GWM Tank 300 vs Cupra Formentor

What's the difference?

So, there you have it. The new Tank 500 hybrid. It’s got the space, the 4x4 capability, the features, the pricing and – most importantly – the hybrid technology to make a real mark in Australia.

Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Ford and the rest of the seven-seater 4x4 wagon fraternity really do have something to worry about.

Being first with electrification is one thing, but hitting the ground running with so much ability for so little is something else entirely.

I am stuck in two minds on the Formentor VZe, a car which took me by surprise. It's a bit frustrating as a plug-in hybrid. It has a short real-world electric-only range and takes a while to charge. While this isn't unusual for a small PHEV, I wish it were better on this front. As a hybrid crossover, though, it is intriguing - a rare case of an electrified car being seriously fun to drive and proving that hybrids don't just have to be about saving fuel. If only it didn't cost almost as much as a Golf R...

If “derivative” and “reminiscent of the outgoing Patrol” means interesting in your book, then you should find the Tank 500 tantalising.

Not us, though. We reckon if you asked AI to render a large 4x4 wagon in the mould of a 2000s-era LandCruiser or the Nissan, it might look like this. Beyond the PR nonsense of the grille being inspired by “ancient Chinese eastern architecture”, this could be any 4WD.

At least the old-looking new Tank has presence. And, despite what its name implies and the fact that this is deceptively big, we’re grateful that the 500 doesn’t look at all bloated.

In fact, dimensionally, with a length/width/height/wheelbase of 5078/1934/1905/2850mm respectively, it is actually longer than the Toyota siblings but a little narrower, splits them for height and sits on the same wheelbase size.

Finally, there’s the badge. Tank 500. If you’re into history or just really old, you might remember the Ford Fairlane 500 "Tank" of the late 1950s. Fun fact: besides the name, they also share body-on-frame chassis construction. And plenty of chintz.

Are we about to indulge in a similar level of Donatella Versace opulence inside? Let’s find out.

The Formentor looks great. It’s much more a crossover hatch than it is an SUV, and one of the better looking examples on the market, too.

It’s a surprising take on the Volkswagen Group SUV formula, too, given it could have easily been a re-skinned, or worse, re-badged T-Roc. Instead the Formentor brings a quite unique look and feel to what are otherwise commonly shared parts.

The light profile is distinctive, as are the chunky, almost Porsche-style haunches over the rear wheels. The wheels themselves, despite measuring in at just 18-inches appear enormous on this design, and completing its contemporary visage are the contrast grey crossover highlights over the wheels and a contemporary light-bar running across the rear.

This car brings all the elements it needs to stand out and apart from its peers. It’s striking, cool, and aggressive, and with its signature light profile, it looks all the more menacing at night.

The interior is also interesting. The big bucket seats in the front instantly imbue it with a sporty feel, as does the neat steering wheel with a carbon-look finish and the raised centre console elements shared with the Golf 8.

The mix of manual adjust seats, modern fly-by-wire controls, and digital dash set-up makes the Cupra feel like it’s in an unusual, very European trim level, the kind you don’t usually see in Australia, and while all the individual pieces come from across the VW Group - from Skoda to Audi, the way they’ve been mixed and matched in this car gives the Formentor its own distinctive appeal.

This is helped along by a bespoke set of typefaces and designs for this car’s digital elements, on the multimedia screen and dash display. There’s been attention to detail here in setting the Cupra brand apart, and I appreciate the depth of changes this car has compared to, say, a Golf, or a T-Roc.

If the samey styling isn’t your cup of tea outside, then the Tank 500 makes a strong – and surprisingly restrained – case for your cash inside.

For starters, there’s probably more space than the exterior dimensions suggest, offering sufficient accommodation including headroom for most adult-sized occupants. The front seats provide ample support and the driving position should find favour with most people. And vision out is actually pretty good.

In the Ultra grade we drove, there’s a pleasing attention to detail evident throughout, starting with the horizontal symmetry of the dashboard, wide lower centre console and 14.6-inch central touchscreen. It looks and feels good.

As with most new cars today, the instrumentation is digital and configurable, there are fast keys for most climate control settings (though weirdly not for temperature control – you’ll need to resort to the fiddly touchscreen) and most switchgear is within easy reach.

However, while owners should become used to them quite quickly, the touchscreen-sited access for most vehicle control settings is fiddly; our car had an annoying buzzy rattle from the dashtop. The driver-assist systems glitched a few times, calling out driver attention issues when they weren’t there, and there is no volume control knob, just the toggles on the (attractive) steering-wheel spokes.

