Review: GWM Tank 300 Driven – A Game-Changer!

With rugged style, posh cabin, and true off-road pedigree, the GWM Tank 300 is a game changer for Chinese cars in Malaysia!

It Does Look Like A Tank…

In a sea of crossover SUVs and econoboxes, the GWM Tank 300 truly stands out as the true, blue-blooded contender built to traverse through any terrain on earth—basically what SUVs were originally meant to do.

The Tank 300 draws its inspiration from many iconic 4x4 SUVs, resulting in its retro-inspired yet modern boxy SUV look.

On the surface, the Tank 300 may seem like a ripoff of many great 4x4 SUVs of the past. Evidently, that’s exactly what GWM nailed when it comes to the design, and we mean that in a good way. Up front, rounded LED headlights offsets a massive rectangular front grille to give the Tank 300 Ford Bronco and Lada Niva vibes.

Down the sides and at the rear, you’ll notice a nod to both the legendary Toyota Land Cruiser 70 and Mercedes-Benz G-Class—the latter cordially known as the G-Wagen. Both its squared-off fenders and vertical taillights do look similar to the LC 70, but the boxy silhouette and the tailgate-mounted spare wheel scream G-Wagen very loudly.

In case you can’t see in the pictures, the Tank 300 is also quite a sizable vehicle, spanning 4,760 MM long, 1,930 MM wide, and 1,903 MM tall with a 2,750 MM wheelbase. This puts it on par with other mid-sized 4x4 SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest, to name a few.

Whether you think it’s a G-Wagen ‘clone’ or a homage to the all conquering Land Cruiser, it is hard to deny that the GWM Tank 300 is both a looker and a standout amongst other Chinese SUVs out there. As it turns out, things are also quite game-changing as we jump inside the Tank 300…

Spacious, Practical, and Surprisingly Luxurious Interior

Despite its retro-inspired exterior, there’s nothing retro about the Tank 300’s innards as it is decked with tonnes of premium and high-tech amenities. At the same time, it retains the practical aspects of a 4x4 SUV here too.

The Tank 300 harbours every tech bits and gizmos you can expect to find in a premium SUV!

Starting with the dash, the Tank 300 again draws heavy inspiration from the modern G-Wagen here, featuring a dual 12.3-inch screen setup with rounded air vents and tons of physical buttons. The infotainment half does support both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but a cable is still required for the connection.

Things get more interesting at the central console, as the Tank 300 sports a jet fighter-style gear shifter. Present here too are physical buttons and dials for the drive mode selector and 4x4 diff lock modes, thus granting drivers quick, easy access to these functions. Even the steering wheel is decked with physical buttons and paddle shifters for drivers’ convenience.

Rounding off the list of premium amenities here is a 64-colour ambient lighting system, panoramic sunroof, 9-speaker Infinity audio system, wireless charging pad, and more. Despite the rather ‘proper’ interior setup, you’ll still find rugged off-road bits like the waterproof silicone floor mats, as well as hard plastics in the lower half of the cabin.

What surprised us was the abundance of premium materials laced onto this rugged 4x4 SUV. All five seats are wrapped in plush Nappa leather upholstery, whilst soft-touch material laces all key touchpoints. Moreover, the front seats are not only powered, they’re also heated and ventilated for maximum comfort.

Given its sizable facade, it comes as no surprise that space is abundant in the rear seats, with decent amenities like dedicated A/C vents and USB-A charging ports present. Boot space is also impressive, as the standard 400-litre cargo bed can be expanded to over 1,600 litres once the rear seats are folded. In case you still need more space, the built-in roof rails are ready to accommodate any aftermarket roof racks too.

Overall, the GWM Tank 300 strikes a perfect balance between practicality and ruggedness. Concurrently, it also offers a surprisingly high degree of luxury to make it a livable daily driver. Speaking of…

Decent Drive Dynamics, Both On & Off-Road

We’ve already put the Tank 300 through the rough and tumble of the M4TREC 4WD off-road course in Semenyih, Selangor prior. Here, the Tank 300 tackled all the obstacles with ease, so we’ll instead focus solely on on-road driving impressions for this report. To our surprise, this rugged 4X4 SUV feels quite at home on the tarmac as it does off it.

