GWM Tank 500 Ultra 2025 Review

There are three Tank 500s to choose from. An entry Lux Hybrid from $66,490 drive away or the more generously equipped mid-range Ultra we have here from about $73,990. A new Vanta trim-grade was introduced in July 2025 forming a new range-topper from $75,990, which is identical to the Ultra in everything except its liberal use of black trims, paint and wheels.

Regardless of the variant, all are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre hybrid petrol-electric engine with 225kW and 648Nm when the electric and petrol units are working together. All four wheels are driven via a nine-speed automatic transmission which brings proper off-road low range and three locking diffs as this is the Ultra.

While a turbo hybrid powertrain is a modern and sophisticated choice, you’ll notice a distinct lack of compression ignition engines at any cost - a bold move in a segment that is so completely dominated by diesel power.

That aside, the Tank 500 is very competitively priced with rivals such as the Ford Ranger, which costs about $65,000 for the higher spec versions, and the Isuzu MU-X which starts at $55,000 for the 4x4 or $67,000 drive away for the range-topping LS-T.

GWM offers a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty on the Tank 500 which is generous along with roadside assistance for the same period.

Capped price servicing is also offered for seven years ranging from $300 for the first visit to $990 for the most involved scheduled maintenance for a total cost of $4040 over seven years.

GWM is generally pretty generous with standard equipment regardless of the model and variant and the 500 Ultra is no exception. Included for the asking price is fine quality leather upholstery, heated, ventilated, massaging and electrically adjustable front seats, ventilated and electrically folding second row seats with their own climate control panel, heated steering wheel, three digital displays including head-up display and plenty of comfort and convenience tech.

Every Tank 500 can accommodate seven people on board with a large boot that can be converted into a third row of seating or an even bigger boot if the second row is sacrificed.

Full LED headlights and exterior lighting is standard on the exterior as are, pop-out side steps and 18-inch alloy wheels and a fifth full-size wheel as a spare.

If you like chrome effect trims, you’ll love the Tank 500 which has enough on the outside to be measured in square metres. Since it was introduced though, the very North American market-pleasing grille has been swapped out for something a little less, dare we say, vulgar?

Typical to GWM form, beyond the optional $595 premium paint choices, everything is included in the price with no extras to choose except for the option to swap out the black Nappa leather seats for a blue and cream version.

The GWM Tank 500 was awarded the Australasian New Car Assessment Program’s (ANCAP) full five star rating in 2024. Since then though, the independent safety assessor has tightened its rules on driver assistance systems and now marks down vehicles with distracting systems.

Lucky for the 500, it sneaked in before because it has a pretty annoying driver attention and lane keeping assistance/warning system that is overly eager to the point of not being much use.

Among its strengths, ANCAP identified the Tank 500’s excellent child occupant protection (93 percent) along with praise for advanced autonomous emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, and a comprehensive list of active safety features.

Isofix child seat anchors and top tethers are only provided in the second row of seating with two and three respectively but none in the third row.

A 360-degree camera is standard along with the clever Clear Chassis feature although the image from the manoeuvring camera is hard to trust with a distorted sense of space and distance. Thankfully, 12 parking radar sensors and a self-parking function are also standard. It also wins back points for interactive camera which allows a virtual camera to be moved about the exterior using touch and drag on the touchscreen.

Interestingly, there’s no low speed artificially generated sound when the Tank 500 is rolling in electric-only power which is an ADR requirement, and could potentially pose a hazard to pedestrians in car parks for example.

The technological suite offered as standard in the GWM Tank 500 is comprehensive and impressive. A central touchscreen measures a generous 14.6-inch along with a second 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster for the driver. They’re both complemented by a third large screen in the form of a colour head-up display (HUD).

The arrangement of each screen is logical and intuitive like a smartphone and the combination of customisable layout and sidebar shortcuts makes it easy to use without showy or unnecessary features. We also like that the Tank 500 has its own internet hotspot.

The HUD is clear and large and we particularly like the snow mode which switches any white information to blue so it doesn’t become invisible over white roads.

Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is supported wirelessly, there’s wireless charging for a single device and there’s a combination of both USB type A and C power sockets in both the front rows of seating.

Lots of functions in the Tank 500’s cabin can be voice activated including opening windows and the sunroof. Even the command to wake up the system can be customised to your own trigger word which is a unique feature.

Finally, there is a GWM application allowing owners to access a number of connected features such as comfort and security functions with more under development and due to be added soon, says GWM.

Look as closely as you like, you’ll not find a diesel engine anywhere here. What you will find though is an accomplished turbo petrol four-cylinder with a hybrid electric system which boosts torque and efficiency into decidedly diesely territory.

Combined power and torque outputs are said to be 255kW and 648Nm with the 2.0-litre petrol engine contributing 180kW and 380NM while the electric motor adds 78kW and 268Nm.

It’s sent to all-four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission which has a low-range transfer box and electric gear shifter. It also incorporates the electric motor for a compact design and electric assistance in all gears.

If you want even more engine-off motoring, GWM will introduce a Hi4-T plug-in hybrid in the final quarter of 2025. It’ll deliver 300kW and 750Nm plus up to 120km of pure electric driving. That’s a lot.