Meanwhile, the middle row benefits from a well-padded cushion and a 70/30-split backrest that reclines a fair amount. There’s a separate climate-control zone with good old-fashioned knobs and toggles, as well as four vent outlets, USB-A and -C ports and the windows wind all the way down. And that panoramic sunroof really showers the cabin with light.

Third-row access is compromised by LHD-centric access, meaning that only the road side of the middle seat lifts and slides forward for less-impeded entry/egress. Once sat, the cushion itself seems fine and is OK for adults as long as the middle-row occupants are happy to compromise. Roof-sited air vents are helpful, but the lack of USB outlets is disappointing.

With all seats up, there is just 98 litres of cargo capacity, ballooning out to 795L in five-seat mode and 1459L with the middle-row folded down. These are well below the LandCruiser 300’s corresponding volumes.

Of course, unlike most hybrid SUVs, this hybrid 4x4 wagon carries a full-sized spare wheel slung on the back door, old-school style.

The design sells a car which is more individualistic than some of its rivals or relations, and this certainly felt true in my week with this Cupra. The big front seats, for example, are accommodating and supporting, allowing a sporty, low seating position and a good level of adjustability for the steering column.

The doors have a big bottle holder in them, and there are a further two in the raised centre console element. This area is also enhanced with a small bay thanks to the minimalist fly-by-wire controls, good for holding another phone, wallet, or perhaps keys. There is also an adjustable-height centre armrest covering a small storage box.

The area under the screen hosts dual USB-C ports as well as a wireless charger. Although we’ll call out here there’s no mechanical controls for the climate functions, which like all modern VW Group vehicles, need to be managed through some touch elements below the multimedia screen, or, more frustratingly, through the screen itself.

The screen is interesting, because it’s not one of the crazy high resolution ones which appear in some VW Group products, instead being a faster, lower resolution version, which has the benefit of making the touch elements in CarPlay or some of the sub menus large and easy to jab at while on the move.

The software is mostly good, too, with a handful of fairly self-explanatory menus, with some more advanced features buried about two menus deep, best adjusted while parked. There’s a clever little short-cut bar on the left-hand side of the screen, even when CarPlay is running, which lets you skip right to the main menu, car settings, or climate functions.

The digital dash has a welcome variety of views to play with to suit all kinds of preferences, and some bespoke Cupra ones which look neat, too.

In my week with the car, I had some passengers complain that the rear seats feel very claustrophobic with the massive front seat backs blocking the view out the front of the car, and a combination of black headliner and a large transmission tunnel closing in the space further.

I tend to agree, although I (at 182cm) had sufficient airspace for my knees behind my own driving position as well as sufficient headroom, with the only small annoyance being how low the doorline is. If you’re as tall or taller you’ll need to duck low to get in.

Welcome additions to the second row include a large bottle holder in each of the doors, dual USB-C outlets, and the third climate zone with adjustable vents is a real win.

Boot space is 345 litres. Sounds middling for the small SUV segment, and down on the 420 litres offered in the purely combustion variants, but I was pleased to find it could accept the entire CarsGuide luggage set with minimal disruption to the view out the rear window. I did have to remove the luggage cover, however.

There is no under floor storage with a small cutaway for the tyre repair kit, so you will need to store your charging cables in the boot.

Let’s get the price out of the way immediately, because on the face of it, the VZe is a tough sell.

This plug-in hybrid version of the Formentor comes in at a whopping $60,990, before on-road costs (or $66,990 drive-away). There’s no getting around how expensive it is. The bright side is it costs no more than its top-spec alternative, the VZx, which is the same car but with a bigger engine and all-wheel drive. The downside is it’s almost as expensive as a Golf R.

This puts it in a tough place. Performance-wise it can’t quite match a pure combustion rival, and on the electric car front you can have a Tesla Model 3 or Polestar 2 at a similar cost. The Cupra brand itself is even in a strange semi-premium spot, with the most direct rivals to this car being the Mini Countryman PHEV (from $64,000).  

You’d have to be committed to buying a plug-in hybrid then, with everything that entails. Thankfully, the Formentor VZe is not only notable for its drive experience (more on this later), but it’s also well equipped.

Standard gear includes 18-inch alloy wheels, a 10.25-inch digital dash, 12-inch multimedia touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, built-in navigation, surround parking sensors, bucket seats with cloth trim (these appear to be a similar style to the ones which appear in the Golf R), tri-zone climate control, full LED head and tail lights, with Curpa logo puddle lamps, leatherbound heated steering wheel, keyless entry and push-start ignition, adaptive chassis control, and a progressive steering tune usually reserved for the more upmarket Volkswagen Group products.

