2024 GWM Tank 500 Ultra hybrid: On- and off-road review

The GWM Tank 500 is the brand’s large 4x4 wagon and it’s an impressive piece of gear. It’s a well-equipped three-row, seven-seater that could be considered to be a cheaper alternative to a Toyota LandCruiser 300.

Cheaper in that it costs just $73,990 drive-away, which is a lot less than an LC300, but not cheaper in its levels of equipment. You’d need to be looking at high-spec LCs like the $140k-plus GR Sport and Sahara models to get the same level of kit that comes standard in the Tank 500 Ultra.

The body-on-frame Tank 500 marks the tape at 5078mm long and 1934mm wide; for comparative purposes, the LC300 GR-S runs out at 4995mm and 1990mm over the same measurements. The Tank rides on a 2850mm wheelbase, exactly the same as what’s under the LandCruiser.

There are currently two models in the Tank 500 line-up; the Luxury and Ultra models both feature hybrid powertrains. A new Tank 500 variant is currently undergoing evaluation for Australia that could introduce a plug-in hybrid powertrain, but this is not locked in at the time of writing.

JUMP AHEAD

• What do you get?
• Powertrain
• Safety and warranty
• On-road performance
• Off-road performance
• Verdict
• Specs

What do you get?

Here we’re testing the $74k Ultra which is the top-of-the-line model loaded with features.

Standard equipment includes auto-levelling LED headlights; 18-inch alloy wheels; a powered sunroof; Napa leather interior trim with heating, massager and eight-way power adjustment on the driver’s seat and six-way power adjust on the front passenger’s seat; power fold third-row seats; rear side window blinds; and power deploying side steps.

Other interior features include a heated steering wheel; 14.6-inch touch infotainment screen with 360° view monitor and clear chassis view; 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster; head-up display; wireless CarPlay and Android phone mirroring; a 12-speaker premium Infinity audio system; and active cabin noise cancelling.

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Powertrain

The powertrain starts with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine backed by an electric motor in the bellhousing, which combined put out a claimed 255kW and a meaty 642Nm. Behind the engine and motor is a nine-speed automatic transmission; on-demand, dual range transfer case; and front, centre and rear locking differentials.

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Safety and warranty

Standard safety kit includes AEB; TPMS; front, side centre and curtain airbags; EPS; ETC; forward collision and lane departure warnings; driver monitoring system; and all the other ADAS features required to gain a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

There’s no hiding from the high level of safety, comfort and off-road features that come standard in the Tank 500, which make it an attractive consideration for many family buyers; features that you’ll be paying more than $100,000 for in other off-road capable luxury wagons.

Backing it up is the GWM Care 777 ownership package offering a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, seven years of roadside assist and seven years of capped-price servicing.

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On-road driving performance

Slip inside the Ultra and straight away there’s a feeling of luxury and the level of equipment is obvious. There’s no escaping the massive multimedia and the dash screens, while the soft leather seats give a feeling of quality.

Some might see the powered side steps as a luxury, but for me they are nothing more than a trip hazard and a great way to get your jeans dirty. Maybe they would be more useful once you fit that six-inch lift kit you bought from Wish.com, but at standard height they seem unnecessary.

There’s no engine noise when you push the starter button, but the dash signifies that the Tank is ready for action. At light throttle it will move on under electric drive but press the accelerator to get up to road speed and the turbocharged petrol engine cuts in straight away. There is very little electric power available for full EV driving in this version of the hybrid system.

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Power comes in responsively but smoothly. There can be a hesitation in the transition from electric power to the petrol engine, and this is noticeable when you put your foot down to overtake on the highway. It’s a small hesitation but one you will want to get used to. The transmission is seamless and smooth; the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel are handy for manual gear selection when off road and on tracks.

The steering column is power adjustable for both height and reach but for me, it doesn’t come back far enough to be in the ideal position for driving.
The panoramic powered glass roof is huge and lets in plenty of light when uncovered which is something I always appreciate in any vehicle.

The ride from the coil spring IFS and multi-link live-axle rear is firm and offers plenty of control but it can feel a bit jittery over high frequency small bumps and corrugations in the road surface, be that on sealed or gravel roads. There’s no getting away from the fact the Tank is a large, top-heavy wagon, but its handling is predictable and well controlled.

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Its size and weight is reflected in the fuel consumption figure, but the hybrid powertrain does its thing to keep that as low as possible; throughout our week with the 500 it returned a figure of 11.1L/100km, which is a fair bit more than the ADR combined cycle figure of 8.5L/100km. The figure of 11.1 is comparable with large diesel-fuelled 4x4 wagons without hybrid assistance.

As we found on the launch of the Tank 500, and again when testing the GWM Cannon, the driver monitoring system is annoying and frustrating; it constantly spits out warnings and advice that are more incessant than a nagging passenger, and for me this would be a deal-breaker when considering any new vehicle. GWM, like other manufacturers using similar monitoring systems, has recognised this and is working on a software upgrade that will ease the nagging, and we look forward to driving the updated GWM vehicles.

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Off-road driving performance

With healthy ground clearance, decent low-range gearing, a sensible tyre size, and good underbody protection, the Tank 500 has better off road capability than many other standard 4x4s.

More than any other feature this comes courtesy of its lockable front and rear differentials, as well as the locking centre diff. The number of electronic driving modes offered for both on and off road driving is becoming ridiculous and the Tank is no different to many other new 4x4s in this regard, giving the driver a choice of nine different modes, which is probably twice as many as you would ever need.

The locking diffs are really all the off-road hardware you need in any 4x4 heading into rough terrain and they do a better job than any electronics to get drive to all the wheels when you want it. The Tank is one of the few new 4x4s to offer a locking front diff in addition to its centre and rear locking diffs.

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Once in low range with all three diffs locked, a climb with deep moguls that we thought would challenge the Tank proved no obstacle at all with some careful wheel placement and light throttle application. Using the crawl control could have made it even easier for a less-experienced driver, but it shows the advantage of getting maximum drive to the wheels. This was driven on road-going tyre pressures which impressed us.

There were a couple of small niggles on gravel roads. Firstly, the lane centering constantly intervenes and makes automatic steering adjustments as it tries to stay in lanes that aren’t there, although this is something you might get used to. The other is that the auto-braking won’t let you get close to objects like long grass when turning in tight spaces in the bush, adding to the difficulty of multi-point turns.

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Verdict

As we said at the start of this test, the Tank 500 Ultra Hybrid is an impressive vehicle as it offers levels of equipment and ability that are only available for thousands of dollars more from other manufacturers.

Its mix of luxury and refinement is unrivalled at a sub-$100k price and it will open the eyes of many 4x4 wagon buyers to the relatively new brand. While there are some features like the powered side steps, annoying driver monitor and number of drive modes that seem gimmicky, the Tank delivers the important things like performance and ability with great old-fashioned elements like locking diffs, good ground clearance, sensible tyre size and functional cabin layout. Add in the luxury features and GWM delivers a strong package in the Tank 500.

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Specs

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