GWM Tank 300 vs Denza B5

What's the difference?

The diesel is now the pick of the Tank 300 range. It’s the best fit for this vehicle and offers greater driver engagement than the petrol or hybrid.

It also has genuine off-road chops while still managing to suit family life.

While it could benefit from further refinements to on-road behaviour, cabin noise and the ADAS systems, none of these are deal breakers. 

The fact that it is priced so keenly against some excellent competitors and is stacked with standard gear adds to the Tank 300’s appeal.

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

Denza has made a huge statement with the B5 and for the most part the hype is deserved. It packs an incredible amount of luxury and tech inside and out which is even more surprising given the impressive asking price.

There are only a few flaws like the busy ride, over-the-top body roll and the occasional infotainment quirk. Hopefully these can be fixed with future over-the-air software updates.

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

The only visible difference between the diesel and the petrol or hybrid 300s is a 2.4T badge. So you get the same boxy exterior as before.

It’s somewhat derivative and gives more than a nod to Jeep, but the design has intent - it looks capable off-road and for most people that’s enough. Luckily it is capable off-road. More on that later.

Inside the upright, shelf-like dash is appealing. I like that everything is nicely integrated, like the dual 12.3-inch screens which flow nicely into one another. 

The big T-shaped three-spoke steering wheel looks cool and the aeronautical air vents are clearly inspired by Mercedes-Benz. 

The chunky metal-look plastic glove box cover adds extra visual flair and the stitching throughout elevates the cabin further.

However, the futuristic looking gear shifter is chunky, takes up too much space and is unnecessary.

It’s worth calling out straight away that the Denza B5 is essentially an SUV version of the BYD Shark 6 as the two share underpinnings, but it’s much more luxurious and blingy.

Externally it has a big, boxy and bluff design that helps it stand out on the road. It looks even tougher when the suspension is in its lifted mode.

I particularly like the front fascia with the big headlights and the prominent Denza badge on the grille, but there are some strange body creases around the side.

While the boxy looks make the B5 stand out, it’s not necessarily unique. There are elements that are reminiscent of the Land Rover Defender, plus many angles look similar to the GWM Tank 300.

Inside is where the luxe is dialled to the max. There are so many soft touches around the cabin that it makes a lovely place to spend time.

Additionally there is a lot of high-quality physical switchgear which is surprising given how prominent the large 15.6-inch central touchscreen is.

Lastly, I like how substantial many of the finishes are. There are large grab handles on either side of the dashboard which you do need to use to hoist yourself into the cabin, plus chunky interior door handle pulls that are satisfying to use.

Up front the Tank 300 offers a commanding view of the road and it’s easy to find your perfect driving position thanks to the power-adjustable seats.

Those seats have good side bolstering but could do with a little extra cushioning for the thighs. The Nappa leather-appointed seats in the Ultra look and feel lovely. 

Storage is average for the segment with room for larger bottles and additional flat items in the door pockets, and a well-sized central bin that also houses two cupholders, although they sit low in the cavity and two coffees sit awkwardly together.

The Tank has one USB-C port for charging only but another USB-A port up front for connectivity. You shouldn’t need that given Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is wireless.

Keen off-roaders will have fun with the extensive Tank Expert Mode in the multimedia screen, which allows you to individualise your 4WD experience. 

Beyond that the screen is neatly laid out, responsive and easy to use. GWM has come a long way when it comes to in-car tech. The icons on the digital instrument cluster, however, are still too small.

There’s ample leg room in the rear, with space between my knees (I am 184cm tall) and the rear of the front seat, and enough toe room. It doesn’t feel enormously spacious across the rear row but three kids should be comfy. Headroom is enhanced by a scalloped section of the roof specifically for rear-seat passengers, but it doesn’t leave a huge amount of space for taller people.

The rear seat bench is flat but the backrests have some support and overall the seats back there are comfortable.

You’ll find lower rear-seat air vents, map pockets, a fold-down central arm rest with two cupholders, room for small bottles in the doors and two USB-A ports.

The boot can take 400 litres with all seats up and 1635L with the rear seats folded. That figure is measured from the floor to the top of the rear seats. 

Jeep says the Wrangler has 898L capacity with all seats in place but that is measured from the floor to the roofline.

