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What's the difference?
A new petrol-powered 4WD seems an anomaly in a world seemingly hell-bent on rapidly embracing EVs.
However, there’s still room for a traditional off-road vehicle or two – especially those with front and rear diff locks – for the time being, anyway.
I tested the Chinese-made GWM (Great Wall Motors) Tank 300 petrol in late 2023 and noted there was a lot to like about it, although I also highlighted a few negatives.
After recently revisiting it for another hard-core off-road test, have I changed my mind?
Read on.
Mahindra has a solid history in the agricultural world as a builder of farm equipment – tractors, harvesters and the like – and its Pik-Up ute and SUVs have been around for a while.
But the Indian car manufacturer has never managed to establish as much of a sales foothold in Australia's mainstream car market as it’d like to.
Well, the brand is hoping to change all that with the launch of its Mahindra Scorpio Z8L, a proper 4WD wagon that, on paper at least, has a lot to like about it.
It has six seats, a low-range transfer case, an automatic rear diff lock and plenty of standard features for a price-tag at just over $45 grand that won’t make your eyes water.
Read on.
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.
It might seem like I’ve been harsh on the Scorpio but I actually reckon this vehicle is in fact a step in the right direction for Mahindra.
It’s nice enough to drive on-road – refined and comfortable – and it’s also a capable 4WD, with a few issues though…
It’s a good value-for-money prospect but it’s lacking a lot of driver-assist tech that should be onboard every modern vehicle, especially one that will serve as a family mover.
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 Scorpion reminds me a bit of the early-generation Hyundai Terrcan – long bonnet, generic cabin, and it appears to sit quite low.
The Mahindra SUV has 18-inch alloy wheels, side steps, roof rails and sunroof.
It all looks fine and, anyway, the more interesting stuff on the Scorpion is under the skin – the fact that it is a body-on-frame 4WD.
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 cabin is tidy and functional. The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to operate without strife and the screen is clear, although it’d be great if it was bigger.
The tan synthetic leather interior trim looks good and superficially the whole interior looks nice, but if you inspect a little more closely the Scorpio’s cabin is missing the storage spaces, USB charge points and build quality of rival SUVs.
There’s one cupholder (between driver and front passenger), the door pockets are narrow and there are few other storage spaces.
With the third-row seats in use, there’s a very small rear cargo area, and those seats don’t fold flat so when they’re not in use they seriously impact the storage space.
As a result, the Scorpio is one of the few modern 4WDs that I’d consider taking out the third row every time long-distance loaded-up travel was on the cards – just so it’s a more practical touring vehicle.
Some features, such as the directional air vents, feel flimsy. Otherwise, the Scorpio’s cabin is suitably practical, rather than overly impressive.
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 Scorpio is available in two grades: the Z8 with a drive-away price of $41,990 (at time of writing) and the Z8L at $45,990 drive-away (at time of writing), which we tested.
Standard features in the Z8L include an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto), wireless phone charger, a 12-speaker Sony stereo, dual-zone climate control, front camera (intended for off-road use), front and rear parking sensors, and a six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.
It has a leather wrapped steering wheel and gearshifter, tan- and 'rich coffee'-coloured synthetic leather interior trim, a cooled glove box, sunroof, and six-seat layout (with two captain's chairs in the second row).
It has 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic wipers and projector LED headlights, push-button start, keyless entry and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Our test vehicle also had floor mats ($200) and side steps (approximately $1250 fitted) as the only accessories.
Exterior paint choices include 'Deep Forest', 'Everest White', 'Napoli Black' (on our test vehicle), Dazzling Silver' and 'Red Rage'.
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.
The Scorpio has 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which produces 129kW at 3500rpm and 400Nm at 1750-2750rpm.
It has a six-speed automatic transmission, an auto-locking rear diff, and a part-time 4WD system with a dual-range transfer case incorporating low range.
Note: the Scorpio must be in neutral and stationary for the driver to shift into 4WD low-range, but the driver is able to shift between 2WD and 4WD High on the move, up to 80km/h.
Its '4Explor' system’s drive modes include 'Normal' (2WD for sealed surfaces), 'Grass/Snow' (4WD), 'Mud & Ruts' (4WD), and 'Sand' (4WD).
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.
Official fuel use is listed as 7.2L/100km on a combined cycle.
Fuel consumption on this test was 9.6L/100km, which is impressive, especially in light of the fact that we spent the lion’s share of two days during the test period in 4WD low-range.
It has a 57-litre fuel tank, so, going by those fuel figures, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 593km out of a full tank.
Note: That 593km is a best-case scenario figure and has not had a 30-50km safe-distance buffer subtracted from it, and it also does not take into account the fact that, when being used for touring, the vehicle will be loaded with people, pets, camping gear and more.
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 Scorpio is a 4WD with a body-on-frame chassis. For those of you who don’t know (no shame in that) a body-on-frame chassis denotes a chassis onto which the vehicle’s separate body is attached, and the engine, wheels, and suspension are fitted.
The set-up is well suited to towing and/or carrying heavy loads, and 4WDing.
It’s 4662mm long (with a 2750mm wheelbase), 1917mm wide and 1857mm high. It has a listed kerb weight of 2100kg and a 12.6m turning circle.
Right, that’s enough (boring?) measurements for now.
