Audi RS3 vs GWM Tank 500

What's the difference?

The Audi RS3 is a special hot hatch and sedan I’m so glad I experienced before its five-cylinder engine is inevitably retired due to emissions regulations. Full of character and charisma, this car is far from a rational purchase, pitched at boy racers who don’t want to grow up just yet.

From a value perspective, too, while the asking price has crossed the six-figure threshold and the option prices add thousands, it’s still much cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Make of that what you will.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The Tank 500 is an impressive seven-seat 4WD wagon. It’s reasonably nice to drive, comfortable and it’s a capable 4WD.

There are glaring issues with some of its driver-assist tech and its hybrid set-up doesn’t offer the fuel economy you’d hope for. But it is packed with features and represents decent value-for-money when cross-shopped against the likes of Prado and Everest.

Audi has made some subtle tweaks to the RS3 that has somehow made this snarling hot hatch look even angrier.

Up front there’s a new fascia featuring more open sections, which in turn improves air flow. A black styling package is now standard so it almost looks like the entire front is open and ready to eat you alive.

The matrix LED headlights now have a darkened finish which adds to the menacing look. There are new signatures, including a special chequered flag one for the RS3 which looks top notch.

Around the side it surprises me just how much wider the front is compared to the rear. Both have big, muscular haunches, but it shows this hot hatch is a bit of a bulldog. I’m a big fan.

These haunches stand out even more when you opt for the new Daytona Grey Matte exterior paint. While the extra $11,400 for the privilege makes me wince, it looks sexy on this car.

The standard 19-inch ‘Y-spoke’ alloy wheel design remains unchanged from the pre-update car, though there’s a new, optional ‘cross-spoke’ design that looks delicious (and tricky to clean).

At the back there’s still the classic RS dual exhaust tip motif which looks mean and it’s surrounded by a new black rear diffuser with a motorsport-inspired vertical red reflector in the centre.

The new LED tail-light signature with the vertical slats is so clean and neat. It looks particularly great in low-light situations or at night.

Inside, the biggest change is the new RS steering wheel with the flat top and bottom. As standard it’s wrapped in perforated leather, but with the optional RS Design package it’s wrapped in 'Dinamica' synthetic suede. I much prefer the standard leather-wrapped unit as the Dinamica likely won’t last in the long run, especially if you’ve got clammy hands.

Other changes include more interior ambient lighting on the door cards through small slits, as well as a new shift-by-wire gear selector. The digital instrument cluster and touchscreen multimedia system set-up remains unchanged which is no bad thing because they look fantastic.

It’s disappointing Audi has stuck with an extensive use of piano black on the centre console because this gets dusty and grimy very quickly, and then can get scratched easily when wiped clean. It now also features on the steering wheel buttons, which are frequent touchpoints.

In terms of dimensions, it’s 5078mm long (with a 2850mm wheelbase), 1934mm wide and 1905mm high.

The Tank 500 has a kind of throwback retro style. Not quite as much as its smaller stablemate, the Tank 300, but obvious nonetheless.

There are plenty of old-school 4WD design cues. It’s more than a bit blocky and straight up and down in places, yet it still manages a somewhat contemporary look. Although, there’s a lot of chrome everywhere if that's your cup of tea. 

It's clear to see where the GWM Tank 500 takes its cues from – most of the current crop of popular 4WD wagons, such as the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.

The Tank 500 is a large vehicle and it straddles that line between large and extra-large 4WD wagons. It is longer than any 300 Series, but it’s narrower and shorter.

It has a sunroof, roof rails and big side steps, befitting a 4WD wagon, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The interior is well laid-out and functional. Depending on the variant, the interior will either have synthetic leather seating (Lux), or genuine Nappa leather seating (Ultra) and beyond ample soft-touch surfaces there's much to like about the GWM Tank 500's practical and comfortable interior.

The RS3’s standard sport front seats are deliciously comfortable and offer plenty of electric adjustment. This means people of any size and stature should be able to find their desired seating position.

Thanks to the electric lumbar there’s also a massage function for the front seats. This is pretty cool to flick on and relax into, but I wish the massage was a little stronger.

While the new steering wheel looks cool interacting with the buttons on it can be a bit of a hassle. They’re touch-sensitive but do have a satisfying click if pressed harder.

There were moments where I accidentally clicked on the buttons during intensive track driving as my hands were at the nine and three o’clock positions. Not the best thing when you’re meant to be focussing.

