GWM Tank 500 Reviews

The GWM Tank 500 might look like a big and bruising off-road-ready SUV, but it’s actually a time machine. How else to describe it? In a world in which the uptake of electrification is booming (so far this year, some 207,000 vehicles with a diesel engine have been sold, compared to 334,000 with some sort of electrification), GWM has fitted its Tank with an all-new and newly developed diesel engine, swimming strongly against the tide in the process. But GWM makes the very solid point that 207,000 is still a very big number, and in the segments this new 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine will compete (it is also fitted to the Cannon Alpha ute), the numbers are even stronger. In fact, the brand’s data shows that, in 2025, some 92 per cent of the large body-on-frame SUV segment was diesel, along with 86 per cent of the ute market. And yes, those numbers have been falling in 2026. But it’s still a big prize. "I know it'll drop, but in that core space there's still an incredible amount of diesel customer base out there. Based on either geography, or how they use it, or their budget, they still want to do it, they still want to drive diesel. And we believe we'll have a technical advantage over many of those brands that have owned that segment for a long time,” says GWM Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, John Kett. "We know that there are still customers there, and even though it's almost a sin to talk about, they're still buying.” All of which is why we find ourselves behind the wheel of this new and diesel-powered Tank. The new engine arrives in two Tank 500 variants, the Lux, currently $65,990 drive-away across the country, and the top-spec Vanta, which costs $71,990, also on the road. GWM says that, given the relatively small jump between the two, most people will end up springing for the flagship. The obvious big rival here is the Ford Everest, in which you can have the entry-level Active with the smaller engine on the road for around $60k at the moment. Everything else though – from Sport all the way to Platinum – will cost you from $70k to more than $90k on the road. It’s hard to accuse GWM of skimping on the features, either. Check our detailed price and features story for the details, but you get a heap of stuff across both grades, and especially in the Vanta. The biggest part of this story, though, is the engine, with the 3.0-litre, four-cylinder unit producing 170kW and an impressive 620Nm. That’s a lot of torque for a four-cylinder engine, too, and while the on-the-road performance doesn’t quite live up to the spec sheet promise, it never feels underpowered, either. To further extol the virtues of diesel donks in this segment, this new powertrain has had exactly the impact on the other critical capability benchmarks you might expect; towing is now 3.5-tonne braked for the first time, and the driving range (helped by the choice of one or two massive fuel tanks) is between 1098km and 1845kms. And with proper low range and twin diff locks, it will go about as far off road as you want to take it, too. Another unexpected perk is GWM’s ability to dodge AdBlue, with the additive simply not required here. Fuel use is a promised 7.1L/100km, which is impressive for a car this size, too. Behind the wheel, the first thing you notice is the level of refinement. I’m sure there’s an office block’s worth of sound deadening on board here, but it works, with this diesel feeling smoother and often quieter than some petrol and even hybrid powertrains I’ve driven recently. Yes, it makes its presence known when you really plant your foot, but if you’re used to diesels being loud, clattering, clanging things, you’ll be pleasantly surprised here. The Tank 500 has been fettled by GWM’s Aussie ride and handling ace, and there is definitely a refreshing sense of cohesion to the drive experience. It feels heavy in places, sure. And the steering can be soft in that way that makes you want to telegraph your inputs a bit, but the body control is strong, and the ride good at smoothing out country bumps and imperfections. In fact, on those sort of flowing, not-too-tight corners, you can pretty easily forget your steering a big bruiser at all. Sharp inputs are never your friend in a car like this, and if you get too aggressive with the steering wheel you can certainly feel yourself swaying, but it's an overall impressive effort, with car matching engine and vice versa. Off the tarmac, the Tank 500 proved ready and willing, too. I’m no Marcus Craft, but with low range engaged and one or both diff locks activated, the GWM walked up every muddy, slippery, rutted climb we threw it at, even wearing its road tyres. The only question mark that remains is towing. A published towing limit is one thing, but how a vehicle feels pulling big weight is another thing entirely. But for that, we’ll have to wait and see. The other boon in the 500 is space, with the three-tow Tank delivering one of the better third-row experiences I’ve had lately. I’m 175cm, and I found that by shifting the second row forward, I had enough room in both rows to get genuinely comfy. I know the third row is mostly reserved for kids, but this is one SUV in which you could definitely get adults back there in an emergency. There’s a piddly 98 litres of cargo space with all three rows in place, but that grows to 795 litres with the second row folded. Drop both rows, and you get a massive 1489 litres. I won’t bore you with the details here, but safe to say all those acronyms you expect to see are present and accounted for, and after covering a heap of kays, none of them felt overly annoying. Its five-star ANCAP rating, earned in 2024, only currently applies to the electrified versions, but GWM is confident it will apply here, too. It’s also covered by a seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, with seven years of roadside assistance and seven years of capped-price servicing. Speaking of which, service intervals are pegged at 12 months of 15,000kms, and the first seven years of ownership will cost $3760, or $540 per service.

