Have I been living under a rock? Apparently so, because I — an avid off-roader — somehow am only just hearing about an amazing off-road machine called the “Tank 300.” Built by Great Wall Motor — the Chinese car company that is seemingly taking over the electric-vehicle space, even in Europe — it appears to be a legitimate off-road contender to compete with Toyota Land Cruiser Prados, Jeep Wranglers, and Ford Broncos. Here, let’s take a look.
First off, come on — look at that top photo. This thing looks fantastic. You know what it reminds me of a bit, with its tapered nose? The Ineos Grenadier that I off-roaded a few months ago in Germany. Here are a few Instagram reels; do you see the resemblance?:
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There are some similarities to the new Land Cruiser, as well:
I love the Tank 300’s boxy shape, the rear-mounted spare tire, the short overhangs, the high ground clearance; the machine just looks legit.
The interior, too, appears too legitimate to quitimate:
But most importantly, if you look at the chassis, you quickly realize that this Chinese 4×4 has got the bones to be legit, too:
As I’ve said many times before, I’m a solid-front-axle man myself (I drive old Jeeps, and love the durability/articulation), but I can appreciate independent front suspension like the Tank 300’s. The 4×4’s frame doesn’t look dissimilar to that of, say, the Land Cruiser Prado or the Ford Bronco; you’ve got a solid rear axle, an independent suspension up front, coil springs, a dedicated ladder frame under a largely-steel body, a legitimate transfer case with low range gearing, locking differentials, and more. Here’s a look at the Ford Bronco frame, for reference:
I’m not saying the Tank 300 is a Ford Bronco or a Land Cruiser Prado, but the general formula for these machines is similar.
As for the vehicle’s geometry, GWM claims the standard Tank 300 model has approach, departure, and breakover angles of 33, 34, and 23.1, respectively. These figures are all quite good, besting the new Land Cruiser’s 31.0, 25.0, and 22.0 degree numbers, but with the approach and departure angles falling significantly short of the Ineo’s, the four-door Bronco’s, and four-door Wrangler’s.
Notice how I said “standard model.” That’s because there’s a “done-up” Tank 300 called the Tank 300 “Border,” which (possibly only for the Chinese market) includes special wheels, graphics, a snorkel, a unique grille, and much of the coolness you see in the image above. It cranks up the approach and departure angles up to 36 and 37, respectively, and also ground clearance climbs from nine inches to 10 inches. (breakover angles aren’t supplied).
I’m not really into the “Border” model quite as much, nor am I much into the body-kitted one you see in the video below. I prefer the simpler, stock orange-ish one you see in the photos above:
The video above shows a Tank 300 sending every bit of its 224 horsepower, 285 lb-ft from its 2.0-liter turbocharge engine through a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic — all in an attempt to climb the legendary Beer O’Clock Hill in Australia. The Autopian’s “Down Under” contributor Laurence Rogers has written all about the legend of this hill. Here’s his rather thorough dive into this grueling challenge:
This Punishing Off-Road Hill in Australia is Destroying 4x4s
Australia has some world-renowned 4×4 destinations, from crossing the Simpson Desert to the Old Telegraph Track with its infamous Gunshot Creek Crossing, with more hardcore routes such as Old Coach Road and the extreme 1,150-mile Canning Stock Route (CSR) being quite the test of pilot and machine. Mercedes-Benz sent some unmodified G-Wagens on the CSR and as you can see in the video at the link around the 2 minute mark, they didn’t get through mechanically unscathed. If you’re after a challenge a little closer to civilization, The Springs 4×4 Park Queensland (located about 118 miles from the state capital, Brisbane) offers seven-hundred acres of space to camp, fish and test your 4×4. Videos of one challenge in particular are becoming quite popular online, known as Beer O’Clock Hill. An extremely steep cutting, often featuring a grip-reducing water crossing at the bottom, this track has humbled many 4×4 owners and broken more than a few vehicles.
As Greg Bell over at Bush ‘n Beach Fishing wrote in 2017:
“Are you ever unsure if you should do something one last time, and then after deciding to do it something goes wrong and leaves you wishing you had just left it alone? Well this was one of those times. Beer O’Clock Hill, the steepest track at The Springs, is only opened with permission from Neil and prohibited to novice drivers. This was a track we had to try at least once but we probably won’t hit it again. About 100m directly up the side of a mountain, with shale all the way up and a very large rock step at the top, this track is not to be taken lightly.
