GWM Tank 700 could cost over $100,000

Will Aussies pay more than $100,000 for a Chinese-built 4x4?

That’s the question GWM Australia is wrestling with right now, as it investigates whether there’s a market for bigger and more expensive off-road SUVs Down Under.

The Chinese auto giant has its eye on the GWM Tank 700 for export markets including Australia, but the lavish large SUV with its Mercedes G-wagon inspired interior won’t come cheap, with indicative prices in China starting at around 500,000 yuan – roughly $A106,000 – and rising much higher for top-spec model grades.

The angular GWM Tank 700 is roughly the same size as the Toyota LandCruiser (which is priced between $98,000-$147,000 plus on-road costs) at just over five metres long and comes with dizzying array of technology.

Chief among them are triple locking diffs, air suspension and a thumping 385kW/800Nm turbo-petrol 3.0-litre V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain complete with an electric motor.

The hybrid powerplant drives all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission with low-range ratios and its boxy design is accompanied by power-extending side steps and 22-inch alloy wheels.

Boasting enough luxury to rival the Burj Khalifa six-star hotel in Dubai, the Tank 700 features either brown or crimson interior decor complete with heated, cooled and massaging front and rear seats, plus a huge 15.6-inch central touch-screen, dual 50W wireless phone charging pads and a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

During a media event at GWM’s Baoding proving ground in China, carsales recently tested the ultra-luxurious Tank 700 flagship (our first drive review is embargoed until May 2) and it’s clear the hard-core 4x4 is very much GWM’s flagship model and a high-tech showcase of what the brand is capable of.

Asked if Aussies would pay $100,000-plus for a Chinese off-road SUV, GWM Australia marketing and communications chief Steve Maciver was cautiously positive.

“That’s a very good question and who knows?” he said.

“We've gone from an average selling price of around about $25,000 four years ago to sitting around north of $40,000 today. Now that’s been a fairly quick turnaround and that’s been driven by the quality of the product.

“With the introduction of products like Cannon Alpha and Tank 500, that average selling price within the next 12 months is going to creep up again,” stated Maciver.

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

New-vehicle prices have been rising rapidly in Australia since the start of the decade and following the successful launch of the GWM Tank brand with two off-road models (the Tank 300 and Tank 500), the disruptive Chinese brand has made no secret of its desire to offer more – and more expensive – rock-crushing SUVs to flesh out its range.

“I think a car with that level of technology and that powertrain sitting within that price bracket, that’s top of the tree,” said Maciver of the Tank 700’s flagship status – at least until the Tank 800 breaks cover.

“The question is, do we think we can make a business case for it in Australia? I’d like to think so, but we’ll have to work through that,” explained the exec.

With ground clearance of 255mm – more than the most rugged Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series variant – the GWM Tank 700 has an approach angle of 32 degrees, a departure angle of 33 degrees and a wading depth of 900mm.

It’s based around a sturdy ladder-frame chassis and has a long 3000mm wheelbase.

“The car is ready, as you can see, but I don’t believe it’s available in right-hand drive markets just yet,” said Maciver.

“In theory, if we were to build a business case and decide that the car was right for us, and we could do minimum volume and bring it in as a flagship, that could happen as quickly as six months or nine months,” said Maciver.

That means we could see the Tank 700 in local showrooms as soon as late 2024.

“That’s how quickly this brand moves; we’ve seen it before with other product that we’ve been introduced to and it’s on sale and available to us really quickly and the turnaround is very, very quick if we can make the business case,” he added.

Maciver also suggested that the GWM Tank sub-brand’s all-new technological tour de force could be offered with a four-cylinder hybrid powertrain to bring costs down.

“I'm not saying it’s definitely available but if you look at the 2.0-litre turbo hybrid petrol that’s powering Tank 500 today – a similar-sized car with what you’d have to say would be a similar kerb weight – maybe that’s an option to getting that powertrain in there too and potentially changing the selling price,” he said.

Stay tuned for our first drive of the Tank 700 and more details on China’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

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