China’s GWM has finally introduced a turbo-diesel engine to its Tank 300 off-road SUV.
This big body-on-frame SUV was already a logical rival for off-roaders like the small Suzuki Jimny and large Jeep Wrangler, but GWM is finally able to go after bigger competition like the top-selling Toyota Prado and Ford Everest, among others, with the option of this diesel engine.
Australians love diesel engines in their ladder-frame off-roaders and, according to GWM, the Tank 300 Diesel “probably wouldn’t have happened” without demand from this market.
While the 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is new to the Tank 300 range, it’s not new to GWM. It also features in the Cannon and Cannon Alpha ute lineups.
At launch, the Tank 300 Diesel is being offered in two variants, Lux and Ultra. They’re priced from $47,990 drive-away and $51,990 drive-away respectively, slotting between the existing turbo-petrol and hybrid offerings.
WATCH: Paul’s video review of the 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra Hybrid
The turbo-diesel engine is the main difference to the rest of the existing Tank 300 range, but GWM claims to have made more than 20 component modifications and upgrades to this vehicle.
As a result, the Tank 300 Diesel can tow 500kg more than the petrol and hybrid vehicles. With a 3000kg braked towing capacity, however, it still falls short of the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner’s 3100kg figures, as well as the class-leading 3500kg offered by the Prado and Everest.
The Tank 300 Diesel’s higher towing capacity pushes it into the “heavy off-road passenger vehicles” category under the Australian Government’s incoming New Vehicle Efficiency Standard emissions regulation, giving it a higher CO2 emissions target than its petrol and hybrid siblings.
Ahead of customer deliveries commencing imminently, we drove the GWM Tank 300 Diesel in flagship Ultra trim as part of the national media launch drive between Melbourne and Healesville.
How much does the GWM Tank 300 cost?
From launch, pricing for the two Tank 300 Diesel variants slots between the petrol and hybrid equivalents, but will be on par with the petrol engine from April. As such, GWM expects diesel versions to account for more than half of all Tank 300 sales.
| Model | Drive-away pricing |
|---|---|
| 2025 GWM Tank 300 Lux | $47,990 ($45,990 until March 31) |
| 2025 GWM Tank 300 Lux Diesel | $47,990 |
| 2025 GWM Tank 300 Ultra | $51,990 ($49,990 until March 31) |
| 2025 GWM Tank 300 Ultra Diesel | $51,990 |
| 2025 GWM Tank 300 Lux Hybrid | $55,990 ($50,990 until March 31) |
| 2025 GWM Tank 300 Ultra Hybrid | $60,990 ($55,990 until March 31) |
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What is the GWM Tank 300 like on the inside?
If you’re expecting big changes inside the Tank 300 Diesel, think again. It’s virtually identical to all the petrol and hybrid variants, which is no bad thing because it’s still a high-tech and luxuriously equipped cabin for the price tag.
Hopping in, there are big side steps and chunky grab handles that make ingress a lot easier. This is a deceptively large car and you’d struggle to get in without these.
Once you’re in there are Nappa leather-trimmed seats in the top-spec Ultra, which is the car we drove on the launch. You sit up high in the driver’s seat, which is a sought-after trait in vehicles like this.
The driver’s seat feels deliciously soft and supple. It’s also supportive and has lots of adjustment, including thigh tilt, lumbar, and even a massage function. While many Chinese cars have soft and smooth upholstery, a lot don’t have comfortable driver’s seats, so this is a refreshing change.
Ahead of the driver is a big steering wheel which is befitting of a car like this. It looks chunky with the thick spokes, but it doesn’t feel too large to hold thanks to the thinner outer rim. It offers plenty of tilt and reach adjustment, which means people of many different sizes and statures will be able to find a comfortable driving position.
All the buttons on the steering wheel are physical and make logical sense. There are even two configurable buttons that can activate things like the heated steering wheel and surround-view camera, among other things.
Behind the steering wheel, there is a set of paddle shifters that don’t feel the most premium ever but are decently sized and fun to use.
There’s also a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster which looks high-resolution, though it has a dark theme so there’s a fair bit of negative space. It tells you all the critical information you need to see, like your current speed clearly and brightly, however. There are a few different layouts you can choose from, as well as some infographic pages you can cycle through.
Moving across, there’s a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system that’s equally as clear as the digital instrument cluster. The user interface has a number of different elements, but it isn’t too tricky to navigate around. Plus, if you get lost there are shortcut buttons on the right-hand side of the screen.
You can open up a dedicated off-road set of displays which are cool to play around with. In particular, I love the ‘Conquerer Perspective’, which uses the surround-view camera and has a transparent chassis function.
As standard, the Tank 300 Diesel gets wired and wireless versions of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This mirrors what’s offered in the hybrid variants, though it’s worth noting the petrol variants only get wired smartphone mirroring.
