GWM Tank 300 Hybrid 2023 Review

Now in local dealerships, the Chinese-built 2023 GWM Tank 300 Hybrid will set you back $55,990 drive-away for the Lux model, while the better-equipped Ultra is priced at $60,990 drive-away.

Fundamentally, what you get for that money is a five-seat, five-door medium-sized wagon that’s a serious off-roader.

It comes complete with a ladder-frame chassis and sophisticated torque-on-demand 4x4 system similar to the GWM Ute, low-range gearing, plenty of ground clearance and an appropriately boxy body with suggestions of Jeep, Jimny and G-Wagen about it.

What is different is under the bonnet, where GWM has fitted a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain rather than the usual turbo-diesel.

There is nothing in the market that quite matches up with the Tank 300. The Jeep Wrangler and Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series are similarly hard-core, but more expensive and not as well equipped.

More meaningful opposition could come from the phalanx of ute-based wagons such as the Ford Everest and Isuzu MU-X.

The 2023 GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid is very well equipped for the substantial amount of money being charged for it.

Externally, you’ll find LED headlights with intelligent high beam, a sunroof, roof rails, side steps, 17-inch alloy wheels and a side-opening (left to right) barn door at the rear.

Inside, there is dual-zone air-conditioning, a six-way powered driver’s seat trimmed in faux leather, steering wheel heating, seven-colour ambient lighting, keyless entry and push-button start and no less than 46 storage spaces (or so GWM says – we didn’t count them all).

Additional Ultra equipment includes 18-inch alloys, heated and cooled front seats trimmed in Nappa leather, eight-way power adjustment for the driver with massage function, four-way power lumbar adjust and 64-colour ambient lighting.

Most colour choices add a $595 premium.

The Tank 300 Hybrid is covered by GWM Australia’s seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and comes with five years’ roadside assistance.

It will also have a capped-price servicing plan. Stand by for details of that.

The 2023 GWM Tank 300 Hybrid was awarded the maximum five ANCAP stars based on the 2022 testing regime. It scored above 80 per cent in all four testing criteria.

Driver assist systems include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with an operating range from 5-150km/h. It is capable of detecting pedestrians and cyclists in daylight and most night-time conditions.

Adaptive cruise control is also part of the package, along with lane departure warning, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert (with braking), traffic sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.

The Tank 300 Hybrid comes with front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view monitor. The Ultra adds auto parking and auto reverse.

The Tank 300 also includes various off-road camera views including one that effectively makes the vehicle invisible to show the surface underneath.

There are seven airbags fitted, including front, front-side, curtain and a middle-front airbag to prevent head knocks.

The 2023 GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid makes a heck of an interior statement with its dual 12.3-inch digital screens stitched together and embedded in more than half the dashboard.

The screen in front of the driver covers off key information such as speed, trip computer and safety settings. It can be dialled through three different fundamental presentations, while scrollable sub-menus sit to the side.

The centre touch-screen covers off the infotainment essentials such as radio – AM, FM and DAB+ – as well as smartphone streaming, sat-nav, time and date and battery energy information. It also displays a heap of apps in a smartphone-style face.

Physical air-conditioning buttons are retained.

There is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connection, multiple USB connectors front and rear, 12V outlets up front and in the boot and a nine-speaker audio system.

The Ultra adds wireless charging and upgrades to a higher-spec Infinity sound system.

The 2023 GWM Tank 300 Hybrid is powered by petrol-electric drivetrain that combines a direct-injection 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an e-motor and a nine-speed automatic transmission.

We’ve detailed the separate outputs for both petrol engine and e-motor below and their combined claimed output. The power output at 258kW seems feasible but the 615Nm is the show-stopper.

If you’re wondering, GWM assures us this measurement is at the crank and not multiplied by being measured at the wheels.

The Tank 300 Hybrid has the ability to drive as an EV at low speeds, predominantly use its petrol engine at medium to high speeds and use both engine and e-motor off-road.

It recovers energy to its small 1.8kWh NMC/ternary lithium battery using regenerative braking. There is no plug.

The Tank 300’s BorgWarner four-wheel drive system allows it to run in 4x4 auto mode at all times. It can also be deployed in low range.

There are multiple on- and off-road modes to set the drivetrain for different conditions including mud and sand.

The rear diff is lockable to assist with serious off-road work and there’s also hill descent control, crawl control and ‘tank turn’ (which we didn’t test out). The Ultra adds a front diff lock.