There is no under-floor storage in the 300’s boot and the full-size spare wheel is housed in traditional 4x4 fashion on the tailgate.

Many Chinese cars have lots of bling but lack actual substance when it comes to comfort and usability. This is where the Denza differs.

Take the driver’s seat, for example. In a number of Chinese cars they look plush and comfy, but in reality they are firm after longer drives and lack adjustability.

The B5’s driver’s seat, however, is very comfortable, offering almost limitless adjustment, plus heating, ventilation and even a massage function as standard. The latter is great for longer road trips.

Ahead of the driver the steering wheel has plenty of adjustment, allowing people of different heights and statures to get comfortable behind the wheel. There are also lots of physical buttons and switches that have a satisfying click when pressed.

The digital instrument cluster is high-resolution and clear, and there's a number of different informative pages that you can cycle through. It’s nice to have this level of customisation.

Moving across, the aforementioned 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system dominates the dashboard. If you’re familiar with the user interface in other BYD vehicles, it’s virtually identical in the B5.

It’s very easy to navigate around and if you do get lost there are a number of shortcut buttons at the bottom of the screen that can either take you back home or to other key functions.

One of my favourite features about the screen is the swipe-down control centre menu. You can customise it to have key shortcut functions. It’s much better than having to dig through countless submenus.

It’s clear Denza still has a few kinks to iron out with the translations from Chinese to English as some don’t make sense. Denza will likely sort this with future software updates.

As standard there is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and it takes up the full screen when connected. It’s a stunning set-up, though reaching the far left-hand side of the screen from the driver’s seat can be a little tricky on the move.

As I touched on earlier, there is a lot of physical switchgear around the cabin which is helpful as you don’t need to solely rely on the touchscreen for key functions. The piano key buttons for the drive and EV/HEV modes are particularly handy, plus the rising gear shift lever is premium-feeling.

In terms of storage up front, there are up to two 50W wireless chargers (depending on the variant you opt for) with ventilation, two cupholders with adjustable depths, some shallow storage under the centre console, plus a fridge/hotbox under the centre armrest.

Moving to the second row there is plenty of space for at least two adults to sit comfortably. Pushing it to three may be a little tight with shoulder room, plus the centre seat is raised compared to the outboard ones. It’s worth noting though that there is a flat floor so you don’t need to fight for foot space.

Second-row amenities include chunky grab handles for easy ingress and egress, air vents on the back of the centre console, as well as heated and ventilated outboard seats in the top-spec Leopard trim. It’s properly luxe.

At the back the tailgate is side-hinged which can be problematic if you reverse into a carpark as you need to allow for space for it to open up. It has a soft-close function which is handy as you don’t need to slam it shut.

There’s 470L of boot space with the rear seats upright, expanding to around 1000L when folded. It’s a decent amount of space and is square with a very minimal load lip.

Amenities include a 12V socket, a wide array of hooks and nets, as well as a small storage space under the boot floor for the charging cables.

Lastly the B5 comes with a full-size spare wheel mounted on the tailgate. This is becoming increasingly rare in electrified vehicles and is very handy if you have a puncture.

The 2026 Denza B5 is offered in two trim levels – entry-level and the top-spec Leopard. Pricing for the former is $74,990 before on-road costs, while the latter is $79,990 before on-road costs.

This is very competitive and it undercuts many top-selling rivals like the diesel-powered Toyota Prado and Ford Everest by a significant margin if you want similar levels of specification.

It’s worth noting however, the GWM Tank 300 PHEV, which is the B5’s closest rival in terms of powertrains, is even cheaper at $59,990 drive-away.

As a base, the B5 is loaded with standard equipment. You get 18-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED headlights, a glass panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, 15.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 16-speaker Devialet sound system, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function, plus heated outboard rear seats.

If this isn’t enough, the B5 Leopard gets larger 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive hydraulic suspension, a digital rear-view mirror, a second wireless phone charger, Nappa leather upholstery and ventilated outboard rear seats.

This amount of standard equipment is wild, especially because the asking price is firmly below $100K.

The big news with the Tank 300 is, of course, the new engine.

It is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine borrowed from the GWM Cannon and Cannon Alpha utes.

It pumps out 135kW of power and 480Nm of torque. That’s more torque than an MU-X but not as much as an Everest.

