GWM Tank 300 review: cut-price 4WD makes a compelling case

This affordable four-wheel-drive looks like a cross between a Jeep and a Mercedes G-Wagen, but costs thousands of dollars less and is surprisingly capable off-road.

The retro-styled Tank 300 has surged up our four-wheel-drive sales charts.

Here are five things you should know about the Chinese challenger.

The styling’s stolen, but it works

It’s as if GWM put every rugged 4WD body style through AI and asked it to generate something new. And it’s worked. The Tank 300’s a handsome tough guy with glimpses of Mercedes G-Wagen, hints of Jeep Wrangler, a sprinkling of Suzuki Jimny and a touch of Ford Bronco garnish.

With boxy arches and in-vogue round headlights it’s a retro treat promising solid off-roading chops.

Size-wise it straddles the medium and large SUV segments, offers seating for five and has a full-size spare on its side-hinged tailgate.

This makes the boot heavy to open and cumbersome in tight spaces. The spare also blocks some rear vision, but style sometimes wins over practicality.

Colours are from the Jeep Wrangler “look at me!” school. Matt grey’s classiest, but extrovert orange or bright red ($595 options) are wildest, especially over black alloys.

The “look at me” styling and bold colours are sure to win over 4WD buyers. Picture: Supplied.

It undercuts rivals

Snobbish established brands won’t see this Chinese upstart as a true rival, but Australians have bought more than 2000 Tank 300s so far this year. Compare that to 362 Jeep Wranglers.

The entry-level 300 Lux is $47,990, the higher-spec Ultra $51,990 and Hybrid versions of each cost $6-7000 extra, all drive-away. The cheapest Jeep Wrangler weighs in at more than $80,000 on the road.

Owner benefits include a five-star ANCAP rating and a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Five years of roadside assistance and reasonable $2000 servicing over five years explain why 300s are flying off the shelves.

The Tank undercuts rivals by thousands of dollars. Picture: Supplied.

The drive impresses on- and off-road

The Tank uses a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol, good for 162kW and 380Nm. Hybrids offer 255kW and 648Nm with electrical assistance, but fuel economy is pitiful compared to a Toyota Kluger hybrid. Our previous 300 Hybrid test returned 11L/100km – same as we managed in the non-hybrid.

Swerve the hybrid unless you’re using the Tank’s 2500kg tow capacity, when the extra torque will be needed.

The turbo has ample response, there’s solid refinement to the eight-speed auto’s shifts, and despite its body-on-frame set-up, the Tank holds its own in corners if you’re sensible. It cruises competently on the highway but big side mirrors and bricklike aerodynamics create serious wind noise.

Convincing rusted-on LandCruiser or Wrangler off-roaders to make the Tank 300 switch won’t be easy, but the hardware’s there for adventuring. Ultras have front and rear diff locks, terrain-specific drive modes, 224mm of clearance, generous approach and departure angles and a rock crawling function. A rotary dial clunks it into low range, and while our off-road test was only mild, it handled soft sand and loose gravel admirably.

The Tank feels reasonably composed on the road for a heavy duty off-roader. Picture: Supplied.

But then the tech sends you insane

Most Tank 300 users will stick to sealed stuff and here’s where the Tank’s annoyances creep in. Its sponginess and bumpiness over choppy roads can be forgiven, but its so-called “driver assist” tech is more distracting than helpful.

Its lane keep function deems almost everything an outright emergency. It fusses and aggressively yanks the steering wheel should you get close to a road marking. It’s distracting and not fit for purpose.

The car beeps when it picks up a white line, thinks you’re daydreaming or detects a new speed limit, then beeps again when detecting a vehicle using radar cruise control. The cruise control is poorly calibrated and suddenly kills speed if startled.

ANCAP mystifyingly awarded it 85 per cent for safety assist, as its testing showed Poor ratings for emergency lane keeping and auto emergency braking.

The Tank’s crash avoidance tech is too intrusive. Picture: Supplied.

They’ll sell on showroom appeal alone

The low price doesn’t mean a low-rent cabin. All Tank 300s are well equipped, while our Ultra had Nappa leather-accented seats which are heated, cooled, powered and massaging.

Up front you’re wowed by 12.3-inch screens for the driver display and infotainment, there’s wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 360-degree camera and even a camera scanning underneath to show off-road hazards. Throw in a sunroof, 64-colour ambient lighting, wireless charging, a 220v power outlet and excellent Infinity nine-speaker audio and it shames most rivals at this price.

The interior has hints of Mercedes-Benz styling. Picture: Supplied.

The boot’s a paltry 400 litres, but kids enjoy good head and leg room, air vents and USB ports in the back.

It’s easy to see why some shoppers lock in a Tank 300 purchase before starting the test drive. But you really should drive it to decide whether you can tolerate the intrusive safety aids.

Originally published as GWM Tank 300 review: cut-price 4WD makes a compelling case