2024 GWM Tank 500 Lux Hybrid review

GWM is on the march in Australia, with another four-wheel-drive wagon joining the Tank range.

Joining the Wrangler-esque Tank 300 is something bigger and exclusively hybrid-powered. It's the 2024 GWM Tank 500, and it provides an alluring combination of space, technology, features and value.

It can seat seven, tow 3000kg, has a seven-year warranty, and is utterly loaded with features for a relatively low asking price.

It's not diesel-powered, something of a staple in this part of the world, and it's coming up against some new and established offerings like the Ford Everest, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Isuzu MU-X, and of course the new-generation Toyota LandCruiser Prado.

There's a simple two-pronged line-up in the GWM Tank 500, and we've got the less expensive model here to look at. It's called Lux, and has an asking price of $66,490 drive-away. The other is the Ultra, which pushes the drive-away price to $73,990, a $7500 jump overall.

That extra spend gets you nappa leather seating, ventilation, massaging and memory for the front seats, heating and ventilation for the second-row outboard seats, a power-folding third row and 12-speaker Infinity-branded sound system. There are also some trick folding side steps on the outside, and 64-colour ambient lighting on the inside.

However, our Lux spec is still well stacked with equipment, especially when you consider the asking price. There are dusk-sensing LED headlights, 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, and front and rear parking sensors.

On the inside, infotainment is managed by a 14.6-inch central display, which is matched by a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 360-degree camera system. The front seats are heated and wrapped in a synthetic leather-look material.

There's an eight-speaker sound system, three-zone climate control, eight-way power seat adjustment for the driver and four-way for the front passenger.

So, it's not exactly a poverty-pack offering. And considering the pricing of established seven-seat off-roaders like the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport ($51,540–$64,840), Isuzu MU-X ($47,400–$69,400) and Ford Everest ($54,240–$81,115), you can see the value appeal of the Tank 500.

Other gear the Tank 500 Ultra gets (and we don't in this case) is a front locking differential, soft-closing tailgate, panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel and sunshades in the second row.

At just over five metres long and over 1900mm wide and tall, the Tank 500 is a large chunk of metal. The exterior styling feels particularly old-school, with rounded curves juxtaposing against the current theme of boxy-shaped and sharp-angled four-wheel-drives out there.

Whereas the incoming LandCruiser Prado is certainly a vogue look, this Tank 500 looks more like an older 90 Series Prado or 100 Series LandCruiser.

On the inside, however, the Tank 500 feels quite modern and fresh. And owing to the large exterior dimensions, there is plenty of space on offer inside the Tank 500's cabin.

And while you're getting a lot of steel, glass and rubber for the money, the quality of the vehicle seems to be quite high as well. Poking and prodding around the dashboard and centre console yields an impressively solid feel, with no loose squeaking or rattling to contend with.

You don't get the same level of nappa leather and ambient lighting on the inside of this lower-specced model, but it's still quite nice nonetheless. Faux leather is stitched on the seats and doors, and there's a bounty of soft materials to encounter when you're driving or being driven.

The switchgear around the gear shifter and below the infotainment display feels nicely tactile, and provides an ease of useage that is missing when everything is controlled by a single (infernal) touchscreen.

And come on, nothing says 'luxury' to me like a glitzy-looking analogue clock centrally mounted on the dashboard.

In terms of practicalities, you've got a wireless phone charging pad up top, and extra power hidden from your eye underneath. There are USB-A and USB-C points and a 12V plug down here, along with a gap to route your cable upwards as well.

The second row of the Tank 500 is quite comfortable, and rates well for head room and leg room for adults. There are air-conditioning vents and controls in the rear, along with pop-out USB-C power outlets lower down.

Access into the third row is a little tight, especially now that we are missing the trick fold-down side steps of the Ultra model. The second row doesn't fold completely flat either, if you're planning on sleeping in the back.

But perhaps more importantly, the second row can slide forward to apportion some extra space into the third row. It's still quite tight, with a low roof and high floor making it feel uncomfortable for adults. But for kids, it's adequate.

With the third row folded into the floor, you've got a 795-litre boot that is commodious enough for a weekend of family camping, as we did. This shrinks down to a paltry 98L when the third row is deployed, but almost doubles to 1459L when converted into van mode.