To set the scene, you really need to understand how steep this track is. I first walk every challenging track and this one was no different. Once I made it to the rock steps, I could not physically climb them. These rocks were taller than me and steep enough that even on my hands and knees I was not able to make it over them. Now, when you’re walking up a hill this steep, even though you’re still technically on the ground, you can still become anxious about heights. I tell you what, my pants were filthy after this descent because I had to slide back down on my butt!”
The Springs 4×4 Park have dozens of videos of this track on their Facebook page and other social media sites.
Usually featuring an introduction or commentary by Lucas, one of the park’s owners, there are more than a few tales of woe due to this track. Sliding on the loose surface seems to induce most of the common failures, ranging from the ever-present CV (constant-velocity) joint failure:
Tyre/Wheel failures:
And differential failures:
You can hear the dead pinion from about 6:00 on this poor Nissan Patrol:
To the thankfully-rare instance when everything goes very, very badly on the steep slope (NSFW, language):
@patrolin_aus And when it all goes wrong… @The Springs 4×4 Beer O’Clock Hill • #80series #80serieslandcruiser #4wd4wd44x4rsprings4x4parkebeeroclockhillpsuperiorengineeringpsuperior4x4cracelinefoffroadufourwheelerufourwheeldrivepgupatrolicoilcabxmaxxisegmebarbrdkorr
This poor dual-cab 79 Series Landcruiser put in a great effort, only to find another obstacle at the top!
There is a wide variety of vehicles that have attempted the climb, from the mild to heavily-modified, including the ever-popular Toyota Landcruisers (both SUV and the ute/pickup versions, the most current being the 79 Series), Nissan Patrol (also in SUV or Ute), the occasional Jeep Wrangler and even a few Mercedes-Benz Unimogs have made an attempt
So far only one of the new 300-Series Landcruisers has been recorded attempting the Hill:
A few vehicles have actually succeeded, thanks to good tyres, skilled drivers and locking differentials:
There has been the odd dual-cab ute with independent front suspension that has also made the climb, thanks to a skilled driver:
The owners usually ban short-wheelbase vehicles from Beer O’Clock Hill such as the Suzuki Jimny unless they have a full roll cage and highly-experienced driver due to the even more heightened risk of roll-over. There have been some some successful compact 4x4s, like this legend Errol and his ‘zuki: https://youtu.be/3kMx7MJOpzg
This song seems appropriate.
The Tank 300 Is Apparently Legitimately Good
But who cares about any of this if the car doesn’t drive well on the street, right? Well, it turns out: It does. Look at this pros/cons list published by Australian automotive review site Drive:
Styling, cabin quality, and drive experience are pros while software/engine start-stop behavior are cons? That’s a pretty damn glowing review! You’re probably wondering about the price, and it seems the Tank 300 isn’t really cheap, but also not egregiously pricey. From Drive (prices in Australian Dollars):
Initially, we thought the Tank 300 was going to launch in Australia as a hybrid-only proposition, but just prior to launch, the range was expanded to include the non-hybrid we’re testing at launch. The range starts with the Tank 300 Lux Petrol from $46,990 before on-road costs, then the Ultra Petrol we’re testing here from $50,990 before on-road costs.
Stepping up to the Tank 300 Lux Hybrid costs from $55,990 before on-road costs, while the range-topper is the Ultra Hybrid from $60,990 before on-road costs. At the time of testing, GWM is quoting the prices above as drive-away prices too. So keep that in mind when you’re working your budget out.
[…]
A 4WD Pajero Sport starts from just under 50 grand, while the MU-X starts from just under 55 grand, and a Fortuner from just under 52 grand. So, there’s a cluster there for sure. Keep in mind, the three I’ve listed are Large SUVs, by the book, while the Tank 300 is a Medium SUV. It’s pretty practical, though, with a roomy cabin, so I think the comparison is a real-world one.
The other, slightly left-field option, you could toss up would be a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. It is, however, a lot more expensive starting at $81,450 plus on-road costs. Think of the Tank 300 as the Jeep you’re buying when you want more cabin practicality, then.
So it starts at $30,000 in US dollars — not terrible.
