Thanks to more images filed with China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, we have the best view yet of the production version of the GWM Tank 700.
Serving in GWM’s line-up a size above the Tank 300 Jeep-style off-roader which is set for an imminent Australian launch, the Tank 700 is significant for debuting a new 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine for GWM, highly unusual for a Chinese brand.
The Tank 700 appears with a more tame overall look than the car shown at the 2022 Guangzhou motor show, with paired-back design flairs and a more tame set of wheels.
It still maintains a high belt-line and Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen- or Land Rover Defender-inspired squared-off roof and windows, complete with a spare tyre housing on the rear door, which swings to the right.
Reports from Chinese media say the Tank 700 is set to launch overseas in the second quarter of 2023.
It is the third model in GWM’s Tank range, which also includes the smaller 300 and larger 500, which has more traditional looks. The brand is also working on a Suzuki Jimny-style Tank 100, and a mid-size Tank 400.
The 700, 500, and 400 will all sport a version of the new V6, which Great Wall calls the 6Z30. This 3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder produces 260kW/500Nm, and is to be paired with a brand new nine-speed traditional torque-converter automatic transmission.
The new engine and transmission are 48-volt hybrid-ready, and can produce up to a claimed 380kW/750Nm when in a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) application.
Lower-grade variants on this platform make use of a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid, which produces 180kW/380Nm, including the soon-to-launch Tank 300.
It is unclear which Tank models will flesh out the brand’s range in Australia, but the large 500 seems like a safe bet to replace the now-discontinued H9 off-roader at the top of GWM’s range in Australia.
The brand is on the warpath, introducing new models for not only the Haval and Tank SUV brands, but also its Ora fully electric sub-brand which could launch some of Australia’s most affordable EVs in the future.
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