Is GWM ready to sell a $100,000-plus car? 2025 Tank 700 could be the brand's local hybrid off-road flagship

GWM revealed that it is strongly considering its Tank 700 for the Australian market to sit as its halo model, priced as high as $100,000, at an event in its hometown of Baoding, China.

The Tank 700 is available as plug-in hybrid only. Its main power source is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that combined with its electric motors, produces a whopping 385kW/750Nm. It drives all four wheels via a new hybridised nine-speed automatic transmission.

The most expensive Tank product is imposing, measuring 5113mm long, 2061mm wide, and 1952mm tall, which makes it as large as some of Australia’s favourite off-road SUVs like the Toyota LandCruiser 300 series and Nissan Patrol. Its styling is more modern military-inspired rather than the throwback style of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen or LandCruiser 70-Series.

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Power and size aren’t its only impressive traits, the Tank 700 sports three locking diffs, air suspension, active dampers, and a long list of standard equipment,.

Don’t expect what could be GWM’s flagship to be cheap, though.

In its most affordable of three trim levels, the Tank 700 wears a starting price in China equivalent to A$90,987 and works its way up to a whopping $148,136 for the launch First Edition version.

Currently the most expensive GWM product in Australia is the more conventionally-styled Tank 500 Ultra HEV, which cost $73,990 drive-away.

The Tank 700 measures in at 5113mm long, 2061mm wide, and 1952mm tall. (Image: Tom White)

When asked about the Tank 700s chances for an Australian launch, local communications manager, Steve Maciver said “100 per cent [we could have] a car with that level of technology, with that powertrain, in that price bracket.”

“The question is whether we think we can make a business case for it. I’d like to think we can. If we think we could bring it as a flagship - we could have it in our market as fast as six to nine months.”

Maciver said GWM is very receptive to building vehicles in right-hand drive if the sums add up.

“The capability of doing right-hand drive conversions seems to happen very quickly - if it stacks up from a global perspective, then, yeah, it happens.”

GWM has revealed that it is strongly considering its Tank 700 for the Australian market. (Image: Tom White)

When asked if Australian consumers are ready to buy a GWM-branded product that could cost in excess of $100,000, Maciver indicated that he effectively didn’t see why not.

“With every new generation of GWM products we’ve brought out in Australia, we’ve been pushing the quality of the product, the feature set available, and the powertrain technology to back it up.”

“We’ve gone from an average selling price of $25,000 to sitting around $40,000 today - and with Cannon Alpha, that price - in the next 12 months - will creep up again.”

“That’s an indication that Australian new car buyers are ready to buy more expensive GWMs as long as the quality and value and technology stacks up, and I believe it does.”

The Tank 700 is available as plug-in hybrid only. (Image: Tom White)

Maciver also indicates the brand could have room to adjust the price closer to that of the Tank 500 for its flagship model, with the factory seemingly able to add further Tank 700 variants in the future.

“If you look at the 2.0-litre turbo hybrid petrol, which powers the Tank 500, again that could be an option too, to have a different powertrain and a different selling price.”

GWM is yet to offer its latest hybrid four-wheel drive technology, dubbed Hi-4T in Australia yet, and it also doesn’t yet offer a plug-in hybrid, both technologies which feature on the Tank 700. As CarsGuide understands it though, both technologies will be available in our market very soon, although the brand hasn’t yet decided which of its current line-up will be the launch product for the tech.