Right on cue, Great Wall Motor (GWM) Malaysia has introduced the GWM Tank 300 in the country, with the announcement of its price marking the vehicle’s official entry into the local market. The off-road SUV goes on sale here as a fully-imported CBU model, priced at RM250,000, on-the-road without insurance, with a standard six-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty included.
As indicated when it was previewed in March, only one variant of the Tank 300 is available for our market, and this is powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged inline-four petrol engine offering 220 PS (217 hp or 162 kW) at 5,500 rpm and 380 Nm of torque from 1,800 to 3,600 rpm.
Drive is delivered via an eight-speed automatic transmission and a part-time four-wheel drive system, the latter coming with 2H, 4H, 4L modes as well as electronically-controlled front and rear differential locks.
Aside from an assortment of settings available for various terrain/surfaces, the Tank 300 also comes equipped with a Crawl Control function (which provides automatic control of power and brakes to keep the vehicle moving at a steady speed when off-road) and a tank turn function, which, when activated, locks the rear inside wheel to allow the vehicle to pivot in tight spots.
Performance figures for the 2,155 kg offering include a 175 km/h top speed, while relevant off-road numbers include a 33° approach and 34° departure angle, a 23.1° ramp angle, a ground clearance of 224 mm and a water wading depth of up to 700 mm.
Design-wise, the SUV, which measures in at 4,760 mm long, 1,930 mm wide and 1,903 mm tall, with a 2,750 mm-long wheelbase, has the visual signature of classic 4×4 vehicles with its boxy design and chunky cladding.
Highlights include circular LED headlamps that each have a daytime running light strip running across them as well as a swing-out tailgate. It rides on 18-inch two-tone alloys, wrapped with 265/60 profile Michelin Primacy HT tyres.
Inside, you’ll find a dashboard that appears to be inspired by the Mercedes-Benz G-Class with an upright profile, turbine-look air vents, a pair of screens (12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen) and integrated grab handles. Further down, the centre console houses a robust-looking gear selector along with controls for the four-wheel drive system, electronic parking brake and driver assistance systems.
Other features include automatic air-conditioning (with rear vents), powered front seats, faux Nappa leather upholstery, a nine-speaker Infinity sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a powered sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting, double-layer acoustic glass for the windscreen/front windows, a wireless charging pad and paddle shifters.
As for safety and driving assistance equipment, the Tank 300 features a raft of kit. Besides front, side curtain and curtain airbags, the SUV is equipped with a full ADAS deck, with the list of available items on it including adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross-traffic assist with brake intervention.
Also to be found are front/rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system and a 360° surround view camera, with another novelty coming in the form of a transparent chassis view displayed on the central screen, handy for sighting terrain hidden from view when navigating under off-road conditions.
Four exterior colours are available for the Tank 300 sold here, and these are the hero Dusk Orange shade on the example seen in these photos, Fossil Grey, Crystal Black and Pearl White.
As a gesture of appreciation, GWM is offering the first 300 customers who register a Tank 300 a five-year or 100,000 km free maintenance package (including labour and parts, applicable every 10,000 km or every six months, whichever comes first) as well as an unlimited mileage lifetime engine and transmission warranty, although the latter is only applicable to the original purchaser of the vehicle.
The first 300 registered customers will also receive a GWM x Thule Adventure Kit, which includes an RM8,000 Thule voucher and a Thule Paramount backpack worth RM999.
In conjunction with the launch of the SUV, customers who have completed their vehicle registration by August 12 will also be in the running to win an adventure trip to ChongQing and ChengDu, China, with 10 customers selected for this via a lucky draw contest.
