Burly GWM Tank 500 enters big SUV war with a clear mandate

At R1 222 900, the Great Wall Motors (GWM) Tank 500 is the most expensive and opulent vehicle, never mind SUV, originating from China to be sold in South Africa.

A perception changer

The biggest sign yet of the now firmly established Chinese auto industry’s intension of not being seen simply as a value-for-money operation, the second model from GWM’s Tank brand after the 300 is thus another watershed moment for products hailing from the People’s Republic in South Africa.

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Based on the same body-on-frame chassis as the P500 bakkie, the all-inclusive one derivative only Tank 500 still lacked for little on the specification front, but as with its sibling, has to stack-up against the criticism of its powertrain.  

Widely billed as a Toyota Land Cruiser 300-sized rival costing less than a Prado and marginally more than a Ford Everest Platinum, the weeklong stay, including a trip to Gerotek, drew a few interesting conclusions but also questions about the almost literal SUV equivalent of a real tank.

Simply put, its massive

Proportionally, the 5 078 mm long Tank 500 measures 73 mm longer than a Land Cruiser 300, but with a narrower width and the same 2 850 mm wheelbase.

That being said, it still makes for an imposing thing in a – whisper it – American fashion similar to the P500 with extensive use of chrome detailing, a massive grille flanked by a pair of angular LED headlights and the Tank badge that seemingly pays homage to Optimus Prime.

Unquestionably the brashest product to emerge from China, the Tank 500’s all-out approach goes further as GWM has furnished with chrome 20-inch alloy wheels and side-steps that retract and fold-out electrically when unlocked.

Although more generic at the back despite the massive spare wheel cover, the Tank 500, arguably, looks part with the otherwise dull Majesty Silver paint option, in this case, adding some substance by lending a more expensive appearance than it already is.

Want opulence?

Tugging open the door reveals the same interior as the P500 that takes plushness for a Chinese vehicle to another level.

While the imitation wood trim looks anything but pleasing and feels decidedly cheap, build quality is impressive with the use of soft leathers and just the correct amount of satin silver and piano-key black inlays being upmarket.

Unlike current styling trends, the interior balances minimalist with physical as chunky buttons adorn the floating centre console around the aircraft-style gear lever, while the majority of the tech functions reside inside the dominating 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

A design that works in the Tank 500’s favour as opposed to a complete touch-sensitive layout, the physical touches continue for the ventilation controls below the retro-styled clock and on the steering wheel that comes with a heated rim as standard.

Brisling with tech, the overwhelming sensation continues as navigating through the display appears easy given the display’s size, but becomes bewildering when presented with the number of menus and sub-menus.

Of course, constant use will make scrolling through it second nature, and once fathomed, it offers fantastic resolution for everyday use, which extends to the 360-degree surround-view camera system and transparent chassis view developed specifically for off-roading.

Off-road ready, but…

While the presence of the road-biased 20-inch wheels scarpers the Tank 500’s off-road promise, heading into the wilds has seen GWM left little to chance.

In this regard, the Tank 500 has the same 224 mm ground clearance as the P500, an electronic four-wheel-drive system with a low range transfer case, front and rear diff-locks and the obligatory Tank Turn that allows it turn through 360-degrees.

If not already enough, GWM’s Multi-Terrain Select system comes with nine driving modes; Eco, Standard, Auto, Sport, Mud, Sand, Snow, Rock and Expert, plus a Crawl mode and even launch control.

Size matters

While no attempts were made to put the tech to the test as a result of worries about the tyres, what failed to disappoint is the Tank’s use as an everyday SUV.

While the third-row remains exclusive for children, space in the second will unlikely come with sneers for a lack of head-or-legroom.

As per the Super Luxury trim grade moniker, those seated in the row have ventilated chairs as part of a specification sheet so broad it will require a write-up of its own.

Notable items are triple-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather seats with the fronts being electric, ventilated, heated and with a massaging function, ambient lighting, a Head-Up Display, a wireless smartphone charger, and a rather underwhelming 12-speaker Infinity sound system.

In terms of safety, the Tank 500 comes standard with Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Automatic Braking, Roll Movement Intervention, Intersection Assist and Front and Rear Collision Warning Alert to name but a few.

Practicality doesn’t go unnoticed either, however, the electrically folding third-row can become frustrating versus simply tugging a few levers to raise and lower the seats.

Once folded into the floor, boot space increases from 98-litres to 795-liters. With the second row also lowered, the Tank’s boot maxes out at 1 459-liters, although visually, it looks more than GWM’s claim.

The power question

As explained with the P500, the Tank’s biggest point of content proved to be its most surprising after the visit to Gerotek.

On start-up, the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine keeps quiet as it only kicks-in above 30 km/h despite lacking an electric mode that allows for a few kilometres of electric propulsion.

Being a self-charging hybrid, the transition between petrol and battery power isn’t so much restricted to the active display on the infotainment system, as it is felt by way of an abrupt jerk every time the petrol engine comes to life.

Combined with the lingering Chinese vehicle dilemma of a badly calibrated accelerator that takes a few moments to react to inputs, the Tank 500 initially feels lethargic and laggy despite being 25 kg lighter than the P500.

Along with the overly-assisted electric power steering, the inclusion of air suspension, a first for a GWM product in South Africa, came with a mixed response too.

About as comfortable and commendable in soaking-up bumps on smooth surfaces, less well-maintained asphalt resulted in a brittle ride, which, fortunately, didn’t impact on unwanted noise threatening build quality being audible once back on smooth tar.

As much as seat comfort doesn’t disappoint, the real centre of attention was its performance.

With the exclusion of the electric motor and battery pack, the turbocharged four-pot’s 180kW/380Nm only manages to provide adequate propulsion in complete contrast to the heavier P500.

Adding in the electric hardware’s 78kW/268Nm turns matters dramatically around as the total output increases to 255kW/648Nm.

Using the regenerative braking system, Sport mode and launch control, plus inserting Road Test Editor Mark Jones behind the wheel, resulted in the Tank hunching down and raising its nose in a manner similar to the Mercedes-AMG G63.

The result? An unexpected 0-100 km/h time of 7.7 seconds and a quarter mile completed in 15.1 seconds.

Don’t expect hybrid frugality

Fast by modern non-performance SUV standards, the caveat that presented itself once out of Gerotek involved the engine running out of puff once the battery reaches depletion.

That being said, trying to run it completely flat proved impossible, as did attempts to better the time using the nine-speed automatic gearbox in manual mode.

Smooth and unobtrusive, the opposite of the gearbox’s working applied to the brakes. As on the P500, the lack of feel installs little confidence and requires more than usual pressure on the middle pedal to bring the Tank 500 to a stop.

If this wasn’t enough, the supposed hybrid benefits were never shown as during the seven-day and 337 km test period, the Tank 500 recorded an indicated best of 13.1 L/100 km in mixed conditions with Auto mode being usually selected.

Conclusion

Rewriting the book of what a luxury Chinese vehicle presents is a task the GWM Tank 500 fulfils without hesitating in what should be seen as a brave step.

Ultimately, questions about long-term durability, the effectiveness of the hybrid system and all of the off-road system’s electronics with each use will present too much of a risk for buyers wanting a cheaper but admittedly much better equipped Prado or Everest alternative.

As brave and commendable a step as the Tank 500 is into a segment dominated by established names often fuelled by diesel, it simply has too many “what ifs” and, for the moment, will have to prove itself in the long-term before changing the opinions of notoriously brand-loyal South Africans. 

Road Test Data

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