It’s a nice set of gear, and if you’re missing high-end seats, they can be optioned with the $2050 ‘Leather Package’ which upgrades the trim, while also adding heating and power adjust with memory.

The only other options are a sunroof ($1800) and premium paint ($475). It’s nice to see Cupra throw in the Type 2 to Type 2 public charging cable at no extra cost.

Behind that chromey grille is a 1998cc 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, delivering 180kW of power at 5500-6000rpm and 380Nm of torque between 1700-4000rpm.

Mated to a 78kW/268Nm electric motor, GWM reckons the combined power and torque outputs are 255kW and 648Nm respectively.

That torque figure seems very optimistic.

Anyway, it’s all sent through to either the rear or both axles via an in-house nine-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. There are your usual 2WD and 4WD high and low ranges.

Nine driving modes are offered as part of an all-terrain response system, with four on-road and five off-road settings, while low-speed off-road cruise-control and ‘Turn Assist’ function also aid manoeuvrability. The latter essentially cuts torque to the inside rear wheel during a turn to tighten the radius, hand-brake style.

Still off the beaten track, the Tank 500 offers 30 degrees of approach angle, 22.5° breakover angle and 24° departure angle. Ground clearance is 224mm, while water wading-depth capability is 800mm.

Don’t forget, the GWM uses body-on-frame construction, with a double-wishbone independent coil sprung set-up up front and multi-link live-axle coil-sprung suspension out back. Kerb weight is at least 2605kg.

Towing capacity is 3000kg braked and 750kg unbraked. LandCruiser’s is 3500kg.

The Formentor VZe pairs a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine producing 110kW/250Nm with an electric motor producing 85kW/300Nm. The two can combine using a boost function, for a maximum combined output of 180kW/400Nm.

The front wheels are driven via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the electric motor is seated between the transmission and engine.

A 12.8kWh battery pack allows a theoretical purely electric driving range of 58km, although I was seeing more like 40 at best in the real world, with the adjustable regen set to the higher of two available settings.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo hybrid powertrain is rated at Euro-5.

Now, GWM makes a point that the Tank 500’s hybrid system is to improve overall driveability and performance, rather than strive for outright economy.

Keeping this in mind, with standard 91 RON unleaded petrol in its 80-litre fuel tank, the official figures are 8.5L per 100km (versus 8.9 for the LandCruiser 300), for a carbon dioxide emissions rating of 199g/km.

This should mean an average of over 940km between refills.

Speaking of which, we didn’t get a chance to refuel during our test drive on the launch program, however; and remembering that there was quite a bit of thirsty off-roading work done, our trip computer read out a disappointing 12.3L/100km.

Still, that’s nearly half that we witnessed on the trip computer in similar circumstances driving the Patrol with its big thumping V8.

As with most plug-in hybrids, the Formentor VZe has a very good-looking claimed fuel consumption of 1.9L/100km, although this assumes you’ll religiously charge it up. In my week with the car I saw 5.5/100km, with the caveat that I was mostly driving it in the hybrid mode as I was far from places I could charge it up.

Thankfully, the hybrid driving mode is very good, but one of the most annoying things about this car is how long it takes to charge.

The Formentor VZe’s AC inverter offers a maximum rate of just 3.6kW, and from the base level my car informed me it would take almost four hours to charge from a public charger.

Again, like many plug-in hybrids, this car is really only suitable for those able to charge in their home garage. It takes too long to charge this car on a public outlet to make the most out of its electric features.

It also requires mid-shelf 95 RON unleaded fuel for its small turbocharged engine.

The Tank 500 hybrid represents another step up for GWM, with a broad array of abilities.

Initial impressions are positive, mainly due to the overall quietness and smoothness of the 2.0-litre four-pot turbo’s performance.

Considering there’s over 2.6 tonnes of 4x4 to haul around, it moves off the mark fairly smartly, and – with the aid of hybrid electric assistance quite seamlessly kicking in to provide that extra bit of boost – delivers more than enough speed and muscle when you need it.

However, that said, while there’s plenty of go for fast overtaking, it is difficult to believe that the powertrain is mustering 648Nm of torque; the Tank 500 hybrid just doesn’t feel quite that strong. As does an 8.3-second 0-100km/h sprint time.

Still, there’s an innate eagerness to the way the GWM behaves that is also evident in the steering.

