Nissan Patrol vs GWM Tank 300

What's the difference?

Premcar faced a formidable challenge in improving a vehicle as competent as the Patrol Ti, but the Warrior succeeds in achieving the project's four key objectives of enhanced off-road capability, road presence, V8 soundtrack and refinement.

It offers astonishing performance and handling for a vehicle of its size and weight and with its recent cabin technology upgrades, the Patrol Warrior has become an even more desirable package. Fact is, we didn’t want to hand it back, which says plenty.

The GWM Tank 300 is an impressive 4WD wagon. Build quality, ride and handling and off-road capability all deserve praise.

So, is the petrol Tank 300 4WD worth spending your hard-earned cash on? After two off-road tests in it, and spending a bit of time in it on-road as well, I reckon, yes.

It’s packed with standard features, purpose-built for 4WDing and it’s well priced, especially when anything that can match it for features, comfort and capability costs about $20,000 more.

Significant changes are focused on the active suspension system, which uses active dampers fitted to each wheel’s coil-sprung suspension arms to serve as shock absorbers and stabiliser bars in one.

This not only provides optimum wheel travel and traction off-road but also monitors cornering forces and distributes hydraulic pressure to minimise body roll when on-road.

Warrior upgrades include a 40mm increase in track width, to provide a wider and more planted stance with only a slight 100mm increase in turning circle.

The body also sits 50mm higher thanks to a 29mm suspension lift and 21mm taller wheel and tyre package, resulting in 323mm of ground clearance, a steep 40 degrees approach angle and 23.3 degrees departure angle with tow-bar fitted.

However, it will still fit under multi-storey or underground car parks with typical 2.0-metre-plus height limits.

There's also unique Premcar hydraulic valve componentry and calibrations to sharpen chassis response, along with revised front springs and new multi-rate rear springs with progressive-rate rear bump-stops.

The Warrior’s heavy-duty off-road hardware has contributed to a higher kerb weight, which Premcar has allowed for in the Warrior’s 120kg GVM upgrade that brings a handy 48kg increase in carrying capacity compared to the Ti. The Patrol’s standard 3.5-tonne braked tow rating is also maintained.

There’s generous space and sumptuous luxury for the driver and front passenger and when I'm seated in the second row, with the driver’s seat in my position, there’s still about 12cm of knee clearance which is admirable space given my 186cm height.

The second-row seats fold and tumble forward to allow easy access to the third-row. However, that convenience causes a space problem for third-row passengers (tall ones at least), because the second-row can’t be slid forward and its backrest angle can’t be adjusted.

So, although Nissan claims an eight-seat capacity in 2-3-3 formation, that could realistically only be achieved with small kids in the rear stalls.

The Tank 300 looks like a mash-up of a Ford Bronco and a five-door Suzuki Jimny; it’s a boxy 4WD with prominent wheel arches and just as pronounced side steps.

Inside and out, it’s a striking blend of old and new, cool retro style with a modern touch. 

Our test vehicle was an eye-catching Dusk Orange colour. You’ll like it or loathe it.

Inside, there is a lot of hard plastic everywhere, more than merely a nod to its engineered purpose as a rugged 4WD adventure machine, and that ties in with its all-around ready-for-real-life character.

But leather and soft-touch surfaces throughout provide a low-key sense of classy balance to those durable plasticky aspects.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen is clear and bright and the centre console is a mix of traditional and on-screen buttons – but more about the multi-media system below.

Worth noting is the fact that while the directional air vents look fine they feel rather flimsy once you start moving them around to open/close/direct them.

The Warrior’s hefty 2884kg kerb weight is 72kg heavier than the standard Ti due to its unique off-road armoury. Even so, its uprated 3620kg GVM allows for 736kg of load capacity, which should be ample for five adults and their luggage on a trip.

It’s also rated to tow up to 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 7000kg GCM rating (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would require a 120kg reduction in vehicle load to avoid exceeding the GCM.

