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China's GWM wants to take on Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol with Tank 700

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The Tank 700's potential for the off-road-eager Australian market is clear. (Image credit: JustAnotherCarDesigner)
The Tank 700's potential for the off-road-eager Australian market is clear. (Image credit: JustAnotherCarDesigner)
Tung Nguyen
News Editor
29 Jun 2021
3 min read

GWM is studying the potential for its hardcore SUV sub-brand Tank for the Australian market, and it will be headlined by the full-sized rock-hopping 700 model.

A timeframe for the Tank 700 is currently unclear, but with the Tank 300 expected to be given the go ahead for an early 2022 introduction soon, the flagship SUV could arrive towards the end of next year or early in 2023.

The Tank 700 was unveiled earlier this year at the Shanghai motor show, and with its larger dimensions will set its sights on the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol.

The Tank 700 was revealed with a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine, outputting 260Nm/500Nm to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission.

However, GWM is also working on bringing to market an electrified version of the same engine that will take outputs to 386kW/750Nm.

The hybrid would easily blow away the 227kW/700Nm offered in the 3.3-litre diesel V6 of the LC300, as well as the 298kW/560Nm of the 5.6-litre V8-powered Patrol.

However, Tank will have more up its sleeve to lure potential buyers, with the 700 set to undergo rigorous testing and development of a range of off-road accessories designed to appeal to off-road adventurers.

CarsGuide understands that these parts will include things like lift kits, all-terrain tyres and wheels, winches, snorkels and more that should give the Tank 700 as much aftermarket appeal as the LandCruiser and Patrol.

These parts could also come from the relationship GWM has forged with aftermarket modifiers from around the world, with the likes of Shelby building the Ute-based Baja Snake and Brabus tuning a Wey VV7 GT luxury SUV in the past.

Designed with a technology focus, one such accessory under development is an integrated drone that can fly ahead and scout terrain to feed back into the Tank 700’s cabin, though whether this makes it to production is still unclear.

Aside from the Tank 300 and Tank 700, a Tank 800 also exists for China, though it is a more luxury-focused model that looks to take on the BMW X7, Audi Q7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS, but it is unclear if it is also on the radar for Australia.

Tung Nguyen
News Editor
Having studied journalism at Monash University, Tung started his motoring journalism career more than a decade ago at established publications like Carsales and Wheels magazine. Since then, he has risen through the ranks at GoAuto to Managing Editor before joining the CarsGuide team in 2019 as the newly-appointed News Editor. Since starting at CarsGuide, Tung has spearheaded the push for well-researched and unique stories that will shines a light on the automotive industry for new-car-buying intenders, who might struggle to keep up to date with the fast-paced environment of motoring. The last few years alone have seen an explosion of interest in electric cars, as well as a push for autonomous driving, and as News Editor, it is Tung’s job to stay abreast of all the latest and deliver stories worthy of CarsGuide growing audience.
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