Changing from bling to black gives GWM Tank 500 new swagger

The GWM Tank 500 presented quite an interesting prospect when it was first rolled out locally in 2024.

As the most expensive offering from China ever in South Africa, the Tank 500 arrived as big and brash SUV with opulence in abundance and hybrid power to boot. But there was one tiny little problem with the seven-seater – just too much damn chrome!

We get it, in China, old fashioned bling-bling is still a thing. But not so much on the Southern tip of a continent where the Tank 500 wants to take on the likes of the Land Cruiser 300 at a lower price than the Prado and top-end Ford Everests. Bling in abundance is not the thing you want when the jury is still out whether you are the real deal.

Tank 500 goes dark

And besides, for any car with G-Wagon-like aspirations to ultimately become a prop in a hip-hop music video, sporting more bling than what goes around the necks of Snoop Dogg’s entourage is a limiting career move.

Fortunately late last year, Great Wall Motors decided to ditch the bling in favour of a much more distinguished-looking black appearance package. A look that does wonders for the Tank 500’s street credit compared to the “death by chrome” wardrobe malfunction.

Up front, the chrome grille makes way for a black grille, with black accents also now complementing the fog light housings in the lower bumper. The tailgate fascia, spare wheel cover and skidplate also swops out chrome finishing with black, while the roof rails go from chrome to dark chrome. The chrome outline around the side windows also changes from chrome to black, while the side mirrors go from body colour to black. Finally, the 20-inch shiny wheels make way for 18-inch black alloys.

Seriously plush cabin

Inside, the blacked-out Tank 500 is as plush as ever and features black Nappa leather, a healthy dose of veneer finishes, satin silver and touches black piano touches along with dark metal decorative inserts.

We also love the retro touches in the form of chunky buttons in the centre console underneath the analog clock, while the aircraft-styled gearlever it shares with the GWM P500 and Tank 300 still works a charm.

The never-ending spec sheet from before remains firmly intact with a 14.6-inch infotainment system with 12-speaker Infinity sound system, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, transparent chassis view camera, panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, heated, ventilated, electric and massaging front seats, ventilated second row, electric folding third row, active ambient lighting and head-up display just some of the highlights.

Hybrid fast, but thirsty

The Tank 500’s barrage of safety systems includes adaptive cruise control, rear-cross traffic alert and lane departure warning.

Powering the brash SUV is a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, electric motor and battery pack. It sends a system total of 255kW of power and 648Nm of torque to all four corners via nine-speed automatic transmission.

The Tank 500 features a low transfer case, two diff locks and GWM’s Multi-Terrain Select system that features nine driving modes. But we stuck to the tarmac, where the GW-first air suspension does a great job of delivering a plush ride. If anything, it tends to feel a little too floaty.

Throttle calibration is also not ideal, with small inputs on the accelerator at low speeds not always delivering the desired response.

Blacked-out Tank 500 just what docter ordered

We did not put the black suited Tank through the test, but when it was still hung in chrome it clocked a 0 to 100km/h time of 7.7 seconds. Impressive for a 2.5-ton mass of metal. Less impressive though was our fuel consumption, which worked out to a very thirsty 14.7 litres per 100km.

GWM has done the Tank 500 a whole lot of justice by kitting out the Tank 500 in a more respectable suit. And better yet, the manufacturer has kept the price of R1 228 950 unchanged.

It is still a lot of money, but in the league this seven-seater is playing, it is a bargain. A bling-free one at that.