Billed at its most capable and luxurious SUV to date, Great Wall Motors (GWM) has finally confirmed price and specification details of its seven-seat, hybrid-only Tank 500.
The second model of the Tank brand to be sold in South Africa after the retro-styled Tank 300, the 500 officially becomes the most expensive vehicle made in China to be sold locally with a sticker of R1 222 900.
Offered as an all-inclusive single model in Super Luxury spec, the body-on-frame Tank 500 rides on the same platform as the Shanhai Cannon bakkie, badged locally as the P500, with dimensions of 5 078 mm in overall length, a height of 1 905 mm, width of 1 934 mm and wheelbase of 2 850 mm.
ALSO READ: WATCH: What to expect from GWM’s incoming Tank 500 SUV
A smidgen longer but narrower and lower than a Toyota Land Cruiser 300, the Tank 500 not only sports a ground clearance of 224 mm, but front and rear locking differentials, a transparent chassis view camera and an electronic four-wheel-drive system to go with the low range transfer case.
In a further nod to the Tank 300, the 360-degree Tank Turn comes as standard, along with a Crawl function, launch control and GWM’s own Multi-Terrain System or MTS with nine modes; Eco, Standard, Auto, Sport, Mud, Sand, Snow, Rock and Expert.
Although fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels from the start, air suspension comes standard, with the claimed approach and departure angles rated at 30° and 24° respectively. The claimed towing mass is 2 500 kg.
Offering between 98-litres and 795-litres of boot space in seven and five-seat configurations, which tops-out at 1 459-litres with the middle row folded flat, the Super Luxury reference denotes flagship variant similar to the P500.
As such, and in addition to the off-road hardware, alloy wheels and MTS, the 500’s list of standard features is extensive and similar to that of its bakkie sibling.
Included are the following;
As mentioned, sole motivation comes via GWM’s HEV or hybrid electric vehicle drivetrain that pairs the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Tank 300 and P500 with an electric motor and battery pack developing 78kW/268Nm.
Combined with the petrol’s 180kW/380Nm, the final output stands at 255kW/648Nm, which GWM claims will see the 2 605 kg Tank 500 get from 0-100 km/h in 8.3 seconds.
Sending the amount of twist to all four corners is a hybrid specific version of the in-house developed nine-speed automatic gearbox known under the DHT or Dedicated Hybrid Transmission banner. The claimed fuel consumption is 8.3 L/100 km.
In total, four colours are available; Princess White, Knight Black, Majesty Silver and the unique Crown Gold.
As with the P500 HEV, the GWM Tank 500 HEV Super Luxury’s sticker price includes a seven-year/200 000 km warranty, a five-year/75 000 km service plan and a eight-year/150 000 km battery warranty.
ALSO READ: GWM gives first glimpse of four new models coming to South Africa
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.