GWM Tank 500 takes aim at Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest

Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) has big ambitions. Not only figuratively, but literally too!

In its latest product offensive, the manufacturer has introduced the ginormous GWM Tank 500 alongside what is now the biggest bakkie in Mzansi, the P500.

Where the P500 is rivalling the top end of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger stables, the Tank 500 is hoping to lure buyers away from the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest.

GWM Tank 500 offers plenty of power

The Citizen Motoring last week set off for the Southern Cape to see if the Tank 500 could live up to the impressive resume the seven-seater SUV presents on paper. At R1 222 900, it would need to be good to be taken seriously in a country where Chinese tech does not always triumph over ride quality and feel in the eyes of a loyal competitor customer base.

The GWM Tank 500 is just as big and as imposing as the P500 double cab. It runs the same hybrid system as its sibling which sees a 180kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine being seamlessly integrated with a 325-volt electric motor that adds 78kW/268Nm. The total system output of 255kW/648Nm is sent to all four corners via nine-speed auto gearbox.

Those numbers tell you it is going to have enough urge on the open road. And with 11 All-Terrain driving modes, including Sports, Snow, Sand, Rock, and Expert, you also know that it will go almost anywhere you would want to go off-road with ease.

ALSO READ: WATCH: What to expect from GWM’s incoming Tank 500 SUV

Luxury lounge inside

Strangely enough, the GWM Tank 500 felt a little more agile than the P500. Surely it had to do with the lower seating position and softer more compliant SUV suspension setup.

Either way, what the GWM Tank 500 offers is even more tech and luxury than the P500. And that is saying a lot. And it offers full seven-seater space, with third row seats that can be folded or raised electronically. Plus massive luggage space area that literally doubles with that third row of seats folded down.

Safety in the GWM Tank 500 is a priority as is to be expected with this family orientated SUV. The car boasts a 5-Star ANCAP rating and is equipped with lots of active and passive safety features. These include Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Collision Warning, Cross Traffic Alert, Emergency Lane Keep Assist and Auto Intelligent Parking.