GWM Tank to score turbocharged petrol power – Australian pricing announced

If you are looking for a brand new petrol-powered four-wheel drive, and have around $50,000 in your pocket, the Tank could be for you. GWM has just announced that the Tank (such a cool name, am I right?) will now also be available with a 2.0 litre, turbocharged petrol-powered engine. This is an addition to the Tank line-up, joining the previously announced hybrid power plant.

What’s the story?

This small-capacity engine, featuring forced induction, sounds like it will be well suited to the lightweight Tank. There’s a claimed 162kW of power and 380Nm of torque on offer. Scoff if you will at those numbers, but have you seen how much power the much heavier (for example) 79 Series LandCruiser makes in stock form?

Mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, power is sent to the wheels via a part-time four-wheel drive system. GWM is saying that the petrol-powered tank should return a claimed fuel usage figure of 10.7 litres per 100km. Not bad, really.

How much will the Tank 300 Petrol cost?

There are two trim levels offered in the petrol-powered Tank range. The Tank 300 Lux petrol, and Tank 300 Ultra petrol. This is what they’ll set you back:

Tank 300 Lux petrol: $46,990 driveaway

Tank 300 Ultra petrol: $50,990 driveaway

As per all GWM vehicles, the Tank 300 petrol is covered by a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty. There’s also five years roadside assistance, and five year capped price servicing.

What do you get?

• 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

What’s the difference between Tank 300 petrol Lux and Ultra?

The biggest difference, for me anyway, is the inclusion of a front differential lock with the Ultra. Combined with the already included rear diff lock, and the Tank will climb walls. You also get 18-inch wheels, Nappa leather accented seats as well as heated or cooled front seats.

There’s a 9-speaker audio system GQWM are calling premium (I’ll be the judge of that), and 64 colour ambient lighting – whatever that may be. Other inclusions are an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, wireless charging and a 220V power outlet.

So, the two questions I have are: which of the two Tanks would you buy? Is the $4000 extra for the Ultra worth the coin? And secondly, is a petrol-powered four-wheel drive for around $50,000 something you’d consider buying? Let us know in the comments, I’m genuinely interested to hear your thoughts.