Or you could lower the trailer limit by the same amount (from 3500kg to 3380kg) and maintain the Warrior’s maximum load. Either way, these are sizeable and practical numbers for a multitude of recreational pursuits.

Cabin storage for driver and front passenger includes a bottle-holder and bin in each front door, plus a glove box and overhead glasses holder.

The centre console has two small bottle/cupholders and various nooks for small items, plus a large box at the rear with a padded lid that doubles as a plush elbow rest. The console also has two USB-A ports and two 12-volt sockets.

Second-row passengers get a bottle-holder and bin in each door, plus large pockets on the front seat backrests and access to the console box thanks a clever two-way console lid.

There are also two pop-out small bottle/cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest and the rear of the centre console provides separate climate controls, two USB-A ports and another 12-volt socket. There are also bottle/cupholders on each side of the third row.

The large rear luggage area has another 12-volt socket, storage compartments beneath the load floor and multiple retractable hooks for anchoring load straps or nets.

It offers 468 litres of load volume with the third row upright, 1413 litres with the third row folded and a cavernous 2632 litres (or more than 2.6 cubic metres) with the second and third rows folded.

The interior is either 'Comfort-Tek' synthetic leather seating (Lux), or Nappa leather seating (Ultra) and beyond those soft-touch surfaces the Tank 300 has a practical and comfortable interior.

The Ultra has five seats, bucket-style up front for the driver and front passenger (both okay, but not ideal in terms of support and comfort), and a three-seat bench-style second row in a 60/40 split configuration. 

In the grand tradition of second-row seats it's okay, not great. The second row folds flat to expand the rear cargo space.

Cargo space is a listed 400 litres when the second row seats are in use, and 1635 litres when that second row is stowed away.

The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to use even if the English-as-a-second-language wording on some of the driving-mode explanations is off-target every now and again.

The audio system is nine-speaker in the Lux and Ultra, but the Ultra's is described as 'Premium'.

There's wireless charging, front and rear USB ports, as well as 12V and 220V power outlets.

The seats are Nappa leather accented, heated and cooled (up front), and the driver gets an eight-way power-adjustable perch (with lumbar adjustment and massage function). 

The 64-colour ambient lighting is a discotheque touch at night.

The Tank 300 petrol line-up has two variants: the Lux ($46,990 drive-away) and Ultra ($50,990 drive-away).

Standard features include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless charging, 12V and 220V power outlets, Nappa leather accented seats, heated and cooled (front) seats, eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar adjustment and massage, nine-speaker premium audio, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, front and rear diff locks, 18-inch alloy wheels, 64-colour ambient lighting and more.

It has LED headlights and tail-lights, front and rear USB ports, a sunroof, side steps, roof rails, seven airbags (including front centre), and a stack of driver-assist tech including AEB and forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane centre keep, emergency lane keep, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert with brake, tyre pressure monitoring, front parking sensors and rear parking sensors, 360-degree around-view camera, transparent chassis function and more.

The GWM Tank 300 is available with five different paint jobs: 'Fossil Grey' is no-extra-cost standard, but 'Lunar Red', 'Pearl White', 'Crystal Black' or 'Dusk Orange' each cost $595, at time of writing.

The ageless DOHC 32-valve 5.6-litre petrol V8 with variable valve timing produces the same 298kW at 5800rpm and 560Nm at 4000rpm as the standard Ti.

However, the Warrior's unique bi-modal exhaust system offers a choice of mild (using the full-length system) or wild (using a shorter side-exit system) exhaust notes via an internal valve.

The refined seven-speed torque converter automatic transmission has overdrive on its sixth and seventh ratios for optimum highway economy, plus adaptive shift control and the choice of sequential manual-shifting.

The full-time 4WD system offers a locking rear differential, electronic switching between high and low ranges, three off-road terrain modes ('Sand'/'Rock'/'Snow') and hill descent control.