The digital instrument cluster offers so much configuration you won’t know what to do with yourself. There’s even a new rev counter design especially for the RS3 which looks very cool.

Moving across, the touchscreen multimedia system is classic Audi. It’s easy to navigate around and hard to get lost in the sub-menus. There’s also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity which is virtually a given now.

While you need to use the touchscreen for a number of features, I appreciate how Audi has retained so much physical switchgear up front. It’s particularly handy to have physical toggle switches and a small digital display that’s separate from the touchscreen for the climate control.

Another piece of physical switchgear I like up front is the rotary dial for the media controls on centre console. It’s much like an iPod, allowing you to change the volume if you rotate your finger on it like a click-wheel. Major throwback vibes.

In terms of storage up front, it’s decent but not outstanding. There are two cupholders, a wireless phone charger, a centre console box as well as a lockable glove box.

Moving to the second row, it’s clear it’s more for the sake of it, rather than having a space you’d want to use all the time. At a leggy 182cm tall, I have minimal legroom behind my own driving position.

With headroom, it’s adequate in the hatchback and not great in the lower-slung sedan. I need to kink my neck in the latter to fit, which isn’t comfortable.

The second-row bench seat is comfortable, offering enough support for short-to-medium trips. I wouldn’t want to get stuck back there for too long, however.

In terms of amenities, there are air vents mounted on the back of the centre console with a dedicated third zone of climate control, two USB-C ports, nets on the seat backs as well as a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders.

At the back there’s a power tailgate for the hatchback, however the sedan only has a power-opening boot lid. This means you need to manually shut it, which isn’t uncommon for sedans.

Boot space in the RS3 is a weak spot due to all the componentry for the all-wheel drive system and the tricky rear clutch set-up. There’s only 282L for the hatch and 321L for the sedan, which isn’t much.

In reality, however, the boot space is still usable. It’s fairly square and there’s barely any boot lip, meaning you can slide things in and out with ease.

Boot-related amenities include a netting system to keep things from sliding around, a light, some hooks and a 12V socket. There’s also a parcel cover for the hatchback.

Unfortunately there’s no spare wheel of any kind under the boot floor in the RS3 as this is where the 12V battery lives. Instead there’s a tyre repair kit. This isn’t uncommon in performance cars, though it’s disappointing if you frequently travel in the country, away from tyre repair shops.

The GWM Tank 500 Lux has seven seats. Bucket-style seats up front for the driver and front passenger (fine in terms of support and comfort), a three-seat second row in a 60/40 split configuration and a third row in a 50/50 split. 

The seats in the Lux are synthetic leather, the Ultra gets Nappa leather and the Lux driver gets an eight-way power-adjustable seat plus four-way adjustable lumbar support; the front passenger gets four-way electric adjustment.

Trading up to the Ultra gets driver and front passenger seats that offer a variety of massage modes. Hmmmm, massage…

In the grand tradition of 4WD wagon second-row seats everywhere, they are fine but not fantastic – reasonably comfortable and supportive. The second and third rows fold flat to expand the rear storage capacity. 

Cargo space is a listed 98 litres when all seats are in use, 795 litres when the third row is stowed away, and 1459L when the second and third rows are lowered.

In the rear cargo area there are tie-down points and a cargo slide cover to conceal whatever you have in the back from prying eyes.

Up front, the 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, dominates the dash and is easy enough to use, although the cabin set-up is a bit confusing and counter-intuitive in its operation.

Case in point: while the aircon’s fan-speed can be controlled using physical buttons or on-screen buttons, the temperature controls can only be adjusted via the screen which poses a problem if the screen itself freezes on the start-up graphics and you’re unable to adjust the temp via the screen – as it did on this test.

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

The audio system has eight speakers in the Lux and 12 in the Ultra’s Infinity system.

The Lux has ‘follow me home’ lights but it doesn’t get the Ultra's 64-colour ambient lighting system.

There are two Tank 500 petrol-hybrid variants available at the moment: the Lux – our test vehicle – and it has drive-away pricing of $66,490, and the Ultra which has drive-away pricing of $73,990.

Standard features in the Lux include a 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), three-zone climate control, a 360-degree view monitor and 'clear chassis view', 'Auto Parking Assist', 'Auto Reversing Assistance', lane departure warning, lane keep assist, all-terrain driving modes and an electronic rear diff lock.

'Marble White' paint is standard. Metallic paint, including 'Crystal Black', 'Dune Gold' and 'Onyx Silver', costs an extra $595.

The Audi RS3 is still powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine which produces an unchanged 294kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

This is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.