During our time with the GWM Tank 500, we couldn’t get the fuel consumption any lower than 9L/100km which is very good for a car of this size and weight. The average however, was not so good coming in at about 12L/100km.

An 80-litre fuel tank is standard enabling a long range between fills and the Tank 500 doesn’t require posh petrol so 91 RON will help keep the cost of motoring down.

It was with the Haval H9 that GWM first proved how good it was at studying the popular products of other brands and synthesising it in a more affordable alternative. Happily, the Tank 500 pulls the same trick to great effect.

There’s more than just a hint of Toyota Landcruiser and Prado about the way the Tank 500 drives and that’s only a good thing.

It feels as heavy as it is with a decent amount of feel through the steering so it’s easy to understand what’s going on at all times - nothing is hidden or skimmed over to try and disguise the fact it’s a tall and large SUV.

Unfortunately, the powertrain is less consistent. Handover from electric to petrol and back again seems to change each time making it difficult to predict and drive smoothly and efficiently.

The accelerator and brake pedal would have benefitted from a little more development as the modulation is a little weird. Press the accelerator lightly and the Tank 500 hardly moves, push further and little happens until about the half way point at which point the GWM clearly thinks you want to do a full launch.

Braking is also strange largely thanks to the regenerative braking during which the drivetrain is harvesting otherwise wasted energy.

Performance is very good but doesn’t feel like the full power and torque figure GWM claims and, once again, one full-noise start can feel very different to another similarly conducted acceleration test off the mark. In-gear acceleration is good and the immediacy of electric assistance is notable.

For more typical day-to-day driving duties however, the Tank 500 is a comforting and comfortable vehicle for all aboard. Its suspension has been tuned with the right amount of softness which manifests as roll in corners but is much appreciated on longer straighter roads.

The smooth petrol engine is also quiet and more relaxing than a diesel chug on longer trips.

We didn’t test the Tank 500’s off-road credentials this time but we will in the future in a dedicated video because it has some bonafide 4x4 features including three locking differentials, proper low-range transmission, several off-road driving modes and lots of useful instrumentation.

Another feature we didn’t test is its (we’re not making this up) High-Speed Off-Road Racing and Drift Modes. Not because there wasn’t sufficient time but because that’s completely ridiculous in a seven-seat hybrid family SUV.

The Tank 500 gets a good selection of high-quality materials including excellent supple Nappa leather in an attractive diagonal diamond quilted pattern, proper stitching holding a decent leather-look textile onto the upper dashboard and a trim material that looks a bit like a bamboo laminate. We suspect it’s not a real natural material, but we don’t care as it looks and feels good.

We also award praise for resisting the urge to fit the dreaded ‘piano black’ trim with the frosted aluminium effect finishes looking far more premium and don’t show up finger marks or glare in the sun.

Multicolour ambient lighting is bright and classy along with a pleasant starry sky decoration in the passenger side dash facia.

Unfortunately, the climate control doesn’t get its own panel but it only takes one click of the touchscreen to access all the virtual features - so it’s better than most digital HVAC controllers.

Interior comfort highlights include seat heating that has nine levels and the same number for ventilation too. We also love the numerous seat massage settings including the ‘Catwalk’ and the fragrance dispenser which also has different levels of intensity.

Active noise cancellation is provided for the entire cabin by piping inverse wave sound through the 12-speaker sound system and eliminating unwanted background noise. It seems to work well but how can you ever tell?

Second row comfort and space is excellent and the spots behind the front seats are almost the pick in the Tank 500. It’s roomy for even the tallest adult, there’s more of the same lovely leather, both sides adjust independently with tilt and slide and there’s a dedicated climate panel.

The third row is easy to access thanks to the automatic side steps and electric folding seats and once settled in, there’s above average space that’ll keep kids very happy and adults only mildly uncomfortable.

Cabin storage isn’t as good as a large car like the Tank 500 might promise with a few nooks and cubbies about the interior, but its serious transmission and gearbox rob what might have been occupied by big stowing bins and pockets.

At the back though, the boot area provides load lugging that’s more up to expectations. With all seven seats in place, the remaining volume is less than 100 litres - not great - but with the third row electrically folded away, that space grows to a very decent which isn’t impacted by a full-size spare wheel because the genuine article hangs out on the back of the barn-door-style tailgate. Top marks all round.

The GWM Tank 500 Ultra is not the car it appears on first inspection. Yes, it is a large family SUV with room for seven, but it’s not a soft roader with some genuine 4x4 credentials included as standard.

It’s also packed with technology and has a highly unorthodox powertrain that isn’t quite as out of place as it seems once you start exploring what it can do. A diesel engine would certainly help its cause and perhaps explains why sales aren’t as satisfactory as the Tank 300 sibling, but that shouldn’t put you off a test drive at least.

There’s room for improvement and a bit of polish in virtually every area - apart from the interior fit and finish which is just great - but it’s almost there.

And when you throw its sharp price into the equation, more people really should be buying the Tank 500 over some more basic and uninspiring large SUVs.

2025 GWM Tank 500 Ultra at a glance:
Price: $71,990 drive away
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol-electric
Output: 180kW/380Nm (electric motor: 78kW/268Nm)
Combined output: 255kW/648Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.5L/100km
CO2: 199g/km Safety rating: 5-star ANCAP 2024

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