The Tank 300 petrol has a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, producing 162kW at 5500rpm and 380Nm from 1800 to 3600rpm.

It has an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission (the hybrid has a nine-speed auto) and a part-time four-wheel drive system with 4WD high-range and 4WD low-range for off-roading.

Nissan claims an official combined average consumption of 14.4L/100km but the dash display was showing 17.5L/100km when we stopped to refuel after 306km of testing which comprised city, suburban, highway and dirt road driving.

Our figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at just under 20L/100km. This admittedly included heavy throttle use exploring the Warrior’s handling and exhaust enhancements, so this consumption would improve with a lighter right foot.

Even so, based on our figures, owners could still expect a driving range of around 700km from its huge 140-litre petrol tank, which expands to 970km based on Nissan’s official figure.

The GWM Tank 300 Ultra petrol has a listed combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 9.5L/100km. It uses regular unleaded fuel.

On test I recorded 10.4L/100km from pump to pump.

The Tank 300 has a 75-litre fuel tank so, going by the fuel figures above, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 720km from a full tank. 

Note: Drop 30-50km off any driving-range figure for a better idea of your vehicle’s safe touring range. Also, remember that numerous other factors affect your fuel consumption and so impact your touring range, including how much extra weight you have onboard (passengers, camping gear etc), whether your vehicle is fitted with any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, spare-wheel carrier, etc), whether you are towing (a camper-trailer, caravan, or boat etc), your vehicle's tyre pressures and the conditions.

My wife and I had no trouble finding comfortable driving positions, thanks to its combination of a height/reach-adjustable steering wheel, prominent left footrest and 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat.

The big V8 has a muscular deep-chested rumble at idle, which changes to a full-throated roar when you prod the accelerator hard enough to redirect the exhaust flow through the shorter side-pipes.

The Patrol comes standard with fantastic ride and handling thanks to its active suspension, but Premcar’s input has that ‘special vehicle’ feel to it.

With its wider track it feels even more surefooted on the road, which combined with revised hydraulic valving and spring rates provides a more responsive driving experience that doesn’t compromise its supple ride quality.

It feels lighter and more agile than you’d expect for a high-riding SUV that weighs more than 2.8 tonnes.

The 5.6-litre V8 is a torque monster, with 90 per cent of its generous 560Nm on tap from only 1600rpm. You can rev it all the way to 5800rpm to extract its 298kW of peak power, but we found the most rewarding performance was to revel in its abundant surge of pulling power below 4000rpm.

On the highway it requires only 1750rpm to maintain 110km/h, making it an effortless and quiet road-tripper, given low tyre and wind noise combined with low engine noise courtesy of the bi-modal exhaust using the full-length system in cruising mode.

Overall, this is a fun and rewarding vehicle to drive, within the obvious limitations of a large 4x4 wagon.

I covered about 400km in total, on sealed surfaces in between off-road testing and overall the Tank 300 was rather impressive.

It’s quiet and refined on-road but has few alarming characteristics, which I’ll get to soon.

The petrol engine is lively and punches this 2106kg wagon along at a nice clip.

Steering has a sporty weight to it and is precise enough for easy driving in the city, suburbs and on the highway.

Ride and handling is nicely composed – mostly. It feels a bit floaty at times, some body-roll creeps in during livelier turns and there is a spongy feel to the coil-spring suspension.

But, other than that, this 4WD consistently feels stable and planted.

NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) levels are kept to a minimum, though there’s some wind rush around the chunky wing mirrors.

Visibility is reasonable but a bit pinched in places. The big bonnet can impact the driver’s forward vision, and that’s why, when you’re 4WDing, the Tank 300’s transparent chassis function comes in handy.

As for those 'alarming characteristics' I mentioned earlier…

Under heavy braking the Tank 300 pitches forward severely, with seemingly all momentum forcing the vehicle into a disconcerting nose-dive. Not good.

