Hint for South Africa? ‘Long bonnet’ GWM Tank 300 priced in China
· Citizen
Officially revealed earlier this month, Great Wall Motors (GWM) has priced what it terms the second generation Tank 300 in China.
Visit newsbetsport.bond for more information.
Two models
Unofficially called the “long bonnet” as a result of its increased bonnet size and more forward-mounted front axle, the newcomer will be sold alongside its sibling and carry the moniker “Tank 300 L”.
Previewed by the Hooke Trail version at the Shanghai Motor Show last year, the Tank 300 L will solely be powered by GWM’s Hi4’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, leaving the “normal” model as a combustion engine-only variant.
The latter does, however, lose the twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol that powered the limited edition Tank 330.
At the same time, the self-charging HEV derivative never featured in the Chinese domestic market, as it was devised for export nations only.
New outside
Visually, both the Tank 300 and 300 L receive a restyled grille – now with block letter TANK badging and a small GWM logo in the upper left corner instead of the corporate Tank badge logo – a new bumper and headlights, a revised bonnet and new alloy wheels.
Depending on the trim level, a LiDAR module now sits in the centre of the roof, while at the rear, Tank has introduced a new bumper, slightly altered light clusters, a spoiler integrated into the roof and a more squared-off window.
Tank 300 L is both longer, wider and taller than the normal model. Picture: Tank ChinaA total of six colours round both models off:
- Elegant White;
- Dune Beige:
- Black Pineapple;
- Passionate Red;
- Radiant Yellow;
- Serene Green
Dimensional comparison
Compared to the normal Tank 300, the 300 L boasts different wheel arches, the mentioned repositioned front axle, a front track widened by 53 mm to 1 661 mm, the longer bonnet and a wider, by 67 mm, rear track.
While still based on the same body-on-frame platform, the 300 L now has the following dimensions:
- Length: 4 886 mm
- Wheelbase: 3 010 mm
- Height: 1 927 mm
- Width: 1 984 mm
By comparison, the standard Tank 300 is 136 mm shorter, 54 mm narrower and 24 mm lower, with its wheelbase being shorter by 260 mm.
Retained on both models, though, are the locking differential and low-range transfer case, plus the ground clearance and wading claims of 235 mm and 800 mm, respectively.
New inside
Inside, the interior rework has, seemingly, been applied to the 300 L only in the form of a new dashboard, a less cluttered centre console, still with physical buttons and switches, and a new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and steering wheel.
As well as reported improved materials and seats, the gear lever moves to the steering column, while the infotainment display has been redesigned to incorporate GWM’s latest software. At the same time, it now measures 15.6-inches.
Revised interior will have three colour options in China. Picture: Tank ChinaAlong with the mentioned LiDAR system, the Tank 300 L also benefits from a Sentry mode, a night vision camera, a 12-speaker, 960-watt 3D surround sound system and full Nappa leather upholstery.
Not stopping there, GWM has also made a steering wheel standard, as well as upgrades to the existing array of safety and driver assistance systems.
Powertrains
CombustionUp front, the power options for the normal Tank 300 comprise the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and the 2.4-litre turbodiesel, the former outputting 162kW/380Nm and the latter 135kW/480Nm.
Both are again paired to the ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic gearbox, with drive going to the rear or all wheels.
Plug-in hybrids pack massive punchFor the Tank 300 L, the Hi4-T combines the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol with a 37.1-kWh battery pack powering a single 130 kW electric motor.
The result is a combined 310kW/750Nm delivered to all four wheels from the start via a hybrid-optimised nine-speed automatic ‘box.
GWM claims an all-electric range of 105 km and a combined range of 913 km based on the European WLTP instead of the Chinese CLTC cycle.
Completing the range, the Hi4-Z uses the same combustion engine, but is combined with a 59.6-kWh battery and two electric motors, the module at the front making 180 kW and the unit at the rear 200 kW.
In total, the Tank 300 L Hi4-Z outputs 560kW/1 195Nm, which allows for a reported 0-100 km/h sprint of 4.3 seconds.
Drive is routed to all four wheels through a new three-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT). The claimed all-electric range is 200 km and the combined 1 122 km based on the WLTP cycle.
A notable absentee across both models is the new twin-turbo 4.0-litre plug-in hybrid V8 shown at the Shanghai showpiece.
Confirmation awaited
In China, pricing kicks off at 199 800 yuan (R487 017) for the normal Tank 300, and ranges from 249 800 to 259 800 yuan (R608 894 to R633 269) for the Tank 300 L.
For the moment, GWM South Africa has not yet confirmed the updated Tank 300 for the local market, or indeed the 300 L.
At present, the local line-up spans five variants priced from R649 900 for the entry-level two-wheel drive turbodiesel Luxury to R929 950 for the flagship HEV 4WD Super Luxury.
Additional information from autohome.com.cn.