√2023 GWM Tank 300 approved for Australia with hybrid power

After 12 months of speculation, fresh government documentation has all but confirmed China’s GWM Tank 300 four-wheel-drive is coming to Australia – and, initially at least, only with hybrid power.

The 2023 GWM Tank 300 four-wheel-drive is now all but a certainty for Australian showrooms next year with petrol-electric hybrid power.

Government regulation approval documents seen by Drive indicate the Tank 300 – the first model for Australia under Chinese giant Great Wall Motors’ new Tank 4WD brand – has been approved for sale locally, with a single four-cylinder hybrid variant.

Drive has contacted GWM Australia for comment on when the Tank 300 will reach local showrooms. The car maker has previously said the model is “under consideration” for Australia.

While government approval does not necessarily mean a vehicle is coming to Australia, it is highly unlikely Great Wall Motors would have invested time and money to make sure the Tank 300 passes regulations – unless it was planned for local showrooms.

Drive understands the Tank 300 will be the first in a range of GWM Tank models to be introduced in local showrooms in the coming years.

The five-seat GWM Tank 300 – marketed as a ‘GWM Tank’ vehicle, rather than simply ‘Tank’, as it is in China – is believed to be due in Australian showrooms sometime next year, with a larger, Toyota Prado-sized GWM Tank 500 to follow.

Prices for Australia are still to be confirmed, however a middle-of-the-range Tank 300 in China costs the equivalent of $AU50,000.

Sized similarly to a Jeep Wrangler, only one version of the GWM Tank 300 five-seater has been approved for sale in Australia: a hybrid, combining a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The GWM will become the first ‘conventional’ hybrid four-wheel-drive in its category; Toyota doesn’t offer hybrid versions of its larger 4WDs, the Jeep Wrangler is petrol V6 only, and the Land Rover Defender is more expensive, and mild- or plug-in hybrid only.

The Australian-market GWM Tank 300 hybrid will produce 180kW – oddly down 44kW on the Tank 300 HEV hybrid revealed in China last month, which extracted 224kW and 640Nm from a 2.0-litre turbo hybrid system.

It matches the hybrid version of the larger GWM Tank 500 available in China, which quotes 180kW and 370Nm from the same 2.0-litre turbo engine and hybrid system.

Available in overseas markets is a 167kW/387Nm 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine with no hybrid technology – but this isn’t bound for Australia. There’s no sign of a diesel engine either.

The GWM Tank 300 hybrid’s nine-speed automatic transmission – to which the electric motor is fitted – is connected to a selectable four-wheel-drive system with two- and four-wheel-drive modes, plus low range.

Other highlights in overseas markets include locking front and rear differentials, all-terrain tyres, and a slew of off-road drive modes. Whether all of these will be offered in Australia is unclear.

GWM claims an approach angle of 33 degrees, departure angle of 34 degrees, ground clearance of 224mm, and a maximum wading depth of 700mm. Independent suspension is fitted front and rear.

The Tank 300 measures 4760mm long, 1930mm wide and 1903mm tall, with a 2750mm wheelbase – about 120mm shorter in overall length, and 250mm shorter in wheelbase than a Jeep Wrangler, but 40mm wider and 75mm taller.

Locally-delivered models will offer a choice of 17-inch or 18-inch alloy wheels, and a braked towing capacity of 2500kg – less than a GWM Ute or a Toyota Prado 4WD, but more than many car-based mid-size family SUVs.

Fuel economy in Chinese models – under lenient WLTC test procedures – is rated at nine to 10 litres per 100km.

Available features in China include heated and ventilated electric seats, leather upholstery, dual interior displays, a sunroof, and a suite of advanced safety features, plus an airbag between the front seats.

The 2023 GWM Tank 300 is expected to arrive in Australian showrooms next year.

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