That we don’t know for sure right now. The car-maker says the hybrid system in the 2023 GWM Tank 300 is more about generating torque for better off-roading rather than to aid fuel economy.

At the moment in Australia the official claim is 10.3L/100km, but GWM is in the process of re-homologating and is confident the number will come out at 8.5L/100km.

The Tank 300 has a 75-litre fuel tank that equates to a range of about 600km – which is a tad on the shy side for serious outback venturing.

The good news is the Tank 300 Hybrid consumes standard 91 RON fuel.

Our drive was so brief and almost entirely off-road so there was no point us measuring fuel economy.

First up, let’s just check off a few more basic 2023 GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid stats. It measures up at 4760mm long, 1930mm wide, 1903mm high and has a 2750mm wheelbase.

According to official homologation data it weighs in at a porky 2331kg (tare) and has a 2725kg GVM. It is mandated to tow up to 2500kg. So that’s competitive in its segment.

Our drive of the Tank 300 Hybrid comprised all of about seven minutes. They were all off-road and included some low range moguls and the successful navigation of a water bath.

So we cannot give you any assessment at all of its behaviour on bitumen roads, be they bumpy, smooth, straight or winding, or in a city or urban environment.

But there were a few things worth noting. The ride at rock crawling speeds is plush enough on its coil-sprung double-wishbone front and live-axle rear suspension to leave any dual-cab ute passengers this side of a Ford Ranger envious.

Of course, we don’t know what the implications are for body control at higher speeds.

The steering is also light and direct at low speeds and perhaps the pick of any GWM yet sampled. Admittedly, not a high bar.

The sole real chance for the engine to show off its torque capabilities was a steep climb up a rutted track, which it achieved without breaking a sweat. The chassis also did it without breaking traction.

Swapping into Sand mode produces an obvious change in drivetrain settings. Gears are held longer and the throttle becomes sharper.

Ground clearance is decent enough at 224mm and there were only a couple of scrapes as a result. The approach angle is a generous 33 degrees, the departure angle 34 degrees and the ramp angle 23.1 degrees. It has a 700mm fording depth and a maximum climbing angle of 70 per cent.

The aftermarket is going to have an interesting job figuring out how to attach a snorkel to the free-standing air inlet, while there is no space for a second battery under the bonnet.

The Lux comes with two-piece underbody protection and the Ultra three-piece.

Disconcertingly, the one time the Tank 300 was accelerated to any sort of speed on a gravel road it promptly jumped on the anchors and activated its hazard lights. Its AEB camera seemed to have misread a dust cloud as something ominous.

This is not a good sign, as GWM driver assist system calibration is a brand weakness.

The Tank 300 is also prone to admonishing its driver for not paying enough attention to the road. It also makes an annoying doof-doof noise when the indicators are activated and whooshes like a rocket when different modes are selected.

That can all be binned thanks.

Given the utilitarian presentation most serious off-roaders present, the opulence of the 2023 GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid is something of a shock.

The big screens are a statement, but so is the polished metal-look trim that completes the dashboard, the quilting in the seats and doors, the large, round Benz-like air vents and the huge gear selector that is meant to look like something out of aviation – I’m not sure what, maybe an undercarriage.

The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake and there are manual gear selector paddles mounted behind it.

The seats are soft and well bolstered up front and there is no shortage of storage choices including a sizable centre lidded bin, door pockets and glove box.

There are overhead and pillar grab handles for all passengers (bar the driver) and a grab rail on the dashboard for the front seat passenger.

In the rear there is a truly generous amount of space in all directions for two adult passengers. There are also air-con vents, USB points, a fold-down arm rest and storage pockets in the seats and doors.

With the full-size spare tyre mounted on the barn door, it’s a bit of a heave to open. And once you get into the boot, you’ll find adequate rather than impressive space.

Lift up the floor and you’ll soon figure out why – the hybrid system’s substantial high-voltage battery.

Based on this all-too-brief drive and inspection, the jury is still out on the 2023 GWM Tank 300 Hybrid.

We need to spend a lot more time behind the wheel and living with it to truly deliver a confident verdict.

But this much is obvious: The price, the equipment, the technical spec and this first taste test do indicate a vehicle with positive potential.

If in the longer term the GWM Tank 300 turns out to be as rugged, durable and capable as its name suggests, then it will undoubtedly secure a following among those who like to off-road and those who just like to look like they do.

2023 GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid at a glance:
Price: $55,990 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 180kW/350Nm (electric motor: 78kW/268Nm)
Combined output: 258kW/615Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 239g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)