It is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and has part-time four-wheel drive. 

If you need to tow, the diesel has a 3000kg towing capacity, which is 500kg more than the hybrid and petrol. It can’t beat the 3.5-tonne towing capacity of the MU-X and the Everest.

Payload has also increased compared with the petrol and hybrid, up from 400kg to 600kg.

GWM says it conducted extensive testing internationally but also in Australia to improve towing performance. There are approximately 20 different parts compared with the other powertrain variants to get the best out of towing in the diesel.

A rear diff lock is standard on both grades while the Ultra gains a front diff lock.

Power comes from plug-in hybrid set-up combining dual electric motors (one on each axle) and a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine.

It’s a similar set-up to the BYD Shark 6, but the B5 has more power. Total system outputs are a meaty 400kW and 760Nm, which is good for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.8 seconds.

Power is sent to all four wheels and for added peace of mind off-road there are front and rear mechanical diff locks as standard, plus a wide range of drive and terrain modes, including a low-range mode.

Backing this up is a 3000kg braked towing capacity and up to 600kg of payload.

The diesel Tank 300 consumes 7.8 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres on the official combined cycle, which is better than the 9.5L figure for the petrol and the 8.4L quoted for the hybrid.

That figure also sits somewhere between a 2.0-litre bi-turbo Everest (7.1L/100km) and a 3.0L MU-X (8.3L/100km).

It has a 75-litre fuel tank and GWM claims an NEDC range of about 950 kilometres. GWM says the Euro 5 engine does not require Adblue.

Given the restrictions of a media launch, we did not obtain real-world fuel use figures.

Feeding the electric motors is a 31.8kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Blade battery which Denza claims to allow the B5 to travel up to 100km on electric power alone, according to NEDC testing.

There’s also vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability with 6.6kW output through the charging port using an adapter. This allows you to use the battery charge to power appliances. It’s handy if you go camping, for example.

The battery can be AC charged at rates up to 11kW or DC fast-charged at rates up to 100kW.

There’s also an 83L fuel tank. Denza claims the B5 has a total range of 975km, according to NEDC testing.

Fuel consumption depends on whether or not you charge up the battery. Denza claims you’ll use 1.9L/100km from 100 to 25 per cent battery charge and 9.5L/100km under 25 per cent battery charge, both according to NEDC testing. Regardless, this is better than similarly sized diesel-powered SUVs.

I last drove a Tank 300 in late 2023 and it was the hybrid variant. While the hybrid has some positives, its driving characteristics were not high on that list.

It had an erratic throttle response, hesitation on take-off and it felt underdone.

In contrast, this new diesel variant just feels like the right fit for this SUV. 

There is slight lag accelerating from a standing start, but the powertrain is torquey and there’s plenty on tap when overtaking or just increasing speed when already on the go. GWM has not provided a 0-100km/h time.

It is clear you’re in a diesel as soon as you turn on the ignition - it has that typical diesel rattle, but it is not as unsophisticated as some oil-burners I have driven.

The cabin could do with some extra insulation with wind and tyre noise detected, but it’s hardly a deal breaker.

Given the vehicle’s size, heft (nearly 2.3-tonne kerb weight) and the fact it’s shaped like a brick, the 300 holds its nerve on winding stretches of road with only a little body roll. In saying that, best not to treat it like a Mini Cooper on your favourite twisty road. 

Ride quality is a bit mixed. We only drove the Ultra on 18-inch wheels and while it manages to soak up bumps, the ride is jittery, and that’s even more evident on uneven road surfaces.

Steering is heavily weighted and a little vague, but fine for a big off-roader, and the brakes need to be pushed hard.

One quirk is the indicator - it appears to be a one-touch setup for indicating to change lanes, but then the indicator stays on. I tried several times to test this, even flicking it to the opposite side to turn it off and it was very stubborn. 

The good news is it appears GWM has toned down the awful indicator sound of its earlier models and is now much more subtle. 

So on-road the Tank 300 is more than competent, and a much nicer vehicle to drive in an urban setting than a Jeep Wrangler, for example.

We also drove it briefly on an off-road trail, and in low range the Tank 300 proved that it can do what it says on the box. 