Here’s Drive’s thoroughly positive conclusion on the Tank 300:
Depending on how you look at it, the GWM Tank 300 is genuinely affordable when weighed up against some of the more established competition, or right where it should be priced when levelled at other Medium SUV competitors. Precisely what that competition is, especially in the mind of you, the buyer, is the interesting point. Given it’s a rugged off-roader, with genuine capability, but can also easily live around town in the cut and thrust, it’s definitely capable of what Aussies want their 4WD to do.
I like the retro styling, the quality feel of the cabin, and the warranty and servicing costs are excellent. I dare say Australians are going to take a liking to the new GWM Tank 300, and if you’re in the market for a family adventure vehicle – whether it’s an urban adventure or more remote – then you need to take the Tank 300 for a test drive.
Other outlets are similarly effusive, and the hybrid model (yes, there’s a hybrid, too; this thing just keeps getting better!) seems like it’s got a lot of potential, with Australian car site Car Expert writing of the 346 horsepower, 454 lb-ft hybrid 4×4 from China:
It’s handsome to look at, well equipped and, based on our quick drive, is capable when the going gets rough.The fact it should offer significantly better fuel economy than a traditional off-roader in town thanks to its hybrid powertrain is a bonus that will no doubt tempt buyers.GWM is already on a roll in Australia, and the arrival of Tank should only give it more momentum.
It’s clear that this Chinese 4×4 that I’d never heard of is almost certainly Legit. It’s also clear that I really need to stop living under rocks, and instead start driving over them with Chinese offerings.
I mainly see first gen Jeep Liberty.
Those yellow rims make it look like it’s running on those space saver spare tires
Living in China, I see the Tank 300’s everywhere. My off-road enthusiast friends, (one who works for the Chinese branch of Artic Trucks) still think the Bronco is better and they are anxiously awaiting for the much rumored Chinese made Broncos to be available. That being said, they do speak quite highly of the Tank and it has a huge following already. There is one with an impressive body kit in my old neighborhood and there are more and more modded Tanks on the road. I’m impressed that they are being exported actually.
UAZ469
I effing love that the death climb is called Beer O’Clock Hill.
That is Aussie as it gets on one hand, also something my high school buddies and I would have named a gnarly hill climb on the other.
Looks a Lada more like a Niva to me, just with less bushy eyebrow and more casual racism.
I’ve looked at one because the price/feature ratio is quite good but the typical GWM dodgy active driver controls definitely don’t like our rural roads without their clear centre lines. Also the fuel tank is too small for legitimate touring in regional and remote Australia.
Plus it’s worth pointing out that the version that did the hill has modified suspension.
As for the Made in China sticker…most of the off road vehicles and a few others sold into Oz are actually made in Thailand. Which is (while technically a democracy) hardly the poster child of human rights and equality given its government is highly military influenced. The party that scored the most votes of any in their recent elections was unable to form government because it was too progressive for the military side of the chamber so they combined with the minority conservative opposition parties to block them out. But apparently that doesn’t bother people who buy the vehicles and accessories that are made there…
Do I see the resemblance? Sure, but given China’s unending theft of intellectual property rights what is the surprise there? I don’t get this sites Neverending support of union workers getting a raise from $80,000 a year to $90,000 a year but at the same time supporting China’s theft of intellectual property rights and use minority population slaves to build it. Then seem so surprised free slave labor and stolen technology can build it cheaper than over paid union members with many high paid members doing nothing. Neither of these game plans should be legal let alone supported. IMHO.
This site’s? Most of us don’t even know what you’re taking about re: this labor stuff.
We just write about cars, including cool 4x4s from China.
There is a lot of past and positive support for labor unions (writers, manufacturing, etc.) on this site. That isn’t a secret and it’s all fine. I don’t understand the claim to ignorance about “this labor stuff”. That’s disingenuous.
Supporting workers, while also giving effusive praise for cars built on stolen IP by virtual slave labor, is an interesting level of cognitive dissonance.
If it was demonstrably stolen IP in this case then I can assure you that Ford Australia or Jeep Australia would have sued the living arse out of GWM Australia (much like Jeep successfully did to Mahindra with regard to the Thar). However, since Ford don’t offer the Bronco in Oz, they probably couldn’t see the point.
Oh, well since the stolen IP is buried in the component manufacturing, I guess it’s only slave labor then.
Good thing it it’s nothing worth getting upset about.
