Tank 800 joins GWM’s off-road onslaught

THE off-road-oriented Tank sub-brand of Great Wall Motors (GWM) has confirmed its huge and seemingly Rolls-Royce Cullinan-inspired ‘800’ SUV for production, joining the LandCruiser 300-sized 700 and Prado-rivaling 500 in the queue for likely import to Australia.

Already on sale in Australia is the GWM Tank 300 4x4 with segment-first hybrid power and pricing from $55,990 drive-away to battle ute-based off-roaders such as the Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport.

Considered a chance for Australian consumption, the Tank 800 will have few direct competitors here, its size and luxury tilt making the Lexus LX a target but overall execution being more aligned with massive high-end North American SUVs like the Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade.

The big bopper Tank 800 made an appearance in concept form at the 2021 Shanghai Motor Show complete with what some might describe as polarising styling but the production version has been toned down somewhat, with a more mainstream visage and fewer garish details.

GWM is at this stage not quoting any prices but the 800 is unlikely to be pitched in Cullinan territory; GoAuto understands that as flagship of the Tank line-up, GWM has taken measures to ensure the 800 fulfils a ‘business luxury’ brief. 

The Chinese car-maker describes the 800 thus: “In terms of appearance, you can clearly feel the luxury of the new car. The front face uses a large-size polygonal grille, with multiple vertical waterfall-type nets inside and a large number of chrome-plated materials are added. In detail, the front two sides of the new car feature LED headlights with outer and inner circles which are very domineering in visual perception.

“The interior is also extremely luxurious, Tank 800 provides a floating instrument and a floating central control screen design, and the central control area also retains most of the physical buttons.”

GWM says the interior features a large amount of suede-like coverings, supplemented by woodgrain and metal decorative panels. In the second row, Tank 800 provides independent seats, leg rests, electric adjustments and other functions.

Power comes from a GWM-developed 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine with outputs of 264kW and 500Nm, with a hybrid variant rated at 385kW/750Nm, both linked to nine-speed automatic transmissions.

The rugged-looking Tank 700, due this year, is similar to a concept shown a couple of years ago with detail changes.

A tad larger than Toyota’s LandCruiser 300 at more than five metres long, 2061mm wide and with a three-metre wheelbase, the 700 shares underpinnings with the Tank 500 and drivetrains with the 800.

Though outwardly rugged-looking and bearing more than a passing resemblance at the rear to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the Tank 700 gets a similar luxury interior treatment to the 800 with suede-like upholstery, big screens and power assistance to many functions.

Height-adjustable air suspension, creep and wading modes, multiple terrain settings, sway bar disconnect and three locking differentials promise to make the 700 a formidable off-roader.