GWM will soon finally offer a diesel powertrain in its Tank 500 SUV in Australia, more than two years after it originally launched. Diesel engines are still preferred by buyers of these large, body-on-frame SUVs in Australia. It’s with this in mind that GWM is aiming squarely at the top-selling Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Toyota Prado with this new version of the Tank 500. Ahead of the launch in September, CarsGuide had the opportunity to test a pre-production version of the Tank 500 with the new 3.0-litre diesel at a private proving ground. This new 3.0-litre diesel produces 170kW and 620Nm, which is astounding for a four-cylinder engine. It produces more torque than the Everest’s V6 turbo-diesel, while power is only slightly down. This is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with drive sent through a part-time four-wheel drive system. GWM unfortunately hasn’t packaged a full-time four-wheel drive system – which allows for all-wheel grip on sealed surfaces and was fitted to all versions of the Tank 500 to date – but claims this was done to reduce weight and fuel consumption. Despite the healthy power and torque figures, the claimed fuel consumption isn’t as high as you’d expect. GWM claims it consumes 7.1L/100km, beating the Everest V6 (8.5L/100km), MU-X 3.0-litre (7.6L/100km) and Prado (7.6L/100km). The entry-level Lux version has a 78L fuel tank and this allows for a theoretical total range of 1098km. The top-spec Vanta version, on the other hand, adds a 53L long-range tank for total fuel capacity of 131L, allowing for a theoretical total range of 1845km. The latter is a game-changer for those who tackle long distances in the outback if the claim is reflective of real-world fuel consumption. The Tank 500 Vanta 3.0-litre diesel's larger fuel tank makes it heavier. It has a hefty kerb weight of 2705kg, which is 70kg more than the Tank 500 Lux 3.0-litre diesel with the standard fuel tank and almost 200kg more than the Everest Platinum. This extra weight eats into the payload. The Lux version offers 760kg while the Vanta version offers 690kg. All Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel variants house seven seats and this amount of payload may mean you need to choose whether you load up passengers or cargo. It’s worth noting the Tank 500 Ultra PHEV has a payload of 610kg, despite having only five seats. Thankfully, all versions of the Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel retain a 3500kg braked trailer towing capacity. There are also locking front and rear differentials. One of the things you notice when taking off in the Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel is the lack of lag. The initial throttle response is snappier and more linear than hybrid and PHEV versions of this car, which at points could feel like nothing and then everything happened from standstill. This added refinement is even more prominent on the move as there’s so much oomph available. Peak torque, which again is a healthy 620Nm, is available from 1400-2400rpm and this allows the transmission to switch up gears quickly, keeping the revs low. Rolling acceleration is great and if required the transmission will happily dive back through the gears. On many occasions, though, only a small increase in throttle application is needed to get things moving quicker, even at higher speeds. As expected, there is a plethora of drive modes to select from, but there is now a ‘Towing’ mode that alters the engine and transmission calibrations. Annoyingly, it cannot be selected using the rotary dial on the centre console and requires you to dig into sub-menus on the touchscreen. An element of the driving experience that stands out is how refined the engine is, even when pushed harder. The noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) inside the cabin is subdued, arguably even more so than the related Cannon Alpha. Although we drove a pre-production vehicle on proving ground roads, the new local suspension and steering tune feels a lot more controlled, balanced and direct than previous versions of this SUV.   GWM hasn’t fully detailed pricing and specifications for the Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel line-up yet. However, two variants will be offered: an entry-level Lux and a blacked-out Vanta. The Chinese carmaker said the line-up will start from mid-$60K, drive-away. For reference, the Ultra PHEV, which is the only other variant offered locally now, is priced from $79,990, drive-away. This pricing undercuts its key rivals by a considerable margin. They are priced as follows: Ford Everest Platinum: $82,917, before on-road costs Isuzu MU-X X-Terrain: $77,100, before on-road costs Toyota Prado Kakadu: $100,620, before on-road costs It’s worth noting GWM uses drive-away pricing, rather than before on-road costs. This makes the relative pricing of the aforementioned rivals even higher. Although full specifications haven’t been announced yet, available features include the following: Continental tyres (NEW, Vanta only) Panoramic sunroof 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system 50W wireless phone charger Built-in trailer brake controller (NEW) Heated steering wheel Nappa leather-accented upholstery Massaging front seats Front and rear diff locks GWM hasn’t detailed the standard safety suite in the Tank 500 3.0-litre diesel yet, but it’s expected to mirror the Ultra PHEV. A number of the active safety systems, including the adaptive cruise control, have been tweaked thanks to local tuning. The surround-view camera system has also been adjusted to better suit towing. Hybrid and PHEV versions of the Tank 500 currently have a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing conducted in 2024. All GWM vehicles are currently covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km and the capped-price servicing details haven’t been announced yet. GWM currently has 124 dealers in Australia and they’re spread across urban, regional and rural areas.

The GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T Plug-in Hybrid is big news for Australia: this is a body-on-ladder-frame chassis large 4WD with five seats, high- and low-range gearing, and a front, centre and rear diff lock. It has combined power and torque outputs of 300kW/750Nm, offers about 120km electric-only driving range, and it can be used as a 6.0kW mobile power station (V2L) - all for under $80 grand. 

The final installment of the Berry family's long-term test of the GWM Tank 500 Ultra is here. Does a recent discovery change the verdict?

The Berry family has now spent two months living with the GWM Tank 500 that didn't make the best first impression. So has a second month in this a hybrid off-road vehicle changed or made up their minds?

The GWM Tank 500 should stand out for being one of the first hardcore off-roaders with a hyrbid system... but we're only a month into a long term test and the Berry family has found there are also a few not-so great reasons the vehicle stands out

Chinese-made vehicles continue to arrive here, packed with features and offering impressive value-for-money opportunities for anyone looking for a sharply-priced 4WD that's comfortable and capable.The GWM Tank 300 impressed us and now the Tank 500 hits our shores. It represents a first for Australia because the Tank 500 is a petrol-hybrid 4WD. So, what's it like? Wouldn't you like to know...

The Tank 500 Ultra is the flagship model in the entire GWM range for now.

GWM has launched the Tank 500 in two similar grades. Both are powered by the same, segment-disrupting hybrid powertrain. A 180kW/380Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine is mated to a 78kW/268Nm electric motor and battery pack, sending drive via a nine-speed automatic transmission to the rear or all four wheels, as required. The driver can select 2WD, 4WD high and 4WD low ranges, while up to nine driving modes are also fitted. GWM says the hybrid system is designed primarily to enhance performance, rather than provide outright total fuel efficiency. As such, the combined power and torque outputs are impressive – 255kW and 648Nm, respectively – while the official combined fuel consumption is 8.5L/100km.   The base Lux starts from $66,490 drive-away, ushering in auto-levelling LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, a sunroof, side steps, powered and heated front seats, a 360-degree view camera set-up, electric rear diff lock, rear privacy glass, synthetic leather upholstery, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation cluster, auto parking with reverse assist, and front and rear parking sensors. A long list of safety items includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), blind-spot monitoring, lane-support systems and front/rear cross-traffic alert. For off-road driving, the Tank 500 brings 30 degrees of approach angle, a 22.5-degree breakover angle and 24-degree of departure angle, aided by 224mm of ground clearance and 800mm of wading depth. The GWM uses body-on-frame construction, with a double-wishbone independent coil sprung set-up up front and multi-link live axle coil sprung suspension out back. Towing capacity is 3000kg braked and 750kg unbraked.

Australia's first-ever hybrid seven-seat off-road wagon, GWM's Tank 500 Hybrid is something genuinely different against more expensive and conventionally powered rivals like the Toyota Prado. And it isn't just good for going bush, with decent on-road manners, a nicely presented interior, heaps of space and loads of standard kit. Sure, the GWM has some issues, but it is an impressive effort, too.