With my iPhone 15 Pro Max connected wirelessly, I didn’t experience any dropouts whatsoever. Admittedly our drive loop was brief, but I jumped between numerous Tank 300s throughout the day and didn’t have any hassles when connecting and reconnecting.
At the front of the centre console, there’s a wireless charger that helps keep your phone battery topped up while using wireless smartphone mirroring. There is also a USB-A and USB-C port if you prefer to plug in for quicker charging.
I appreciate this car has a row of physical climate control switchgear for functions like changing the set temperature and fan speed, among other things. When you make changes it flashes up a climate control interface on the touchscreen, which is handy because you can make further changes on there too.
While the Tank 300’s interior looks high-tech and is luxuriously equipped for the price tag, it is a little on the kitschy side in terms of aesthetics and is a tad derivative. Some examples of this include the Mercedes-Benz-esque circular air vents with ambient lighting, a small analogue clock in the middle of the dash, as well as the silver textured panel ahead of the front passenger.
But there are many soft-touch surfaces that make the cabin feel high-end. It’s not very often a $50k car feels this nice inside. There’s also a lack of glossy piano black finishes, which is a massive plus in my eyes.
The aviation-style gear selector still feels cool to use and substantial when you go from park to drive or reverse. There are also lots of physical buttons surrounding it for various off-road functions, plus prominent dials for the four-wheel drive system and drive modes.
While I’ve harped on how the Tank 300 has a lavish and luxurious interior, it’s also rugged. Touches like the prominent grab handle (or Jesus bar) ahead of the front passenger remind you of this car’s off-road potential.
Up front, there’s a decent amount of storage, including two cupholders, a centre console box with airflow, little storage nooks that pop out from the dashboard like cupholders (but are not), and a standard glovebox.
Out back, the second row of this five-seater is a decent space to spend time in. Like many Chinese models, the seatback of the rear bench is reclined back, which allows you to get relaxed and comfortable. There’s also plenty of space for adults behind adults.
Another element I like about the second row is there are huge grab handles, which are great if you’ve got a driver who is being adventurous behind the wheel. Other second-row amenities include air vents on the back of the centre console, USB ports, and a fold-down armrest with cupholders.
At the rear, the Tank 300 Diesel retains its side-hinging tailgate, which is a bit of a pain because you need to allow for space at the back when parking. Conversely, it has a full-sized spare wheel on it, which means there’s more boot space available inside.
Speaking of boot space, it’s unchanged in the diesel variants compared to the rest of the range. At 400 litres with all the seats upright, expanding to 1635 litres with the second row folded, it isn’t the largest space in the world, but it’s square which allows for items to fit better.
Boot-related amenities are few and far between, but there’s a 12V socket, bag hooks and some tie-down points.
| Dimensions | GWM Tank 300 Diesel |
|---|---|
| Length | 4760mm |
| Width | 1930mm |
| Height | 1903mm |
| Wheelbase | 2750mm |
| Cargo capacity | 400L (5 seats) 1635L (2 seats) |
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
GWM now offers a trifecta of powertrains in the Tank 300 range locally. The new turbo-diesel engine is shared with the Cannon Alpha, as well as the updated Cannon ute.
| Specifications | GWM Tank 300 Diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.4L 4cyl turbo-diesel |
| Power | 135kW @ 3600rpm |
| Torque | 480Nm @ 1500-2500rpm |
| Transmission | 9-speed auto |
| Drive type | Part-time 4×4 (2H, 4H, 4L) |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 7.8L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 9.1L/100km (70km on-road loop) 10.2L/100km (off-road) |
| CO2 emissions (claimed) | 205g/km |
| Fuel tank | 75L |
| Weight (kerb) | 2280kg |
| Payload | 600kg |
| Braked towing capacity | 3000kg |
| Gross vehicle mass (GVM) | 2880kg |
| Gross combination mass (GCM) | 5580kg |
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How does the GWM Tank 300 drive?
When you first hop into the Tank 300 it plays a welcome jingle. It’s rather long and got old very quickly. Thankfully you’re able to turn this off in the infotainment system if it bugs you too much.
Firing it up, you get a hushed diesel note in this new Tank 300 variant. It’s not quite as loud as in the Cannon ute, which itself isn’t very loud to begin with. If you weren’t paying attention you might not even realise this has a diesel engine.
The aviation-style gear shifter to select drive or reverse feels substantial. The car also plays a slingshot-like chime the first time you go into drive, which is a fun novelty.
Acceleration in this car is decent, especially at lower speeds, but it won’t blow your socks off. At the end of the day, this is a four-cylinder single-turbo diesel moving a 2.3-tonne body-on-frame SUV so don’t go expecting a break-neck pace.
It produces 27kW less power than the turbo-petrol, but notably 100Nm more torque. The latter is also available lower down in the rev range, which means the car can hold higher gears for longer and still accelerate confidently.
This makes for a settled, comfortable and relaxing driving experience, which perfectly suits a car like this. It surprises me that GWM didn’t introduce a turbo-diesel engine to the Tank 300 range earlier.