This Mahindra 4WD is surprisingly refined on-road: quiet inside, comfortable and with a no-stress engine and a low-key workmanlike Aisin-sourced auto delivering a relaxed, almost lethargic combination on the road.
Steering has a nice weight to it, ride quality is okay, erring on the side of spongy rather than too firm, and some body roll creeps in on more energetic bends.
Overall, however, the Scorpio does satisfactorily well on sealed surfaces. But how does it perform off-road?
The Scorpio handled the undulating dirt track leading to our off-road test site with ease, riding nicely over the light to medium corrugations, and was only ever minimally unsettled by the bumpy terrain.
This Mahindra is able to be shifted between 2WD and high-range 4WD (4H on the dial) so you can keep moving even when the road/track surface changes all of sudden.
The Scorpio has plenty of old-school foundational 4WD mechanicals onboard – low-range and a rear diff-lock (albeit an automatic one) – and it also benefits from off-roading-oriented tech such as its 4Explor system with selectable terrain modes, each of which adjusts engine output, transmission settings and traction control to best suit the terrain, conditions and driving style.
It also has hill descent control and hill hold control.
Even its forward-facing camera comes in handy. I still think of these as more a novelty – I prefer to get out and check the track ahead or get a spotter to do the work for me – but I can see the inherent value of this tech in helping the driver to maintain vision, especially if forward visibility is compromised, say for instance up and over the crest of a steep rocky hill, or edging towards a steep drop into a creek bed.
While the Scorpio’s 400Nm may seem a bit lowly, that torque is on tap across a good spread of revs, and this 4WD does well with what it has. The engine keeps everything moving along nicely.
In terms of off-road-relevant measures, the Scorpio has 227mm of ground clearance, a guesstimated wading depth of 500mm or so (it’s not listed), and approach, departure and ramp-over angles of 27.2 (good), 21.3 (not so good), and 23.5 (okay) degrees, respectively.
The Scorpio is quite an effective off-road wagon and it tackled every obstacle it faced without fail, but it has to be driven with extreme care and laser-focused concentration.
No harm in that, I hear you cry. In response, I say, sure, but it’s bloody exhausting work having to nurse a vehicle through even innocuous terrain in order to avoid nudges, bumps and scrapes to its underbody and side steps.
Not to mention how tiring it is having to anticipate if/when off-road traction control and/or the auto diff-lock will engage – or not – at crucial moments.
Not a major concern on flat ground, but think about the auto rear diff-lock cutting out on you while driving up a rocky 32-degree hill. Yep, I’m old.
Now for some more of the Scorpio’s less-than-ideal characteristics.
1. I hinted at this in the previous paragraph: off-road traction control doesn’t seem as well calibrated as it should be. It’s a bit patchy in its application, and certainly not as seamless as the tech in something like the GWM Tank 300 (yes, I know – the Tank costs about $15,000 more.)
2. The automatic rear diff lock is on the wrong side of clunky, abruptly engaging as it senses wheel-spin then disengaging just as abruptly when it deems the problem over ... even if it isn’t quite over yet.
3. The Scorpio feels low: a lot of underbody components are vulnerable to rocks, tree stumps, track debris, and the AdBlue tank sits low behind the rear left-hand wheel.
4. The side-steps seem very flimsy. The right-hand side-step took a soft knock going over an exposed tree root early on one test day, which I thought nothing of. But when I looked at it soon afterwards, the fasteners had popped out at the front and middle of the sidestep.
I didn't think the bump had been anywhere near enough to result in that.
5. The Scorpio’s standard tyres – MRF Wanderer SUV tyres (255/60R18 “All-Season”) – are not great for hard 4WDing.
They don’t offer anywhere near the degree of grip you need in difficult 4WDing and they quickly became gummed up with mud. The Scorpio does have an underslung full-size steel wheel spare.
The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L has a listed payload of 510kg, and can legally tow 750kg (unbraked), and 2500kg (braked). Gross vehicle mass (GVM) is a listed 2610kg; gross combined mass (GCM) is 5155kg.
I experienced a bit of an issue on a drive home after a few hours of tough 4WDing: 4H kept trying to engage during a 100km stretch of highway.
A dot kept flashing above 4H near the shifter, and terrain modes (other than Normal) kept flashing on the centre console and driver info display and I was being prompted to drop below 80km/h to shift into 4H.
Of course, I’d earlier switched from 4H to 2WD at the end of our filming day (at the 4WD location) and made sure I'd engaged Normal mode before I left the dirt and drove onto a sealed surface.
When the 4H-related issues kept happening on the highway I was able to fix the problem by stopping, switching the Scorpio off and back on again – but I had to do this every 5.0km or so four times before it finally sorted itself out.
To Mahindra’s credit, technical staff members are looking into the issue.
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.
The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L does not have an ANCAP rating because it has not been tested.
As standard, it has six airbags (front, front side and curtain), electronic stability control, front and rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system, as well as trailer sway and roll over mitigation, hill hold control and hill descent control.
It lacks a lot of driver-assist safety tech that’s onboard a lot of other vehicles at this price-point, and even cheaper.
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.
The Mahindra Scorpio Z8L has a seven-year/150,000km warranty.
Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km.
Pricing details were not available at time of writing.