Audi claims both versions of the RS3 can do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.8 seconds, which is technically 0.1 seconds faster than a Mercedes-AMG A45 S. Top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h.

Every Tank 500 Hybrid has a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, a 1.76kWh battery and an electric motor. That combination produces 255kW and 648Nm.

The Tank 500 has a nine-speed automatic transmission, low- and high-range 4WD gearing, as well as a rear diff lock.

The Audi RS3 sedan is claimed to consume 8.2L/100km, whereas the RS3 hatch is claimed to consume 8.3L/100km, both on the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle (ADR 81/02).

Both body types come with a 55L fuel tank and require a minimum of 98 RON premium unleaded petrol.

During my testing I saw an average of 9.6L/100km according to the trip computer. We did around 200km of higher speed driving heading east out of Melbourne, including some spirited sections.

Our on-test figure translates to a range of 570km on a full tank of petrol.

Official fuel consumption is 8.5L/100km on a combined cycle on regular unleaded fuel. On this test I recorded 12.8L/100km. 

The Tank 500 has a 80-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 625km 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.

Spoiler alert, it’s a cracker.

Starting up the RS3, you’re instantly aware you’re behind the wheel of something special. Audi has made the start-up more “emotional” with this update and also “optimised” the exhaust flap control for more five-cylinder growl across a wider rev range.

When you’re on the boil, this five-cylinder sounds so fantastic. It’s the clear centrepiece of this car and I’m so happy Audi has continued to offer it.

However, thanks to the addition of a petrol particulate filter (PPF) with this latest-generation model it sounds a little muted in everyday driving. Call me a boy racer, but I want more noise.

Staying on the engine, it’s full of character and gets this small hatch and sedan moving along with ease. Even though the outputs are unchanged with this update, it’s still more than enough; 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds shows it's more than enough.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission in this car keeps the acceleration feeling relentless with snappy gear changes at a moment’s notice. It’s particularly fun taking control of moving between the ratios with the paddle shifters.

In slow-moving traffic, however, the dual-clutch can get a little lost and stuttery, which is a classic characteristic of this kind of transmission.

As standard the all-wheel drive system remains neutral, keeping the front and rear balanced and in check. However, if you flick to the ‘Dynamic’ drive mode you get more rear-biased action which is fun when you exit a corner with some extra heat.

There’s also still a ‘RS torque rear’ drive mode which is essentially a drift mode. Unfortunately we didn’t get to sample this during the launch program.

Additionally, there’s an ‘Individual’ mode that allows you to choose your own destiny. You could spend hours here fine-tuning your desired drive mode which is both great to see but complete nerd-core.

Like the pre-update car, there’s an electronically controlled multi-disc clutch on the rear axle which actively splits the torque between the rear wheels. However, it’s been "optimised" to allow for quicker cornering.

While this is hard to gauge without testing the pre-update and current car back-to-back, the RS3 is so dynamic it feels like you only scratch the surface on public roads. Thankfully we got to see how far we could push it on Haunted Hills, which is a fantastically complicated hill climb circuit in eastern Victoria.

In terms of the steering, there’s a progressive rack as standard which ramps up the steering intensity the more you turn the wheel. In practice, this means the lock-to-lock ratio is very short, making it easy to link up tight corners.

It also makes it easy to navigate tighter driving scenarios, like parking, though it disguises how wide the turning circle is. Expect to do three-point turns fairly often.

For the suspension, the RS3 has adaptive dampers set-up that generally errs on the sportier and firm side. There is a ‘Comfort’ mode which irons out some bumps, but larger road imperfections still transmit harshly into the cabin.

It’s also worth noting at higher speeds there’s a considerable amount of road and tyre noise that comes into the cabin. Thankfully the Sonos sound system does a great job at drowning this out.

Lastly, the safety systems in this car are generally user-friendly, though the lane-keep assist can be a little too hands-on, especially on narrow roads with poor lane markings. Thankfully you can switch this off by pressing and holding a button on the end of the indicator stalk.

The Tank 500 has a fancy-schmancy start-up screen replete with Tron-style graphics and an accompanying soundtrack that are rather impressive, if you’re into that sort of thing. But I’ll let you know a few paragraphs deeper into this yarn why I think GWM should do away with that whole sequence.

This wagon has a kerb weight of 2605kg and a turning circle of 11.2m, so it’s not insubstantial, but it rarely feels too clumsy or cumbersome to drive anywhere.

It’s reasonably nice on-road during general driving duties but there are a few things to watch out for. 

