With the Chinese continuing their surge into the market, we seeing loads of various derivatives from the brands whom have already established themselves in the country. One of the popular ones being GWM, who’ve had a decade long presence locally and over the past 5 years seen a drastic increase in sales due to their popular models in the HAVAL stable. Last year they launched another sub brand called “Tank” which showcases their robust offerings more inclined to the adventurers and off-road enthusiasts. The first model which was brought in is the Tank 300. This boxy looking SUV fits all the characteristics of a proper off-roader, but many were still skeptical on its capabilities. Seeing that it was first only offered in petrol engines, this was another draw back for it, with already high consumption figures from the normal SUV’s, this would prove to be even higher given the weight and size of the car. Nevertheless the Tank 300 did sell in decent numbers but the call for a more fuel efficient drivetrain was required. Earlier this year GWM brought in the hybrid petrol and not too long ago launched the 2.4 Turbo Diesel engine. I got to spend a week with the latter and see if this was the ideal engine for this car.
DESIGN
The design of the Tank 300 is very much like its namesake, a tank. It’s big, bulky and boxy, to some its appearance is not very attractive, to others it looks the part. Mimicking some of the other off-road legends in design, it has similar characteristics to the Mercedes-Benz Geländewagen and the Jeep Wrangler, but with its own flair. Personally, the looks of the car didn’t do much for me and in certain angles it did not flatter but this car isn’t designed to win beauty contests as it mean to go exploring in the roads less travelled and for that, the design is spot on. Raised suspension giving it a ground clearance of 224mm, robust black bumpers and side skirts, all terrain tyres and flared wheel arches make the Tank ready to conquer just about any obstacle. The box silhouette may not be to everyone’s liking but it’s needed for the rigidity when maneuvering through tricky terrain. The spare wheel is mounted on the rear door and there is roof rails providing if extra storage is required. The interior of the tank is a complete contrast to the exterior with a modern fascia that adorns the dash and split LCD screens for instrumentation and infotainment.
PERFORMANCE
As mentioned earlier, the Tank was launched with a petrol engine, the Chinese vehicles are well known for their high fuel efficiency, this is due to a number of reasons but in particular the gearbox choices. While there is a hybrid version of the Tank on offer, I still think this diesel engine is where value for money will lie for the consumer. The 4 cylinder turbo charged engine delivers maximum torque peaking at 480Nm with a total power out put of 135kW. Its paired to a 9-speed automatic gearbox which performs well on the daily commute, sometimes it is found holding gears for longer than required but a tap on the break or accelerator sorts that issue out quickly. The Tank 300 comes with Haval’s off-road system which I got to experience first in the H7 and just like that, the system offers automatic selection of terrain and conditions via the touch screen, swapping from 2H, to 4L is as easy as turning the dial on the center console and then via the touch screen display you can really get into the details when configuring how you want the car set up, this even comes with the warning when accessing the menu as it says it’s for experienced users only.
COMFORT
As rugged as the Tank may look on the outside, it’s actually quite a comfy cabin on the inside. As mentioned, it’s a carbon copy of the H7 with dual LCD screens, one for your instrument cluster and the other for your infotainment. All climate control functions are hard buttons. The gear selector is quite a unique one and is used across the GWM range. There is USB C ports and a wireless charging tray, wireless mobile application connectivity and this model came with a sunroof. There were seat heating options for the driver and front passenger and both seats were electronically adjustable. The finishes and quality of materials used were really good, while most of it was faux leather, it really was hard to differentiate the real from the fake. The rear passengers enjoy a decent about of space, especially with the high cabin ceiling gives the feeling of more space. The Tank came with 4 cameras and front and rear PDCs which come very handy when parking this behemoth, it also allows you to toggle it in a 360 view via the touch screen, a feature which comes standard.
VERDICT
Ultimately, the Tank 300 is everything that an off-road enthusiast would want in a car, well maybe I not so much the fancy interior but the rugged exterior and well capable chassis, yes. The price point makes this all the more attractive to even novices who are merely entertaining the fact that they may pursue a side hobby in off-roading will drool at the fact that they could get something like this for almost half the price of what you'd pay for the American or European offerings. The common problem of high fuel economy which deterred many from Chinese brands has now been solved with the introduction of this diesel engine and while it still may be high, for a car that weighs 3-tonnes it was pretty good. The luxuries on the inside are an added bonus if you ask me, cars that are built for this are not meant to be that nice on the inside but GWM thought otherwise and decided to spoiled us. The mount of tech that adorns the car is extraordinary as well, most of which would cost an arm and a leg if added on other brands. The Tank 300 might not be every ones cup of tea but it certainly is a value for money offering, one which is difficult to find in our current climate of cars.
SPECIFICATION
| Engine | 2.4L Turbo |
| 9-Speed tiptronic | |
480Nm | |
Fuel Economy | 7.7L/100km |
R699,900 |
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