Considering this is a ladder-frame-chassis 4x4, the helm is actually quite responsive and direct – and yet also light enough for easy parking.

Furthermore, the Tank 500 doesn’t quite feel its bulk or heft when attempting tight turns, and it handles quite well, too. Impressive stuff, given the unexpectedly cushy ride, ground clearance and amount of wheel articulation on offer.

This is one of those big 4x4 wagons that seems to shrink around you.

However, GWM still has some homework to do when it comes to the level of interference from the intrusive and at-times even hysterical driver-assist safety systems.

The constant barrage of completely unnecessary warnings and chimes is tiresome even after a short stint behind the wheel, proving that more Australian-road tuning is required before the Tank 500 can truly meet local tastes.

Still, the GWM should win friends over with its comfy suspension, controlled handling and decent turn of speed.

But what about off-road?

Our brief excursion onto a 4WD track showed plenty of promise, with sufficient ground clearance, impressive wheel articulation and the right combination of gearing and diff locks in our Ultra Hybrid version to get through a quite challenging course.

And all the while, the Tank 500 imparts a sense of confidence that it can tackle most off-road tracks with a high degree of skill and capability.

Our only notes are that, at times, this lacks the low-down torquey grunt of a diesel when clambering through really challenging paths.

Otherwise, it seems the GWM has the right stuff to keep up with most of the competition.

The Formentor VZe might be the best plug-in hybrid I’ve driven, certainly at this end of the market. It does something so few hybrids in this class try to, or are even capable of. It’s a lot of fun.

The Formentor manages to pack all the entertaining drive characteristics of something like a Golf GTI into a car which can be driven fully electrically.

It’s a thing of brilliance. The car feels agile, responsive, and lightweight, with some magic at work to hide the weight of its nearly 13kWh of batteries under the floor.

It also blends the instantaneous response of the electric motor in quite nicely with the surge of the 1.4-litre turbocharged engine, the two complementing each other with some grace. On a rare occasion, there is a slight delay between the electric motor waning off and the torque of the combustion engine meeting it, but these instances are few and far between.

With a healthy amount of torque available instantly, it also does away with the need to worry about the occasionally fiddly dual-clutch automatic transmission. 

As to going fast in a straight line, the VZe is capable of combining its two power sources to very easily overwhelm the front wheels. It has a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.0 seconds, although feels as though it could best this, traction allowing. A peak of 400Nm is an incredible amount of torque for such a small two-wheel drive vehicle, after all.

The electric driving is of course smooth and easy to work with, although the regeneration, even on its highest of two available settings, can be quite mild. When set to hybrid mode, it drives more or less like a Toyota hybrid, limiting the amount of electrical assistance available on the accelerator pedal.

This is good, because some PHEVs will simply drain the electric system first, with the engine only turning on with a solid press of the accelerator, but the Formentor’s combined accelerator approach means you can drive in stop start traffic for nearly 200km before it manages to drain the battery (trust me, I tested it).

It exudes sportiness from behind the wheel, too, with a low-set driving position, neat customisable dash settings which offer plenty of information, and a sporty, thin wheel which offers direct feedback unsurprisingly similar to that of a car like the Golf R.

While it might not be the most competent electric vehicle, then, nor as brilliant as something like a Golf R, it’s an excellent hybrid offering unprecedented levels of driver engagement for a car with this kind of technology. I liked driving it a lot.

The full active safety suite is available across the Formentor range. Active items in this list include freeway-speed auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, and side assist which warns you if you’re going to open your door into traffic.

Adaptive cruise control also features, and the Formentor has a comprehensive suite of eight airbags (including a driver’s knee airbag and centre airbag between the front occupants).

There are three top-tether child-seat mounting points on the rear row, and two ISOFIX mounts on the outer seats.

The Formentor has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating to a 2021 standard, it scored relatively highly in three of four categories.

Befitting its role as the brand flagship, the Tank 500 Hybrid is the first GWM with seven years of roadside assistance and capped-price servicing, to match the brand’s seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty.

However, at the time of recording, GWM had yet to reveal what the pricing would be.

Service intervals are at every 12 months or 10,000km – whatever comes first.

Cupra shares the same five-year and unlimited kilometre warranty as its VW parent, and at the time of writing, includes three years of scheduled servicing for free.

The brand has not settled on how much its servicing plans will cost after that period (again, at the time of writing). While VW Group’s five-year service plans aren’t usually outrageous, proceed with caution.

The Formentor VZe needs to visit the workshop once every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.