Ride and handling is a bit firm and jittery on irregular surfaces such as rough country roads, but it's okay otherwise. It's reasonably quiet, somewhat refined and it's comfortable without being too plush. 

The engine, electric motor and auto transmission generally work together pretty smoothly, but there were times on this test, mostly on road, where there was a jarring change when the electric motor switches to the petrol engine. Not atrocious, but certainly noticeable.

Acceleration is sometimes unpredictable with a sequence of events thus: I put my right foot down to get enough speed for a quick merge from standstill into oncoming traffic, no reaction from vehicle at all… then, with a flaring throttle, it will suddenly lurched into motion. Inconvenient at best, dangerous at worst.

The brakes are also very spongy and often slow to bite until really stomped.

The Tank 500’s driver-assist tech is too clunky and intrusive. I drive a lot of country roads and because those surfaces sometimes don’t have road markings at the side or a centreline, the Tank 500 was constantly sounding alerts or jerking the steering wheel to get me back into what it thought was the correct driving line on those country roads.

The adaptive cruise control is inconsistent. You’ll cruise along nicely until the system applies immediate heavy braking due to a speed sign that’s not applicable, or a car that’s not that close (to the side or in front).

Also, the driver monitor is annoying. It was forever telling me to have a break, or to keep my eyes on the road, or to focus on the road, or – and this is a direct quote from the system itself – “Beware of the road”.

I reckon GWM should ditch the Tank 500’s fancy start-up screen graphics and soundtrack and spend that money on sorting out the driver-assist tech so it operates more seamlessly and effectively.

However, the good news is the Tank 500 feels right at home when four-wheel driving.

On paper, it seems like it should be capable off-road. It has a Borg Warner dual-range transfer case, off-road driving modes and a rear lock. 

It checks out in terms of off-road measurements with approach, departure and rampover angles of 30, 24 and 22.5 degrees, respectively, 224mm ground clearance and a wading depth of 800mm.

And it mostly is rather capable, but there are a few issues here and there. 

The Tank 500 is built on a traditional platform, a body on ladder-frame chassis, and that's pretty much 4WD wagon personified right there.

It has all the mechanicals to go with that, as well as the added bonus of an electric motor which punches a bit more power and torque into this vehicle. 

There is plenty of torque across a decent spread of revs and, when off-roading, that transition between the electric motor and the petrol engine is generally pretty smooth. 

Driving modes and other off-road driver-assist tech on board the Tank 500 work pretty well, but the off-road traction control system could do with a bit of a recalibration as it’s not quite as precise as it is in some of the Tank 500’s natural rivals. 

Low-range gearing is good, engine braking is solid and the drive modes – adjusting engine outputs, transmission settings and more – all seem to work seamlessly well. 

There is plenty of other tech on-board, including a 360-degree camera, and an off-road set-up on the screen that shows you the vehicle’s pitch and roll, tyre pressures and other information.

In the past I have written off features such as the Tank 500’s transparent chassis function. I'd rather stick my head out the window and have a look, or stop the vehicle, get out and have a good look at the track ahead.

But the transparent chassis function is of some value, although you shouldn’t rely on it or any of the other tech. You still want to have a real-time, real-world view of the track heading to the sides. And the Tank 500 offers plenty of visibility.

There are a few other trade-offs in this 4WD’s make-up, though. The side steps look like they could easily be susceptible to damage while off-roading, although I managed to avoid grinding them on any rocks, and the standard tyres are on-road SUV tyres (made for reduced noise) and are less than satisfactory for 4WDing.

If you're planning to use the Tank 500 as your tow vehicle of choice, then it's handy to know that unbraked towing capacity is 750kg and braked towing capacity is 3000kg, which is under the 3500kg norm for this market segment.

The Tank 500 has been awarded the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating as this story is being finalised.

As standard, it has seven airbags and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree around-view function.

Like all Audis, the RS3 is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. There’s also five years of roadside assistance.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

You’re able to purchase a five-year pre-paid service package for $4010. That averages out to $802 per service, which seems like a lot until you see how much Mercedes-AMG charges to service an A45 S.

RS3 owners can also purchase two-year packages to extend the warranty, roadside assistance and servicing coverage. This allows new RS3 owners to have warranty coverage for up to nine years and it’s transferable to future owners.

The Tank 500 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, and seven years capped price servicing. 

The Tank 500’s 1.76kWh battery has an eight year/unlimited km warranty.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months/15,000km. Prices were not available at time of writing.