especially
in this dusk orange colour. And it has plenty of practical extras like underbody protection, front,
middle and rear recovery hooks for and aft, 224 millimeters of ground clearance and approach and
departure angles of 33 degrees and 34 degrees. Wading depth is rated at 700 millimetres and you
also get black roof rails, wheel arch protection, side steps with steel spines and a full size spare
tire slung on the rear tailgate, but one of the most important elements, all terrain tires,
are missing. Instead, you get these road-based Michelin Primacy SUV rubbers. We'll soon see if
they're a weak link when we take it off-road. While the
exterior has a distinctly rugged American look, the interior couldn't be more different. It's more
luxurious, it's more highbrow and it's quite European. In fact, I'd go as far to say it is
very, very similar to the Mercedes G Wagon. Look at the Jesus handle here, the air vents, the black
and white motif and stitching on the seats, the patterning on the door cars, it all gives off a
very pungent swabby and musk. Material quality in the cabin ranges from lavish to low cost.
The Napa leather accented seat upholstery door inserts and dashboard toppers are highlights.
While some of the plastics around the air vent and on the middle dash are pretty crummy,
but the power operated front seats are comfy and supportive. They're quite wide and welcoming and
the leather quality is surprisingly good as well. Plus they're heated and cooled, a nice
luxury feature and is even a massage function. But to call it a massage function is probably
being economical with the truth because basically it's the lumbar adjuster, moves it up and down
in and out. It's more like being massaged by a bag of rice or a sea breeze or something.
There's a rather nice nine-speaker infinity audio system and the twin 12.3 inch screens
look awesome, adding a nice dollop of technology. They offer way more functions and options than
you'll ever need. There's no head-up display and the driver's display is pretty busy. The numerical
rev counter will take some getting used to and a simple mode with less data swirling
around would have been nice. Before I go any further, I have to show you the key fob. It is
absolutely beautiful. It's like something out of a star ship. It feels good, it looks good,
but I also just realized there's no hook to hook your keys onto and so I'm torn. I love it,
but I don't like the fact you can't... Anyway, let's check out the storage solutions.
Under here you've got a large central bin with a little port here that allows you to pump the
air conditioning through and it acts like a chilly bin so you can cool down your drinks
or whatever. There's a sliding section here revealing two cup holders. You've got a large
wireless phone charger, which I love. It's great. Two USB ports, USB-A and -C, a 12-port socket,
and you've got a USB-A up here for dash cams, which is cool. But you can see where they've cut
corners a little bit. You've got all this exposed area along here that might fill up with dust,
and this section here is a factory fitted Huntsman spider hidey hole, no doubt about it.
You get a cool top gun style aviation gear shifter and check out all the off-road tech.
You've got dual range, four wheel drive settings, high and low, plus two wheel drive low for regular
driving, five terrain settings, hill descent control plus, locking front and rear diffs.
Not to mention several external camera views and general drive mode settings.
I really like what GWM has done with the climate controls here and here. They're
all hard buttons. You don't have to drill through the menus to do anything and it's
all simple and straightforward. And little touches, you've got an analog clock here and
the whole cabin, it's got plenty of room, it's nicely finished, it's well-equipped.
I quite like what they've done here. I really like this, grab handle, side steps.
Getting into this high riding car is super easy and guess what? It's really good back here too.
Loads of legroom, heaps of headroom, and this leather again is really quite nice. All the usual
stuff's there. Fold out armrest with cup holders, air vents, twin USB-A ports, extra grab handles,
reading lights and all the provisions for your child's seat anchorages too. Yeah, pretty good.
The side opening tailgate reveals a little bit of amenity. You've got a plastic pocket here, some
bag holders, but check this out. This little step allows good access to loading stuff on the roof
rails, but the boot, not as big as I expected. Amenity is good though with an LED light, a 12
volt socket and a 220 volt power point, not to mention six tie-down hooks with two high mounts.
Folding down the rear seats, liberates more room as well, and I like the fact they fold
fully flat. There's also a lock on the tailgate's gas strut to keep it jammed open, which is good if
it's windy or you're on a slope. The interior has some real highlights, but it lacks polish
in a lot of areas as well. Will the same be true on and off-road? Cue the driving music.