There are very few manufactured items in my life that aren’t made in China these days. It’s not like I’ve got much in the way of alternative choices either. In the end, most Chinese people seem happy enough with their lot. Or, at least, no more or less happy than any North American I occasionally come across…
Labour conditions in China have also changed significantly for the better in recent years (both working conditions and wages). The idea that because it’s made in China it has to be done with slave labour is not just outdated but very much racist and tone deaf. The USA have a for-profit prison system that also mantains a slave labour system that no one seems interested in questioning.
Questioning the policies and human rights record of a government has NOTHING to do with racism.
And What-about-ism isn’t a defense for anything.
It’s a problem that has gotten worse not better in Eastern China. The US has import restrictions against all goods created in the Xinjiang province.
I know that, China isn’t a monolith, and the EU was, last I heard, also working on restricting imports from areas where there’s oppressive treatment of Uyghur people. I’m not trying to whitewash China, I am very critical of many aspects of its political regime. But I also know how the country has gone through a massive social change in recent years and how that has impacted labour conditions (a lot of the time because of external pressure, because everyone buys chinese-manufactured goods all over the world).
I really don’t like it when people treat chinese workers as mindless drones who keep working crazy hours in sweatshops for no pay without revolting. Chinese workers sacrificed a lot over decades to be able to demand better, and they’re finally starting to have it. Trying to make a blanket statement equating chinese labour conditions to state-sponsored slavery in an article about a private chinese automaker felt wrong. I had to remind that user that the USA does have a for-profit prison system that promotes actual slave labour, unlike the automaker he was making a comment about.
That is completely reasonable. Many of the factories I’ve been in across China and Vietnam are tech campus nice with working conditions that make an Amazon warehouse look like a coal mine.
I’m just being honest. Most of our writers (including me) have never written a word about labor. So we definitely don’t have a collective stance on labor topics.
We are a website made of up individuals with different interests and opinions.
To say we’re a site that supports certain labor positions ain’t true. Maybe one of our writers has certain opinions on labor? That’s ok; we allow our writers to have opinions and voice.
Personally, I just wanna learn about a rather fascinating Chinese off-roader that I’d never heard of before.
It’s a tough issue… and both DT and Jb996 seem guilty of oversimplification.
Are Chinese labor practices and theft of intellectual property legitimate considerations when evaluating Chinese cars? Absolutely. If something is good and cheap because it is built by mistreated workers using stolen IP by a company with crappy environmental controls… it should be called out.
But it’s not clear that is the case here. Jb996 and others seem to imply that the Chinese couldn’t have made this truck without ripping off others. Newsflash… body on frame, short overhangs and good angles are _not_ trade secrets. Show me evidence that GWM stole trade secrets and we can talk.
That said… for the Autopian to say that they are simply about car culture and “interesting cars” and promoting them while disregarding relevant context (if it’s there) would be a cop-out.
It’s odd that he goes after labor, when there are more more concerning issues like Taiwan.
The best thing about the Tank might be that it pushes other domestic producers to make better and cheaper vehicles.
I’m all for writing about fascinating automotive tech and interesting cars / utes / trucks but I’m not spending my $$$ on a big-dollar Chinese auto. Yes this looks great but I’m not going to enrich a communist run corporation from a country that profits off forced labor of Uyghurs and genocide. Seriously I’d rather daily a rusty yellow Suzuki Esteem than any of the Red Star cars.
Re. unions, I’m all for them. Vote for the candidates supporting unions!
Interesting fact; all companies (including car manufacturers) in China are legally required to be unionised, to the point where having a workers union must be specifically mentioned in the Articles of Association in order to receive a Business License. For reference the number of people working as prison labour as a percentage of the total working population in China is about on par with the US (you could easily argue that every vehicle registered in California has components made with slave labor).
Also just for reference, for the last 20+ years, one of the most idolised business icons in China was Steve Jobs. Remember him? The guy that said “We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas” Does the blame lie with the students, or the teacher?
Anyway, this is a car site so maybe let’s stick to stuff about cars. There’s definitely room for discussion about Chinese build quality, but I’m old enough to remember when we used to refer to Japanese cars as “Cheap Japanese rubbish” 🙂
still making dunce posts, I see
We’ll allow you to grandstand.. as long as your phone isn’t made in China, parts of the PC you’re posting from aren’t, and we do a full check of your shoes as well.
