The GWM Tank 300 has finally landed in South Africa with a bang, following an exciting launch event that took the media on a tour around three of the country’s provinces.
I was lucky enough to attend the debut of the Chinese automaker’s latest vehicle, where I spent a day and a half in the driver’s seat experiencing what the Tank badge is all about.
Getting to know it
Our journey started at a hotel near the Cradle of Humankind in Gauteng, where we found a fleet of brand-new Tanks all prepped and ready to go.
The 300 is available in three specifications, but everyone at the event was given the keys to the flagship HEV (hybrid electric vehicle), which uses an electric motor in tandem with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
This grants access to a substantial 255kW and 648Nm, but you won’t be blown away by the 300’s power, especially since it has a silent start-up thanks to its electrical underpinnings.
Setting out on a scorching hot day, we cruised at low speeds over gravel roads where the e-motor was happy to do all the heavy lifting, and where the suspension did an impressive job of providing a comfortable ride.
After switching to proper tarmac, GWM’s route led the media convoy up into North West near Hartbeespoort, where we dipped off the beaten path again to put the car’s 4×4 credentials to the test.
Prepping the SUV is a simple matter, as there are separate buttons for the front and rear diff locks, and a rotary dial lets you switch over to low range, at which point the hybrid system switches off and everything now becomes entirely dependent on the internal combustion engine and nine-speed automatic gearbox.
There are driving modes for Standard, Economic, Sport, Snow, Mud, and Sand, but an instructor informed us that the terrain modes are only necessary in extreme settings, such as driving over sand dunes, and that Normal would do the job just fine in the province’s dusty tracks.
The Tank also comes with paddle shifters, and while these weren’t needed on the road since the transmission does a good job of shifting on its own, they were a necessity in low range as the car effectively becomes a manual and you need to control when the revs climb at a rapid pace.
That being said, because the paddles are mounted on the steering wheel itself and not the column, they move when turning, which led to me hitting the downshift paddle by accident when the wheel was turned.
There’s also off-road cruise control, which is easy to set up with a switch behind the wheel, which you then flick up or down to adjust speed, which makes climbing and descending steep hills a breeze.
One final point to highlight is the 360-camera system, which can project three different images on the touchscreen for what’s in front of the car, as well as what is on the side of each front wheel, which was a superb addition when navigating tight paths through the bush.
Leaving North West, we travelled eastwards on tar roads before joining the N1 and going north into Limpopo, which demonstrated the 300’s adaptive cruise control quite nicely while cruising with plenty of other cars around.
The late afternoon saw a bit more driving on dirt roads at higher speeds before we arrived at a private game reserve, and following a pleasant night’s stay, it was back onto the N1 towards Pretoria and then back to our starting location.
Again, the Tank’s various driving assistance functions showed their worth, as the digital driver display was able to render the road in impressive detail with accurate lanes and sprites depicting other vehicles.
It also links to your navigation tool and provides simplified instructions such as “right turn in 5km” which was much appreciated.
Looking back, the new GWM Tank 300 delivered a great experience with a showcase of its handling on the highway and over rough ground, and its many gadgets were on full display leaving little to be desired.
This is the debut of the brand’s dedicated 4×4 division in South Africa, and it’s certainly got me feeling curious as to what its bigger sibling, the Tank 500, will bring to the table later this year.
GWM Tank 300 launch
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