GWM Malaysia has previously confirmed that this large brash SUV will be arriving over here this year.
Oh look at what we have here, a GWM Tank 500 spotted completely undisguised in Malaysia!
Papped by yours truly parked just outside the Sime Darby Auto City compound in Ara Damansara, one has to wonder whether someone at GWM has perhaps parked it there deliberately to seduce those who might just be on their way there to look at a Ford Everest or even a Land Rover Defender 110. And this cheeky thought is actually not as far fetched as it seems too, as the Tank 500 has since already been officially confirmed for a local launch within the year!
Now first previewed at the 2024 Kuala Lumpur International Mobility Show (KLIMS), this 500 is to soon join the existing Wrangler-esque 300 in GWM’s Tank lineup of off-roaders over here.
Measuring in at a whopping 4,928 mm long, 1,934 mm wide and 1,905 mm tall, this massive behemoth of an “E-segment” SUV is actually more Toyota Land Cruiser than Fortuner in its external dimensions, and is actually comparable in size to certain American alternatives like the Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Traverse.
And while conveniently on the topic of American, it has to be said that there is a certain USA-style brashness to the exterior design of this Chinese off-roader. Its boxy profile is after all adorned with copious amounts of bling, from its chrome-tactic front grille to the 20-inch alloy wheels and even the rear light cluster surround.
Moving on inside, the Tank 500 comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and 14.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration. Other luxury accoutrements to be found within this premium SUV meanwhile includes quilted Nappa leather seat upholstery, a triple-zone climate control system, a 12-speaker Infinity sound system, second-row sunshades as well as powered backrests for the power-folding third row seats.
Now finally in terms of what is to lie under its massive hood, the HEV badge on its boxy rump suggests that, at least in this particular Tank 500 spotted here, there lies a self-charging hybrid heart that consists of a 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four making 244 hp and 380 Nm, paired to an 106 hp and 268 Nm electric motor. Combined system output is to be rated at 350 PS and 616 Nm of torque, with all this grunt delivered all the wheels via a nine-speed automatic and accompanying part-time selectable four-wheel drive system.
Much like its smaller sibling too, it is worth highlighting that the body-on-frame Tank 500 expectedly has all the off-road kit on board to cash the 4×4 cheques its butch body is writing. Those who do wish to traverse off the beaten path in this behemoth will be happy to know it comes with a G-Wagon-rivalling 3 diff locks (electronic front and rear, mechanical centre). It further has 11 driving modes, an off-road cruise control system, water wading depth detection, and GWM’s cool ‘tank turn’ feature that automatically locks the inner rear wheel to shrink the turning circle of this massive SUV.
Unfortunately, GWM Malaysia has remained rather tight lipped on how much this massive SUV will cost when it eventually lands locally. A ballpark figure of between RM350,000 and RM400,000 has nevertheless been floating around the industry, which will incidentally undercut grey-imported examples of the current-generation Land Cruisers by about RM 100,000.
