GWM’s Tank 300 defies doubts about Chinese off‑roaders

Towards the end of World War II, the German army deployed two new tanks very different in purpose but equally... Towards the end of World War II, the German army deployed two new tanks very different in purpose but equally respected and feared by foes, the Panther and the Tiger. The Panther featured a smaller gun and was more lightly armoured but was fast and nimble, while the Tiger weighed 10 tons more and featured a lethal 88mm cannon. The Tiger was an all-out assault weapon but slow and its range was limited. The Panther was a tank-killer in design, function and performance. GWM’s Tank 300 2.4-litre turbocharged 4×4 is a modern automotive equivalent of the Panther, punching above its weight in the popular off-road market segment because it can do everything other conventional off-roaders do… at a much lower price. Because, unless you’re über-wealthy, I bet you’d rather thrash a perfectly capable GWM Tank 300 costing R700 000 through Botswana than a Jeep Wrangler or Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (two direct competitors), which are priced above R1.3 million. Having driven any number of Chinese vehicles over the past few years, I was dubious about the Tank 300, regardless of the glowing reports I’d received from fellow motoring journalists. After all, what do the Chinese know about bundu-bashing? My general experience is that Chinese carmakers take every western automotive gimmick they can find and cram them into their own vehicles – regardless of whether they integrate or are even appropriate. And while I’ve rarely had problems with cabin comfort levels, I’ve found the placing of knobs and buttons to be everything but driver-intuitive. There are exceptions and the GWM Tank 300 is one. It’s also one of the very few vehicles from that part of the world I’ve found fun to drive. GWM’s latest television advert plays to this: it features three buddies in a Tank 300 unpacking for a weekend in the bush… only to discover they’ve forgotten the charcoal and ice. One grabs the remote fob and embarks on a high-speed adventure to the nearest shop. On his return, the group discovers that, while he’s bought the charcoal, he’s forgotten the ice. This triggers a gleeful grab for the fob by his mates, leaving viewers with the impression their forgetfulness was deliberate. The tagline is “go with more”, a more imaginative use of the letters GWM than the actual Great Wall Motors. I was initially attracted to the Tank 300 because it’s eye-catching both outside and in: the shape is boxy and solid, yes, but it’s not “clunky” and the dashboard features digital functionality within an almost analogue layout. I was smitten the moment I pressed the start button. That was the moment I realised I would spend the next week playing with the turbocharged diesel model and all the power (135kW) and torque (480Nm) on offer. The sad thing about being a 4×4 enthusiast is that the true playgrounds are few and far between. More often than not, only way to truly test a vehicle’s off-roading capabilities is to drive long distances on public roads to get there. I had to head quite a distance from Cape Town to find a suitable spot to go off-road (a friend’s rugged and very private nature reserve) but getting there was a doddle. I frequently depart the N1 after Paarl to head over the Dutoitskloof Mountains rather than going through the Huguenot Tunnel in order to test a vehicle’s road-holding abilities and this was one such occasion. Not only did the Tank handle the bends admirably but the nine-speed electronic transmission was smooth but responsive when I put my foot down for the infrequent and short stretches on the steep slopes to the crest where one can overtake slow-moving trucks. On the freeway itself, it feels as if one is driving a luxury sedan/SUV; Nappa leather seats, climate and speed control, mobile phone connectivity and the driver assistance programmes one would associate with an upmarket vehicle designed and made in nanny state Europe. However, it is when you engage low-range (even without turning on the electronically activated diff locks for the front and back axles to transfer the engine’s full power independently to all four wheels) that the real Panther is revealed. Ground clearance is nothing exceptional (224mm) but the rigid chassis means you don’t need to have all four wheels on the ground when negotiating really tough obstacles. Actually, one man’s obstacle is another’s plaything. GWM claims a fuel efficiency of 7.7/100km but I achieved 9.1 in combined in all on and offroad conditions.