It looks like they took Jeep fender flares and stuck them on a narrower Ford Bronco body, complete with Bronco headlights.
Not sure why everyone’s talking about what off-roaders it’s copying though… I know China is notorious for copying other designs, but this is an off-roader we’re talking about, every boxy off-roader is copying every other boxy off-roader. At the end of the day, all it boils down to is whether you lean more towards Land Rover or Jeep. Broncos are just better-looking Land Rovers and old Land Cruisers are just better Jeeps.
If anything, I applaud GWM for combining their preferred 4×4 influences in such a way that it doesn’t look too similar to any one thing, it just looks how you want a boxy 4×4 to look. The only thing I’d be worried about is if build quality decreases after the press get good ones. I hope all of them are actually this good, but it is Chinese…
Glad I could assist, DT! I haven’t seen any Tank 300s near Dubbo just yet, when I do I’ll certainly take a close look!
Thanks DT. Good stuff here.
The thing that gets me on the appearance is the rear has narrow fender flares whilst the front has flares that are a foot wide. Seriously. And the entire front clip from the windshield forward looks to be about a foot too long. Especially when looking at the side view and the wheel openings.
The interior just looks like a pot of bastardized design elements copied from almost every other manufacturer worldwide. The seat pattern upholstery is not appealing at all.
Even priced at 30K (US), this is still a Changli grade piece of crap. YMMV.
I do like the fake Chinese YouTubers doing the fake off road/camping thing. They look like they are waiting for the mushrooms to fully kick in.
The front view screams Lada Niva to me. And in a very successful way…
It a mash up of Lada Niva and Ford Bronco in a very good way..
Did Jeep send all the unsold Renegades to China to be remade into Tank 300’s? They are selling like hotcakes there! Yet Jeep mgmt doesn’t get any bright ideas and they are still sending 1000s of Renegades to US dealers with shipments automatically set to pickup them 90 days later and forward to Tank 300 retrofit factories in China. They are booked as return to manufacturer so not actually sales by the dealer, which is why no one realizes this happening.
There are actually quite a few Renegades on the road in China, I was just noticing how ugly there were when I saw one stuck in traffic yesterday. The Tank 300 has much more presence and usability.
So it’s basically a weirdly attractive bastard grandchild of a Jeep Renegade, G-wagen, Defender and a Lada.
Stolen bits, stolen parts, stolen ideas, add slave labor.
still banging that weird drum
Well all my information about Car design theft came from Jalipnick and Autopian. Intellectual theft by China was from WSJ and NEW YORK TIMES. I don’t think China who is helping Russia illegally annex Yugoslavia is really as honest as their bots try to pretend they are. But I have gotten to the point people won’t recognize facts if it is counter to what they believe.
I see a little bit of UAZ 469 Hunter and 2nd gen SSangyong Korando in the silhouette.
The badge-engineered reborn XJ Jeep needs.
Not bad. Would like to know the car they copied on a shadow shift to make it.
Did David just make a MC Hammer reference!?
“The interior, too, appears too legitimate to quitimate”
I too am standing here beside myself.
Now that is COTD. Not sure how they decide or how often but 12 stars? Good enuf.
The Chinese pulled this off, seemingly right down to the ridiculous marketing photos of people in fur lined coats and fashion boots having a picnic with actual furniture out in a desert wasteland. With a nice fake fire to boot. And hey, it’s even already priced like a good ol’ fashioned American SUV!
The styling does feel a bit wonky donkey to me though.
To me its the rear. The way it flares out below the window just doesn’t look right making the transition from the side to the rear. Don’t love the lightbars wrapping from the middle of the headlight to the side but could live with it. Full side view looks fine if generic but some angles just look a little off.
Yeah that rear corner area seems a little bizarre, between the C and D pillars. The front end is fine, though I guess it screams Bronco knock-off to me.
If a Jeep Cherokee looked like that, I might actually consider buying one. It’s time to bring boxy back.
Does it look good though?… to me it looks like a goofy combination of 1st gen kia sportage and awkward jeep commander.
This is quite interesting, but one thing not mentioned here that you have to be careful of with Chinese cars is that they tend to pull sharply to the left.
I see they stole the Camaro HVAC vents
I thought they were Mercedes vents
Also looks like Mercedes G ripoff