I’m no off-roading expert and there are much more challenging trails out there, but I had confidence that the Tank 300 would not let me down traversing the many chunky rocks, massive holes and fallen tree limbs.

Behind the wheel the Denza B5 primarily operates as an electric vehicle (EV) first up, meaning it’s largely quiet inside the cabin when driving around normally.

Once the charge starts to drop, the petrol engine typically switches on to top up the battery. It largely acts as a generator and a lot of the time you can’t actually tell whether it’s on or off.

In some cases where you floor the throttle or go up a steep hill, the engine revs can flare and that’s when it makes its presence known in the cabin.

When the battery charge gets down low enough and you gun it, the petrol engine can directly power the front wheels. This is rare though because the car purposefully leaves at least 25 per cent battery charge in reserve.

With 400kW and 760Nm thanks to the combination of the dual electric motors and the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine, the B5 absolutely hauls. The peppy feel is largely due to the instantaneous torque the electric motors provide.

However, in the standard drive mode there is a noticeable input lag from when you push the accelerator a bit harder and when the car actually accelerates. This is reduced in the sport drive mode.

Despite the juicy outputs, the B5 does feel its weight. When you accelerate hard it pitches back extensively, much like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. This never failed to make me smile though.

It’s surprising as we only drove the top-spec B5 Leopard on this launch and it comes fitted with the DiSus-P adaptive hydraulic suspension system which has a self-levelling function.

In the bends the B5 gets a considerable amount of body roll regardless of the drive mode. This is common for many Chinese cars as they typically prioritise floaty comfort-oriented tunes over a firmer and more dynamic-feeling ride.

Despite this, once it leans over it’ll comfortably hold and grip, largely thanks to the chunky 275/55 R20 Pirelli Scorpion tyres that come standard on the top-spec Leopard trim.

Like many body-on-frame vehicles, the ride gets busy on harsher roads with more frequent bumps. As a passenger you can get jostled about in the cabin.

The steering, while direct enough, can have a vague and artificial feeling. Depending on the drive mode it either artificially adds or reduces the resistance.

Unlike the related BYD Shark 6, the B5 gets a low-range mode which uses a clutch pack on the rear electric motor to allow for more controlled low-speed crawling, plus front and rear mechanical diff locks. This can make a big difference once the going gets really tough.

Additionally, the DiSus-P hydraulic suspension allows for a total of 140mm of travel. In the highest position there’s a wading depth of up to 790mm.

Lastly in terms of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the B5 is a very quiet car to drive. As I mentioned above, the electric-first nature automatically makes this a quiet car.

There is very little road and wind noise. This is surprising as the B5 is essentially a 3.0-tonne box on wheels. It seems Denza has put a lot of effort into sound insulation.

The Denza B5 received a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2025.

As standard there are 11 airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, a driver attention monitor, front and rear parking sensors, plus a surround-view camera.

While a number of the active safety systems operate well and only intervene when required, some are intrusive and over the top. The worst offender is the driver attention monitor which struggles to detect your eyes with sunglasses on, plus only requires a brief glance at the touchscreen to get it saying, “Tiredness detected, please take a rest”.

Thankfully you can turn this off using the touchscreen with the handy swipe-down control centre menu, but it needs to be done every time you drive the car.

GWM covers the Tank 300 with its seven-year/unlimited-kilometre new-vehicle warranty, which is an impressive offer.

You are covered for seven years of roadside assist and the Tank is offered with a seven-year capped-price servicing program.

GWM is yet to confirm the Tank 300 diesel’s servicing offer (including pricing), but expect a service schedule similar to the Cannon ute with the same powertrain.

That means the first service might be required at 5000km or six months and beyond that it will need a service every 12 months or 10,000km, whichever occurs first. 

Denza B5 owners are covered by a six-year, 150,000km warranty, whereas the high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km. Owners also receive three years of roadside assistance.

This warranty length is fairly standard in the mainstream segment, but in the luxury segment it pushes past the current five-year benchmark.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 20,000km, whichever comes first. The first five years of servicing totals $3542, which averages out to just over $700 per service. This does seem like a lot, but in the premium space this is rather competitive, especially once you consider both the electric and combustion components are being serviced.

There are currently seven Denza dealers around Australia and it plans to have a total of 20 by the end of 2026. It’s also planning to allow certain BYD dealers to service Denza cars.