GWM South Africa has added a shining new star to its universe of models with the new GWM TANK 300.
The new model not only introduces the GWM TANK brand, but with it a new world of pure-bred off-road performance and, as is commonplace for all GWM models, an unmatched level of luxury, design and styling.
“GWM TANK is already a well-established off-road lifestyle brand in China and in world markets such as Australia, where owners share our love for overlanding, the great outdoors and for finding roads less travelled.
“That is why we are very confident that the GMW TANK 300 and future GWM Tank models will find a welcome home among South Africans,” says Bianca van Staden, the Head of Marketing, Brand and PR of GWM South Africa.
GWM in South Africa
Before delving into the details of the new GWM TANK 300, it is worth looking at the GWM universe.
GWM entered South Africa in 2007 with a range of commercial vehicles that were readily accepted by private and business buyers looking for a reliable and affordable workhorse or lifestyle pick-up.
Since these early days GWM has expanded every year and has remained firmly rooted in South Africa. It remained committed to the local market even when other vehicle brands left during the economic downturn and only returned years later.
The company’s dedication paid off and in 2016 the remaining local shareholding was bought out by the global GWM Group. This made GWM South Africa a wholly owned subsidiary under the new name Haval Motors South Africa.
Today, GWM is one of the largest privately owned automotive manufacturer in China listed on the Hong Kong and Shanghai stock and it ranks among the Top 10 vehicle brands in South Africa.
In recent years, the GWM universe has expanded to include HAVAL, known for its luxury SUVs and Hybrid models, the GWM P-SERIES, the popular brand of luxury and workhorse pick-ups, GWM ORA, the newest addition that offers electric-only performance, and now GWM TANK, a range of models that will focus on the off-road lifestyle.
GWM TANK – Premium, off-road performance, hardy
“As the first model in the new GWM TANK range, the GWM TANK 300 must firmly establish the range’s credentials of luxury, true off-road performance and durability. And it does so with aplomb,” says Van Staden.
The ability of the GWM TANK 300 starts – as with all GWM models – in the design and engineering phase.
GWM draws on its global network of design, development and testing centres to invest thousands of hours into the creation of the model platform. It then introduces the model to its large local market and consider user feedback to further improve the model before exporting it to its main markets such as Australia, South Africa, Europe and South America.
“Our engineers accepted nothing as sacred in designing the GWM TANK 300. We relooked every aspect of a true off-road model to create a vehicle where durability does not mean you sacrifice design, off-road capability does not mean that you have to compromise on on-road driving comfort and utility does not come at the expense of luxury,” says Van Staden.
The GWM TANK 300 is built on a proprietary and very strong ladder frame chassis. Indeed, this chassis and bodyshell use mostly 1500 Mpa steel for greater rigidity and crash-test performance.
Mounted to the ladder frame is a modern multi-link rear suspension and a durable double-wishbone front suspension for greater on-road comfort that does not impede the off-road capabilities.
The high-strength passenger cell is fitted to the top of the ladder frame with special rubber mountings that absorb road noise and vibration for a truly luxurious driving experience inside the cabin.
Multiple towing and recovery hooks are fitted directly to the chassis, and the drivetrain is anchored with special dynamic mounts and a balancer shaft to contribute to the in-cabin comfort.
Design
The GWM TANK 300 cuts a unique profile that shows it is made-for-purpose.
GWM designers created a smoothed-out angular profile that tips the hat to off-road vehicles from the past yet stands firmly in a modern environment.
This is also true of the newly designed TANK logo fitted on the bright black grille. Consisting of two capital letters – a “T” and a “U”, the new logo symbolises the brand’s focus on Technology and modern Trends, while never losing focus on the User (phonetically also referring to You) and the fact that the brand seeks to Unite fans of the great outdoors.
Some of the stand-out design features include the round LED headlamps that are dissected by bright LED daytime running lights.
An off-road front bumper with integrated LED fog lamps exposes the Michelin HEV SUV tyres and aids technical off-road driving, while the clamshell-style bonnet with its large power bulge becomes a confident statement of the vehicle’s capabilities.
The side profile frames off the large alloy wheels with black fender extensions. The fenders are connected with a black running board. The door handles, large side mirrors and roof rails are treated in a similar black finish.