Driver-assist tech is generally seamless, but lane keep assist is too harsh and too pre-emptive in its application – wrenching you into line whenever it ‘thinks' you have drifted too far off-centre.

Auto stop-start engages abruptly and there is a disconcerting amount of lag before the vehicle starts again from standstill.

Not good at all when you need quick off-the-mark pace to safely merge with traffic from a stop light or after a lengthy pause at a roundabout.

The Tank 300 did however prove to be an effective off-roader. It handled the gravel track to our 4WD test site with ease.

This route is peppered with light corrugations, as well as, deeper into the bush, severe ruts and potholes, so it’s not an easy drive for any standard 4WD.

But this GWM wagon in 4WD high-range, did well, and was only ever rattled (a bit) when we hit a section of much deeper wheel ruts and potholes where modified 4WDs had damaged the track. 

My patented ‘Watch out for that 'roo!' emergency-braking test again revealed the Tank 300’s tendency to pitch forward dramatically under heavy braking and it took some work to keep the vehicle on track. 

The Tank 300 is well suited to low-range 4WDing. It may not have a ton of torque on tap (380Nm), but that pulling power is available across a decent rev range and this 4WD makes efficient use of what it does have.

Its off-road driving modes, including 'Mud/Sand', 'Rock', 'Mountain' and 'Pothole', seem calibrated appropriately for the demands of different terrain, although I wouldn’t rely on them, too much.

In the middle of an Aussie summer I didn’t get to test the ‘Snow’ setting, but when you engage some of the modes it will lock diffs where appropriate.

Low-range gearing is sound, without being Jeep Wrangler Rubicon great, and with its front and rear diffs locked, the Tank 300 tackled every 4WD challenge with ease.

Visibility is restricted in places due to the cabin build style, but that’s not such an issue when you’re 4WDing at very low speeds – you can always stop and get out of the vehicle to check the track ahead.

However, the Tank 300’s 'Transparent Chassis' function goes some of the way to improving driver visibility.

This system is similar to the 'Transparent Bonnet' view in the Land Rover Defender in that its aim is to extend the range of the around-view camera to include a view under the Tank 300 (represented on-screen as a ‘ghost vehicle’ outline when Transparent Chassis is selected).

Wheel travel is decent enough – the Tank 300 has a live rear axle – but the standard Michelin Primacy SUV tyres (265/60 R18) are not well suited to 4WDing. Fit a decent set of aggressive all-terrains to make this 4WD wagon even better off-road.

The Tank 300 loses a few off-road efficacy points, though, because…

It feels low. Ground clearance is listed as 224mm, and it has official approach and departure angles of 33 and 34 degrees, respectively (no ramp-over angle is listed), but it feels vulnerable to scraping its undercarriage on the earth.

Its pronounced side steps also seem to nudge the ground when you’re traversing rough terrain. Not among the Tank 300’s best features.

Listed payload is 446kg, which will quickly be used up once you add aftermarket equipment, passengers, camping gear and your dogs to the mix.

Unbraked towing capacity is listed as 750kg, while braked capacity is 2500kg. 

The Tank 300 has the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing in 2022.

As standard, it has seven airbags and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, lane centre keep, emergency lane keep, adaptive cruise control (it worked for me on this test), traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert with brake, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree around-view camera.

Nissan provides a five-year/unlimited km warranty (plus five-year roadside assist) for the Patrol Ti base vehicle, which Premcar matches with its own five-year warranty covering the Warrior conversion.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/10,000km, whichever occurs first.

Capped-price servicing for the first five scheduled services totals $3019, or an average of $603.80 per service.

The Tank 300 has a seven-year/unlimited kilometre factory warranty, five years of roadside assistance and five-year capped price servicing. 

Servicing intervals are set for every 12 months or 10,000km. 

Capped price servicing puts the costs at $300 each for the first, second and fifth service, and $550 each for the third and fourth service. That's an annual average of $400.