One area that certainly isn't skimped on is the infotainment display, with 14.6 inches of digital acreage on offer.

Beyond size, the quality of the display is good and loading times are fine. In the tick-a-box race of features, it rates well also: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both of which can be wired or wireless, AM/FM radio, native navigation, digital radio, and Bluetooth are all offered.

The only volume controls we can find are through the steering wheel, which is problematic and can be fixed by having a standalone volume dial somewhere central. Lord knows, there is room for such a thing. This leaves the front passenger out in the cold, but having a twisting volume dial within reach is always a handy thing to have.

Another problem we found was the confusing naming convention and structure of the menus in the operating system, where some useful functions can be hidden away in strange locations under beguiling names.

There's a newly minted GWM companion app available for the Tank 500, which allows for remote functions like location checks, geo-fencing, remote locking and unlocking, and climate controls.

The GWM picks up a minty-fresh five-star ANCAP safety rating, which was rubber-stamped in 2024.

Adult occupant protection is rated at 85 per cent, while child occupants get a 93 per cent protection rating.

Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) fare reasonably well for such a large vehicle with an 81 per cent rating, while the onboard safety systems that are included in this Tank 500 Lux Hybrid are rated at 84 per cent.

As you would expect, the Tank 500 lands a solid punch when it comes to safety technology. However, a common theme of advanced safety technology being difficult to live with rings true in this case as well.

Elements like blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning and autonomous emergency braking do help provide coverage for moments of inattentive driving, but the driver attention warning system – which is based upon a camera that is watching the face and eyes of the driver – is too reactive and quick to decry.

Check your mirrors, look at the map and take part in the conversation, and you'll be donged at for not paying enough attention to the road.

GWM offers a seven-year capped-price servicing schedule for the Tank 500, which is competitively priced for this size of vehicle.

This figure is regarded as the 'maximum payable' for a service, but does exclude 'wear and tear' items and additional maintenance required depending on your own driving conditions.

Seven years of servicing costs a total of $4040, which averages out to $577 per year. The first three years is $623 per year on average, while five years averages out at $550 per year.

For comparison's sake, a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series will cost around $5000 after five years and similar mileage.

Insurance is set at $1928 per year for the Tank 500 Lux, which is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

GWM says this particular powertrain isn't tuned for outright efficiency, but more for smooth and responsive outputs as required from the driver. And that's a good thing, because the Tank 500 doesn't seem to be a particularly miserly operator in the real world.

Against a claim of 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres, we saw around 11.2L/100km in our time with the vehicle. This was mostly highway and country road driving, with a few shorter bursts of acceleration around town and for testing.

And for reference, we saw a higher figure of around 13.0L/100km during our launch drive with the Tank 500, which included more low-speed off-roading.

Safe to say, this Tank 500 won't be the most efficient operator on the block, but there is at least some advantage over the likes of a 5.6-litre Y62 Nissan Patrol (which averaged 16.2L/100km over the last few reviews).

A small turbocharged petrol engine – along with hybrid assistance nonetheless – doesn't feel like a natural fit in a big seven-seat four-wheel-drive like the Tank 500. After all, Australian buyers have been on a steady diet of high-capacity petrols and turbocharged diesels for a long time in this part of the buying world.

I was certainly sceptical of how this would pan out, considering I haven't yet spent time in the smaller Tank 300 with the similar hybrid powertrain.

It's a complex ask, mechanically speaking: combining turbocharged petrol power and an electric motor through a nine-speed torque converter automatic transmission to all four wheels, with proper four-wheel-drive capability. You're dealing with a lot of weight in this case as well, along with a relatively high centre of gravity.

But at the same time, there are some traditional four-wheel-drive elements here. A live rear axle combines with independent front suspension, along with part-time four-wheel drive and a low-range transfer case.

And while this specification doesn't get the front and rear locking differentials of the Ultra specification – which are a powerful ally for technical off-roading – the base capability of the Tank 500 is up to scratch for the segment.

This is thanks to the pragmatically sized 18-inch wheels, good articulation from the live rear axle, and general sense of ground clearance that is better than the bloated-looking bodywork suggests.

GWM claims that the Tank 500 will reach 100km/h from a standstill in 8.3 seconds. And combined outputs of 255kW and 648Nm are no doubt impressive.