At the back, there are squared LED tail lamps, a door-mounted spare wheel – also fitted with a full-sized alloy wheel – and a square rear bumper with integrated tow bar mounting bracket and 12Volt power plug. The rear luggage door is hydraulically assisted, and a spare wheel cover is standard.
Performance – Off-road
Moving from design to the off-road credentials of the GWM TANK 300, another family trait that all future GWM TANK models will be known for.
As mentioned earlier, the GWM TANK 300 is built on a very solid foundation with a sturdy off-road chassis, high-strength passenger cell and a suspension system developed to offer the best of all worlds.
GWM has developed two unique 4×4 systems on this sturdy platform. The first, an All-Terrain Driving System with Multi-Terrain Select will be available on the internal combustion models that is expected within the next few weeks. More information on these models will be made available soon.
The second is a unique all-time four-wheel drive system with intelligent electronic management and low range. This system is unique to the Hybrid Electric Version of the GWM TANK 300, the first model to arrive in South Africa.
This system gives the driver full control of the vehicle responses in all terrains, with a choice between the following driving modes: Normal, Economic, Sport, Stone, Snow (for any slippery conditions), Sand and Low-Range 4×4 driving (4L).
All GWM TANK 300 models have an electronically controlled rear differential lock for technical off-road driving as standard. The vehicle is also offered with two sturdy sections of underbody protection.
Before mentioning the many, many off-road systems fitted to the GWM TANK 300 a brief review of its key statistics:
The GWM TANK 300 offers 224 mm of ground clearance and has an approach angle of 33 degrees. The departure angle is an equally impressive 34 degrees, while the ramp-over angle is 23.1 degrees.
The GWM TANK 300 has a maximum climb gradient rating of 70%, and all models, including the hybrid version, have a maximum wading depth of 700 mm.
Crawl Control Operation (CCO)
The GWM TANK 300 is fitted with a specialised Crawl Cruise Control system for slow-and-steady traction over tricky terrain, such as rocky river crossings or down steep slopes.
The system can be selected and controlled from inside the cabin, with the ability to change the crawl speed as required.
Tank Turn
Another unique feature available on all GWM TANK 300 models is Tank Turn.
The system locks the inside back wheel and drives all available power to the other wheels to allow the GWM TANK 300 to turn around with virtually no forward or backward movement.
This is an especially appealing feature in technical off-road driving.
Chassis View Camera
All GWM TANK 300 models are fitted with an array of cameras that give the driver a bird’s eye view of the vehicle when parking or manoeuvring in tight spaces.
A unique additional feature is Chassis View, which uses artificial intelligence to make a composite of the camera views to completely eliminate the body from the video feed. This gives the driver a near complete view of the terrain under the vehicle, as well as around it, to allow for more confident off-road driving.
All these and many more features are easily controllable from selector switches around the gearshift and a number of off-road menus on the large, high-definition touchscreen in the cabin.
Performance – Engine and drivetrain
The GWM TANK 300 is available in two distinct drivetrain and power configurations. More information on the internal combustion models will be made as soon as the first vehicles become available in South Africa.
Specifications
The Hybrid Electric version of the GWM TANK 300 features the best in GWM engineering for unmatched power and torque with low fuel consumption. This model is also equipped with an iBooster Intelligent Braking System that allows for energy regeneration during braking.
Combined power (petrol/electric): 255 kW (Petrol engine: 180 kW @ 5 500 r/min – 6 000 r/min and electric motor 78kW)
Combined torque (petrol/electric): 648 Nm (Petrol engine: 380 Nm @ 1 700 r/min – 4 000 r/min and electric motor 268Nm)
Transmission: 9-speed Hydraulic Automatic gearbox
Fuel consumption: 8.4 litre / 100 km in a combined cycle
The GWM TANK 300 petrol models are equipped with a next-generation turbo-petrol engine with variable boost technology and direct injection. It offers ample power and torque and will, thanks to the on- and off-road management systems, offer great all-round driveability.
Power: 162 kW @ 5 500 r/min
Torque: 380 Nm @ 1 800 r/min to 3 600 r/min
Transmission: 8-speed Automatic gearbox
Fuel consumption: 9.5 litre / 100 km
Interior: Luxury and practicality
The GWM TANK 300 will undoubtably set a new benchmark for luxury in its class. But this does not come at the expense of the practicality that overland adventurers look for in their vehicle.
