Tank 300 4WD – Occasionally a vehicle comes along that just has something about it that crosses appeal boundaries. The GWM Tank 300 4WD is such a car. 
I drove one a few weeks ago and both loved it and was frustrated by it at the same time.
First up it looks cool. It’s a chunky style and in the bright orange colour it certainly stood out.
Inside its comfortable, relatively spacious, and well laid out. The heated and ventilated front seats are supportive and allow enough room for my tall frame.
Where the frustration comes in is the clunky user interface and simply bad voice recognition. Little things like turning off the lane keep assist which I do every time is four layers in the central screen menu and sometimes the touch sensitivity isn’t the best.
Where I loved it is driving. Its not bad on road, with enough performance to keep you happy. However off road it excels. Front and rear diff locks, Multi 4WD choices and responsive feel in both steering and accelerator, places it right up there with the best 4WD’s around.
And the best part is that it is priced from a stunning $46,990 driveaway for the entry model. That’s value.
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I’m Rob Fraser
Readers can find a full review of the Tank 300 4WD Here
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More GWM Tank 300 Ultra 4WD details
GWM Tank 300 sits in a competitive and crowded segment. It competes against mainly seven seat 4WDs as a five seat version only. It has a few features that the others don’t and with the Hybrid version can compete against the diesels.
However its stunning value proposition warrants a close look at the ‘Tank”
GWM Tank 300 Model walk Features
Full feature list, Tank 300 Lux petrol
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights and taillights
- Comfort-Tek leather seating
- Power adjustable drivers (6-way) and front passenger (4-way) seats
- 12.3-inch colour instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch LCD infotainment touchscreen
- Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
- 9-speaker sound system
- 12v power outlet
- Front and rear USB ports
- Sunroof
- Side steps
- Roof rails
- 7 SRS airbags (including centre)
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) & Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
- Lane Centre Keep (LCK)
- Emergency Lane Keep (ELK)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)
- Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) with brake
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring (TPMS)
- Front parking sensors (4) & Rear parking sensors (4)
- 360 degree around view camera
- Rear differential lock
- All-Terrain mode selection
- Turning Assist
- Transparent chassis function
Tank 300 Ultra petrol adds:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Nappa leather accented seats
- Heated and cooled (front) seats
- Power adjustable driver’s seat (8-way) with lumbar adjustment and massage
- 9-speaker premium audio
- 64-colour ambient lighting
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Wireless charging
- 220V power outlet
- Front differential lock
Tank 300 little Daily things that frustrate.
The Tank can be frustrating as mentioned. Little things like
- Overly intrusive safety features,
- Menu driven controls that require up to 4 pushes of the screen to simply turn off the lane keep assist,
- touch sensitivity on the central screen that is haphazard.
- Digital drivers dash central MFD that won’t show anything else except the lane keep unless you turn it off.
- Cruise control that thinks for itself when it shouldn’t
- Stop start calibration seems just a bit off.
- One touch indicator for lane swapping is finicky, often switching on and not turning off, and when you go to turn it off you end up indicating the other way.
- On a couple of occasions, the push door opening refused to work, and I had to use the fob.
These are all little things that I’m sure GWM will work out and recalibrate where necessary. But they exist now.
Pricing:
The Tank 300 petrol is offered in two trim levels, Lux and Ultra, and is available from:
- Tank 300 Lux petrol: $46,990 Driveaway
- Tank 300 Ultra petrol: $50,990 Driveaway
ABN pricing is also available. Metallic paint is an additional $595.
What is good? |
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What is not so good? |
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Also look at.
Smaller 4WDs are a bit of a sparse offering. However, the Tank 300 will cross boundaries.
Buyers could look at Jeep Wrangler, which is a lot more expensive or the Jeep Compass Trailhawk.
Larger 4WDs include Isuzu MU-X, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, SsangYong Rexton, Toyota Fortuner.
GWM Tank 300 Ultra 4WD final thoughts
This is a 4WD that leaves you with mixed feelings.
It seems well built, is comfortable inside. There is a large, clear central screen. However, user interface is frustrating. As is the intrusive safety features, especially the cruise control.
Off road it fights in a weight class well above its price range.
On sand it’s excellent, on dirt roads its smooth and compliant. The rough stuff it handles with ease. This is one a few vehicles that has front and rear diff locks and the least expensive by far.
I would be interested to drive the hybrid version, which would improve one issue of being thirsty along with extra power and torque.
The overall feel is practical, functional, spacious but has some issues that will be developed out as time passes.
There is nothing that even comes close to the capability, comfort and size for the price and that is a winning formula.
It should be on your list for a test drive.
GWM Tank 300 |
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Model |
Tank 300 Ultra |
| Model Price | $50,990 RDAP* |
| Engine | 2.0L 4 Cyl Turbo petrol Euro 5 |
| Drivetrain | 8 Sp AT 4WD dual range |
| Battery Capacity / type | N/A |
| Power | 162kW @ 5,500rpm |
| Torque | 380Nm @ 1,800 – 3,600 rpm |
| Fuel ADR | 9.5L/100km |
| Fuel on Test | TBA L/100km |
| Fuel capacity | 75L |
| Range (WLTP) / efficiency | 926 km Max |
| Fast Charge / Home (240V) | N/A |
| Safety | Five-star ANCAP (Dec 2022) |
| CO2 Emissions | 218g/km |
| 0-100kmh/Top Speed | TBA |
| Servicing | 12 MTh / 15,000km – 5 yrs. Capped Price |
| Warranty | 7yr/ Unlimited km with |
| Roadside Assist | 7Yr. conditional roadside assist |
*MLP Includes GST and LCT but excluding statutory charges, dealer costs and dealer delivery. See your dealer for RDAP. Does not include price of options. Some features mentioned in the article are options. RDAP means Recommended Drive Away Price (without options but including all other charges)
Overall Rating |
80/100 |
| Behind the Wheel | 8 |
| Comfort | 8 |
| Equipment | 7 |
| Performance | 7 |
| Ride and Handling | 8 |
| Practicality | 8 |
| Fit for Purpose | 9 |
| 4WD / Towing | 9 (4WD 5 / Towing 4) |
| Technology/connectivity | 7 |
| Value for Money | 9 |
*Towing and AWD capability is measured against similar vehicles in the same class.
Dimensions |
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| Overall Length | 4760mm |
| Wheelbase | 2750mm |
| Width | 1930mm |
| Height | 1903mm |
| Wheels | 18×8.0 Alloy |
| Tyres | 265/60 R18 |
| Max ground clearance | 224mm |
| Wading Depth | TBC |
| Approach | 33 degrees |
| Rampover | TBC |
| Departure angle | 34 degrees |
| Turning Circle KTK | 12.06m |
| Boot Capacity Min | TBC |
| Boot capacity Max | TBC |
| Battery Weight | N/A |
| Kerb Weight | 2155kg |
| Payload (kg) | 397kg |
| GVM (kg) | 2552kg |
| GCM | 5052kg |
| Towing Capacity | 2500kg |
| Tow Ball rating | TBC |
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