Compared to the Wrangler, there is way less tire noise and that's because it's not riding on all
terrains, but it's generally a pretty quiet vehicle. There is a little bit of wind noise
around those upright windows and the mirrors, but overall it's not too bad. I think what they've
done here is they've decided to make an easygoing, easy-to-drive vehicle and I could commute in this
every day of the week, no drama. And I also really like that commanding view of the road.
It's a bit good. The powertrain is best described as in inoffensive. The two-liter turbo engine is
responsive, but it lacks low end grunt and the car's 2,155 kilogram curb weight, means standing
starts are fairly tame. It generates sufficient mid-range thrust to provide decent acceleration
on country roads, which is pretty good considering its chubby mass. The engine is smooth and refined
and it revs cleanly to higher speeds. And while the acoustics don't really match its tough image,
I reckon I've heard toys that sound better than this. It is a pretty solid all-rounder.
It feels like a pretty flexible engine. Ride comfort is good and the big rig with
its agricultural ute underpinnings absorbs potholes easily and takes corrugations in
its stride. The steering is quite light, which is great in the burbs, but on open roads like this,
it's almost too sensitive. I find myself having to make a few micro adjustments to
keep it in the center of the lane. Not a huge fan of that. And the handling dynamics too,
pretty much what you'd expect, average. This vehicle is designed for off-roading, not
slamming through hairpins at full speed. There's a fair bit of body roll. It lists and leans when
you're going through the corners and it's the sort of car you want to approach tight corners
fairly gingerly. You don't want to hack in with full speed. And like other GWM products
we've sampled recently, the calibration of driver assistance systems needs work.
The auto steering systems pinball the car from side to side sometimes, but the adaptive cruise
control is pretty smooth. Fuel efficiency is claimed at 9.5 liters per hundred kilometers,
but the best we could manage was 12.9 liters per hundred kilometers.
It's not terrible for a car of this size, shape, and weight, but it's not great either.
Now it's time to take it off-road and this ain't too bad. It's not too shabby that 224
mils of ground clearance is not class-leading. And there have been a couple of really minor
kisses and scrapes, but overall it feels fairly capable. I'm not getting a sense of,
"Oh, maybe I should back off. Maybe I shouldn't approach this section."
It feels pretty good. Oh, shit. All right, now I've stumped it. This ain't moving. I'll
chuck it in four low, still no dice. Must have a wheel half cocked in the air. Let's lock the
front and rear diffs and see if that helps. Okay, almost blasted myself into orbit. That's better.
The four-by-four system works rather well generating plenty of purchase and splitting torque
wisely between the axles. The coil sprung double wishbone front and live rear axle suspension
also delivered decent wheel articulation, which does help on the challenging terrain.
All right, get through this water crossing and let's see how it goes up this hill climb.
Well, it is fairly dry. I thought this clay surface would be a little bit damper
and it absolutely walked up there, so no problem with the tires thus far. And we're still in four
high and we haven't locked any diffs yet. That's impressive. That's a good full wheel drive system
and the suspension too, it's doing a great job rolling over the various undulations. The engine
torque does a pretty good job propelling it uphill and in four low, throttle modulation is smooth and
steady. Sure there's a limit to what these tires can do, but the tank's platform architecture and
four-by-four system deliver solid results right out of the box. A pair of proper hiking boots
would make this vehicle so much more effective, but as it stands, it's a capable and confident
bush basher. In fact, it's performed way better than expected on-road and especially off-road.
As the opening salvo in GWM tanks, Aussie Assault, the 300 hits its target. Mostly.
It might look like a wrangler and knockoff, but it's actually a very presentable,
capable and versatile four-by-four. Simply put, it represents very good value for money.
Granted, it's far from perfect and has rough edges in several different areas,
but overall, I'm pleasantly surprised with what the GWM Tank 300 delivers.
Now stay tuned to our YouTube channel for more in-depth tank reviews, and we're going to do some
comparisons against its key rivals, which should be very, very interesting. Thanks for watching.
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel. Send us a comment, and like and stay beautiful.