Luxury
All versions of the GWM TANK 300 feature luxuries that are unmatched both in quantity and at the model price. These include:
- Dual 12.3” high-definition LCD screen
The cojoined screens form one large screen that offers a fully customisable instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The screen also displays the images from the various external cameras and offers full control over the vehicle’s comfort and off-road systems.
The dual screen system displays off-road ready information such as altitude, air pressure, compass, body roll angle, steering wheel and wheel angle and tyre pressure.
- Ambient lighting
The Super Luxury models feature a choice of 7 ambient colours, while the Ultra Luxury version has no less than 64 ambient colours to choose from.
- Leather upholstery
Quilted leather abound in the cabin, including in the door panels and, using micro-fibre leather, on the steering wheel.
- Multi-function, multi-adjustable controls
All models feature a steering wheel that is adjustable in all directions, has controls for the infotainment, phone and cruise-control systems, feature paddle shifters for the automatic transmission.
- Charging ports
Type A and C in the front row and Type A in the rear. A 12V charging port in the luggage compartment and to the roof rails.
The HEV model in Super Luxury specification have a 220 V power output in the luggage compartment and wireless charging between the front seats.
- Electrically adjustable seats
Six-way electric adjustment for the driver and four ways for the passenger on the Super Luxury specification.
- More!
And add to this long list of features – Bluetooth, dual zone climate control with rear high and low mounted air vents, a high-performance sound, electric windows all round, privacy glass, a soundproof windshield and side windows for the front occupants, automatic low and high beams, automatic windscreen wipers and many, many more luxuries.
Practicality
As is befitting of a true off-road vehicle such as the GWM TANK 300, there are many ingenious design features that improve the vehicle’s practicality.
These include:
- Grab handles on the A and B-pillar
- Stainless steel door sills
- Roof-mounted grab handles (excluding the driver)
- Rope hooks
- A dashboard-mounted handle for the front passenger
- 60/40 split rear bench and 100% folded seats
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Keyless entry
- Keyless start
Safety and security
GWM’s unwavering focus on safety and security is clearly evident in the list of standard safety features on all versions of the GWM TANK 300.
The list includes (but is in no means exhaustive):
- Vehicle stability control (ESC and ESP and ETC)
- Hydraulic brake assist (HBA) with Anti-Lock Brakes and four disc brakes
- Anti-slip regulation and traction control (AST and TCS)
- Roll Movement Intervention (RMI)
- Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
- Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Front Collision Warning (FCW)
- Lane Keep Assistance (LKA)
- Traffic Jam Assistance (TJA)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Driver Fatigue Monitoring
- Emergency Braking Signal
- Second Collision Mitigation
And many more features, including several passive safety features that are normally not expected in this category.
These include:
- Seven airbags
- ISOFIX child seat anchors
- Pre-crash seatbelt system
- Three-point seatbelts for all occupants, and
- An emergency escape latch in the luggage compartment.
Colours, price, warranty and service plan
There are five distinct colours to choose from. These are: White, Black, Mars Red, Orange and Grey.
All models are sold with a 7-year / 200 000 km new vehicle warranty and unlimited roadside assistance for the same period. A 5-year / 75 000 km service plan is included across the range, and service intervals are 12 months or every 15 000 km whichever comes first.
The HEV model has an additional warranty that covers the complete high-voltage system and vehicle battery for a full 8-years / 150 000 km.
Says Van Staden: “While we can boast about the incredible list of features and safety equipment in the GWM TANK 300, we are mostly proud of its pricing and value proposition. With a starting price of less than R750 000, the GWM TANK 300 is truly in a class of its own.”
The GWM TANK 300 range will comprise the following models:
- Tank 300 2.0T 8AT 4×4 Super Luxury R725 950 (Available Late Q1)
- Tank 300 2.0T 8AT 4×4 Ultra Luxury R775 950 (Available Late Q1)
- Tank 300 2.0T 9HAT 4×4 Super Luxury R851 950
For more information on the GWM TANK range, visit www.gwmtank.co.za.
