Retro-styled Tank 300 finally arrives as one of the most eagerly awaited new entrants to South Africa. Image: GWM
Its high profile local market showing having taken place at the Nampo Agricultural Expo in Bothaville in the Free State last year, Great Wall Motors (GWM) has finally detailed price and specification of the delayed Tank 300.
Supposed to have gone on-sale in 2023, the retro-styled Tank 300 arrives on local soil as the second model after the all-electric Ora 03 to be marketed under the GWM name rather than the separate Tank brand as in China.
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Styled to resemble the Ford Bronco and the Soviet-era UAZ 469 military ‘jeep’, the Tank 300, which debuted in the People’s Republic just under four years ago, will initially be offered in a three model line-up spanning two engine options paired to different transmissions.
In a further departure from the version sold in its home market, neither the plug-in hybrid or the limited run V6 engine Tank 330 will be offered in South Africa.
Revealed in Australia last year in a preview of what the local market could expect, the Tank 300 range kicks-off with the Super Luxury that will become available in the latter stages of the first quarter.
Mounted on 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tyres, the most accessible model’s specification sheet comprises a dual 12.3-inch infotainment system and digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker sound system, keyless entry and push-button start, plus the following:
Key safety and driver assistance systems are Automatic Post Collision Assist, Roll Movement Intervention, Automatic Emergency Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control, Front Collision Warning and Lane Keep Assist, as well as:
Taking the step count further, the Ultra Luxury, which also arrives towards the end of the first quarter, swaps the 17-inch wheels for 18-inch alloys, the conventional rear-view mirror for an electrically projected item and the faux leather seats for Nappa leather upholstery.
Adding an electronically locking front differential to the rear available on the Super Luxury, the Ultra Luxury also boasts a heated steering wheel, expanded ambient lighting, heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function and lumbar support for the driver’s chair, a wireless smartphone and a nine-speaker Infinity sound system.
Completing the range, the hybrid Super Luxury gains launch control, but as a result of being based on the entry-level grade, omits the heated steering wheel, the expanded ambient lights, cooled, heated and massaging seats, the lumbar support for the driver and the Infinity sound system.
Also absent is the Lane Keep Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Automatic Braking system, the Blind Spot Monitoring and the Cornering Control aids.
On the power side, GWM has opted for two different options; a conventional 2.0-litre turbo-petrol in the Super Luxury and Ultra Luxury that develops 162kW/380Nm and the HEV hybrid that combines the petrol unit with a 78kW/268Nm electric motor and battery pack for a total system output of 255kW/648Nm.
While the intricate Tank Turn, transparent chassis view camera and Crawl Control are all standard, only the HEV comes furnished with the torque-on-demand four-wheel-drive system whereas a full-time electronic system features on the petrol variants.
Also reserved for the latter pair is the Multi-Terrain Select system with four modes; Standard, Irregular, Rock, Mountain and Mud, and the 2H, 4H and 4L settings.
For the HEV, six bespoke settings have been selected; Eco, Standard, Sport, Snow, Mud and Sand, with the other nuance being the brake regenerative iBooster system.
Its ground clearance rated at 224 mm and boot space ranging from 400-litres to 1 635-litres, the Tank 300’s gearbox options comprise a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic on the petrol and a uniquely calibrated nine-speed automatic on the hybrid.
Able to tow 2 500 kg, the GWM Tank 300’s colour chart involves five hues; white, grey, black, orange and Mars Red.
Included with each model’s price tag is a seven-year/200 000 km warranty, a five-year/75 000 km service plan and in the case of the hybrid, a eight-year/150 000 km battery warranty.
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