Tank 500

GWM claims that the interior of the 2023 Tank 500 is ‘Business Class’. The car indeed has an uncluttered yet luxurious interior. The dashboard is dominated by a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a freestanding 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment unit. The orange cabin color matches the large-area wood-grain decorative panels to forge a strong visual appeal. The hard plastic bits are nice to touch. The leather-wrapped, multifunction steering wheel is comfortable to hold. It is four-way adjustable and has memory function. The panoramic sunroof is open-able. The Prestige trim gets Nappa leather seats. The crystal-made gear lever looks classy and premium, with neatly arranged surrounding buttons that are easy to operate.

Passenger and boot space

The 2023 GWM Tank 500 has a huge cabin. Seven passengers can comfortably travel in it, though the car comes with jump seats at the back, instead of a full third row. Padding on the seats are thick and soft with well-draped sides, leading to a very comfortable ride. The diamond-style stitching adds a high-end feel to the cabin. The A-pillar comes with a handle for easy entry and exit. There’s a lot of headroom and legroom on the middle set. The jump seats are of course less generous. The multidirectional adjustable driver’s and front passenger’s seats have heating, ventilation and massage function. 

Comfort and entertainment

The 2023 GWM Tank 500 comes with a three-zone automatic climate control unit with large buttons. The air-conditioning cools the car within minutes. The 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment unit comes with 12 speakers. It supports transparent chassis, 54-degree panoramic image, navigation, and road rescue service, along with the other usual functions. Over the air (OTA) upgrades are available. The cabin has a number of convenient storage spaces. 

The exterior design of the 2023 GWM Tank 500 isn’t much original. Most large-sized SUVs borrow this traditional design. The Tank 500 looks aggressive from all angles. The front-end has a great presence, courtesy the thick-rim chrome grille and the bulging bonnet. The rear-end has a large, horizontally opening tailgate. The LED headlights comes with a transparent lampshade design. From the side, the body looks stable, assuring passengers of reliability. The window frames and the roof-mounted luggage rails get chrome treatment. The side has electric pedals that are very practical for a car of this size. The 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels also get chrome treatment. The car’s rear shape is square. A chrome-plated strip connects the taillights on both sides.

What are the dimensions of the 2023 GWM Tank 500?

The van measures 4,878mm in length, 1,924mm in width, and 1,905mm in height. Its wheelbase is of 2,850mm.

Large SUVs with big engines aren’t fuel efficient and buyers aren’t bothered either. The 2023 GWM Tank 500 comes with a 70-liter fuel tank. The combined mileage is around 8kmpl.  

The 2023 GWM Tank 500 is an easy car to drive car. The powerful 3.0-liter engine is seamlessly mated to the AT. There are no hiccups during a gear change. It’s a well-mannered car and despite the large size, handles pretty well. There’s some amount of body roll, as with all ladder-on-frame SUVs. But that doesn’t hamper the ride quality. The steering is light and obeys commands promptly. On the highway, the 2023 GWM Tank 500 is a great car to cruise. 

How much ground clearance does the 2023 GWM Tank 500 have?

The SUV comes with 223mm of ground clearance. 

The 2023 GWM Tank 500 is available in the Signature and Prestige trims in the Emirates. Both are hauled by a turbocharged, six-cylinder, 3.0-liter petrol engine that produces 350PS maximum power and 500Nm peak torque. The engine is paired with an all-wheel-drive, nine-speed automatic transmission (AT). The powertrain comes with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The car is mounted on a steel ladder-frame chassis, instead of a unibody platform, which is mostly the norm these days. The ladder-frame is a less sophisticated design but many large-size SUVs have proved its worthiness.  

Is the 2023 GWM Tank 500 available in diesel?

No. The van is available only with a 3.0-liter petrol motor. 

The 2023 GWM Tank 500 comes with exhaustive safety features. These include rear camera, autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian detection, intersection assist and collision warning. The driver-assist features comprise adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane ajar warning, and driver fatigue warning. The lane-departure warning is very intrusive as it beeps even on the slightest path deviation. But all these make the Tank 500 a hugely safe car. 

How many airbags does the 2023 GWM Tank 500 have?

The car comes with five airbags. But there’s no front-center airbags that are now increasingly common in large-size SUVs.

Value for money

The 2023 GWM Tank 500 has a starting price of AED 175,000. Considering the superb ride comfort, and great features, it’s an absolutely value for money car compared to its Japanese and American rivals.  

What other SUVs can be compared with the 2023 GWM Tank 500?

The Dodge Durango, Land Rover Discovery Sport, GMC Yukon, and BMW X1 are the closest rivals of the Tank 500. 

Verdict

Chinese vehicles are increasingly making their presence felt in the international scene and the 2023 GWM Tank 500 is the latest car in this regard. Long-term reliability is still a grey area as the company doesn’t yet have an extensive service network. But the Tank 500 is among the most premium cars in its segment, and initial impressions are very positive.