But on the other hand, this is something of a ground-breaking four-wheel-drive. While the Tank 300 from the same manufacturer came earlier, this Tank 500 is revolutionary as being the first four-wheel-drive seven-seater that uses hybrid power.

It's a complex beast on paper, but the important thing for drivers is the fact that the Tank 500 is mostly quite seamless and smooth to drive. It's not as good as the benchmark Toyota/Lexus experience, two brands that have a pedigree of experience at implementing this kind of powertrain for decades at the mass-market level.

While not perfect – feeling quite artificial and vacant through the steering wheel and pedal – the Tank 500 is likely to be adequate for most tastes and experiences for this kind of large four-wheel-drive wagon.

The ride quality is not as good as what you'd get in an Everest or MU-X in particular, feeling a bit busy and jostling at lower speeds on patchwork suburban streets. Once you speed up on country roads it settles down noticeably, but the terse characteristics around town are worth noting as an urban-centric family SUV.

Steering and braking feel isn't anywhere the benchmark of the segment either, especially with the Ford Everest that has recently taken big strides in this regard. Steering feel isn't bad per se, but the braking feel when you get on the anchors hard can have your braking foot too close to the firewall for my liking.

And when you give a full-blooded press of the brake pedal at speed, you will be alarmed when you feel the pedal bottom out in the footwell. This comes from the brake-by-wire system that the Tank 500 employs, which means braking force at the wheels doesn't correlate directly to how hard you're pressing the pedal.

Back to the powertrain for a second. The peak outputs of this hybrid powertrain are impressive, and you can certainly feel the wholesome impetus on offer when you smash the skinny pedal. Mechanically speaking, this kind of outright grunt would only be available for certain bursts as the 1.78kWh battery maintains enough meaningful voltage. This would suit general town driving, where you ask for a big shunt of torque at the lights or for merging into traffic.

While we haven't tested this exact scenario, longer-duration requests for peak outputs will see the battery depleted and put the onus on the 180kW/380Nm petrol engine as the source of motivation.

There's a question mark over long-distance towing capability as well, when you're asking for constant forward motivation without any chance for regeneration.

It has to be said, though, the Tank 500 feels fairly rapid as a big bus for short bursts as needed for town driving. The hybrid system, while not flawless, is good enough for most tastes.

A 3000kg braked towing capacity is behind the benchmark of the segment, but this figure is still likely enough to satisfy most intents and purposes for Australian buyers.

The payload – 790kg – is big for a four-wheel-drive wagon, but the fact that the figure is the same as the higher-specced Tank 500 tells me that it might not be completely accurate. Next time we get a drive in one, we will take it over the weighbridge and find out.

Another anomaly, which is beneficial for those who want to tow, is the big gross combination mass of 6705kg. This outstrips the 3395kg GVM and 3000kg braked towing capacity, which I haven't seen before.

Australia is wedded to the idea of turbocharged diesel power in their large SUVs, and that's going to take a chunk of convincing to turn them around into something less conventional.

But on the other hand, hybrids are selling at incredible levels in most passenger and SUV segments in Australia.

The popularity of the Ford Everest is currently explosive in Australia, with the Isuzu MU-X being another popular choice in the segment. Toyota's new LandCruiser Prado is looming, and we can expect a new-generation Pajero Sport in the next year or so.

This Tank 500 is certainly a credible alternative, providing an impressive combination of sound build quality, space, and value for money. And don't forget, that seven-year warranty is nice to have.

The hybrid powertrain is good as well, but likely won't be to everyone's taste. If you're considering one, the Tank 500 is well worth a test drive to see if it suits you in the flesh.

This specification of Tank 500 offers great bang-for-buck against the $66,490 drive-away asking price, especially when you compare it to the likes of others in the segment. But while the $7500 jump up to the Ultra feels like a lot, you do get a big chunk of extra spec for the money. So consider that if you can swing it financially.

The next step on the purchase journey is to check the GWM website for stock of your preferred Tank 500 variant. You can also find GWM vehicles for sale at Drive Marketplace.

We strongly recommend taking a test drive at a dealership before committing because personal needs and tastes can differ. Find your nearest GWM dealer via this link. We’d also recommend test-driving the Ford Everest, which is the current Drive Car of the Year winner in this segment.

If you want to stay updated with everything that's happened to this car since our review, you'll find all the latest news here.