Don't let its small displacement fool you, the Tank 300's 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine packs some serious punches!

The first thing we noticed is that the 2.0-litre 4-cyl petrol engine performs surprisingly well. All 220 PS and 380 NM proved sufficient at motivating this sizable SUV about. Torque is ample, while acceleration is smooth and linear thanks to the ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic box primed.

In terms of ride and handling, ladder-frame 4X4 SUVs aren’t exactly known to ace things here. That said though, the Tank 300 proves to be a notable exception. While still susceptible to body roll and lean, the Tank 300 definitely feels quite stable and solid around corners and when cruising at higher speeds.

As for comfort, the Tank 300 surely feels more road-friendly and less agrarian compared to other ladder-framed 4x4s out there—the ride is not as shaky or harsh. Noteworthy too is the decent noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) suppression of the Tank 300, with minimal tyre roars and wind noises detected—the latter thanks to the double-glazed windows it’s brimmed with.

Yes, some may complain that the Tank 300 would be more beneficial with a torque-rich turbo-diesel heart instead. However, in this petrol-powered form, this 4x4 SUV still proved very capable, be it on pavement or roads less traveled.

Yes, It’s A Guzzler, But It’s Very Safe

On that note, the Tank 300’s turbo-petrol engine does suffer on the fuel economy front. Compared to oil-burning counterparts, turbo-petrol mills definitely are thirstier.

Even with a large 75-litre fuel tank, we managed to muster roughly 500 to 600 KM of travel in a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu. This is a far cry from other turbo-diesel 4X4s, which can easily attain 800 KM from a single fill-up. Given the high current floating price of unsubsidised diesel though, perhaps the hybrid (HEV) variant would make a  viable alternative to this.

Fuel economy aside though; at least the Tank 300 has got it right when it comes to safety. Just like many of its compatriots, the Tank 300 is laden with both active and passive safety features.

The former includes ADAS functions like Auto Emergency Braking (AEB), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Intelligent Cruise Assist (ICA), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Emergency Lane Keep (ELK), Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA), Rear Collision Warning (RCW), and many more. Most of these functions work pretty well and decently, although accessing them can be quite a hassle even with the dedicated buttons on the steering wheel.

Passive safety features are also not too shabby, where functions like seven airbags, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and both the traction (TCS) and stability (ESP) controls all help to make this rugged 4X4 SUV safer. Not to mention, the presence of multiple external sensors and a 360-degree camera view system does help in minimising the anxiety of driving this sizeable SUV.

Given its rugged and aggressive facade, it is good to know that the Tank 300 has a decent list of safety features to back it up, and Chinese cars nowadays are definitely day-and-night in comparison to their predecessors several decades ago.

Should You Get One?

With rugged styling, a practical yet plush cabin, sublime drive, and decent safety imbued in it, the GWM Tank 300 is definitely a game-changer for Chinese cars in Malaysia. So much so that we think most of your skepticism and negative thoughts on Chinese cars can easily wane away once you get behind the wheel or sit inside one.

While paying RM250,000 for a Chinese car sounds quite sketchy and difficult, it’s hard to deny that the Tank 300 ticks all the right boxes to make it a capable off-roader for adventure enthusiasts, as well as a decent daily driver for common folks looking for a spacious and luxurious SUV.

Not to mention, some of the Tank 300 rivals do feel more agrarian than this Chinese luxo-SUV. At the same time, comparable body-on-frame rivals fetch much higher prices, thus making GWM Malaysia’s first 4X4 SUV model seem like a bargain of sorts.

So, in case you’re in the market for a lifestyle-oriented off-roader that is not only rugged-looking and capable but also luxurious and practical, then you should seriously consider the GWM Tank 300 here…

SPECIFICATIONS

GWM TANK 300 4X4 SUV 

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