The car feels most settled when driven with docile throttle inputs. If you stamp the throttle from a standstill you get what feels like a brief moment of turbo lag before the car dials up the rate of acceleration. Once this happens it feels far from slow, but the diesel engine can get a little clattery and lets you know it’s working away.
Like other GWM models with this 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, it’s mated with an in-house-developed nine-speed automatic transmission. In practice, it flicks through upshifts quickly to keep the engine revs down low and to minimise fuel consumption.
Despite this, if you call for quicker acceleration or come upon a steeper hill, it’ll happily dive quickly back through the gears to get things moving along faster.
Annoyingly, the Tank 300’s indicator stalk reverts to the neutral position after you activate it. There were occasions when I went to cancel them after changing lanes, for example, and would end up activating three indicator flashes in the opposite direction. Tsk tsk, embarrassing…
At lower speeds, you can feel lots of suspension movement in the cabin, but it’s not as harsh or stiff as many body-on-frame utes because there are coil springs all around. In fact, the suspension in the Tank 300 does err on the softer side, which means in the bends it can get the leans up. It’s fun to play around with, but it demonstrates this car is far from a dynamic weapon.
There are three different steering settings to choose from, though I stuck with the normal ‘Comfort’ setting as it felt the most natural. However, steering feel always remains on the lighter side, but still feels direct.
On the parking front, the Tank 300 Diesel comes with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera with crystal-clear camera quality. GWM certainly knows how to make a good surround-view camera.
Getting out on the open road is where this car feels most at home. At 100km/h the diesel engine revs just above idle, which makes for an effortless driving experience. In fact, you can barely hear the engine, though there’s copious amounts of wind noise that makes up for this. You need to remember this is essentially a box on wheels from an aerodynamics standpoint.
As such, the car can get blown around a tad in high winds, though typically it feels rock solid on the highway and freeway. It’s the kind of vehicle that feels like you could travel thousands of kilometres in and still feel comfortable.
For the most part, the Tank 300 Diesel will stick in top gear and coast along with no worries at all, but it does need to occasionally dive back a gear or two to maintain speed up inclines. This makes the diesel engine note more noticeable, but progression doesn’t stutter.
This turbo-diesel engine makes the Tank 300 a more desirable option for those who want to use their off-roader for overlanding. It’s also more efficient than both the turbo-petrol and hybrid powertrains, which means you can travel further between refills.
It’s finally time to talk off-roading. During the launch we had a brief jaunt on some tracks in the Toolangi State Forest, which the Tank 300 Diesel ate up with ease. But we already know this car is extremely capable off-road.
Like the turbo-petrol versions, the Tank 300 Diesel has a part-time four-wheel drive system. This means the car can only be used in two-high (rear-wheel drive) on sealed surfaces. Four-high and four-low can only be used on unsealed surfaces.
Interestingly with four-low, you need to use the paddle shifters to change gears. This is uncommon in many off-roaders, but it does allow you to take more direct control over how much you want the engine to rev.
In addition to this, there are a plethora of off-road drive modes. So many that we didn’t get to test them all out fully, but they alter the throttle calibration and traction control sensitivity, among other factors.
The mode I tested the most was ‘Expert Mode’, which is essentially a custom mode that allows you to have three presets. It also allows you to dial in the exact way you want the car set up for off-roading.
On the safety front, GWM has had Chinese engineers come out to Australia and tweak the Tank 300’s advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) calibration. It has made this car so much more liveable and not so overbearing to drive.
Where you notice this the most is with the lane-keep assist and emergency lane-keep assist, as it no longer wants to rip the steering wheel out of your hands the moment you drift a little close to a lane marking.
Some systems still aren’t perfect though. One of these is the adaptive cruise control, which can still only be adjusted in 5km/h increments, and will also keep a sizeable distance between the car ahead.
The other is the driver attention monitoring, which admittedly isn’t as bad as some others out there, but will chime the moment you look away from the road. It even went off as I was doing a head check before changing lanes.
Like a few other vehicle, this system also got upset when I wore sunglasses as it couldn’t properly detect where my eyes were looking. The car would throw up a message saying ‘Driver Monitor Degradation’ on the digital instrument cluster, in a poor Chinese-to-English translation.
| Off-road dimensions | GWM Tank 300 Diesel |
|---|---|
| Track front and rear | 1608mm |
| Ground clearance | 224mm |
| Approach angle | 33 degrees |
| Departure angle | 34 degrees |
| Ramp breakover angle | 23 degrees |
| Wading depth | 700mm |
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
What do you get?
There are two trim levels for petrol, diesel and hybrid models, but there are some specification differences depending on the powertrain.
2025 GWM Tank 300 Lux equipment highlights:
- 17-inch black-finish alloy wheels
- 265/65R17 spare tyre
- Electronically locking rear differential
- Hill descent control
- Power-folding, heated exterior mirrors
- LED headlights and tail lights
- Daytime running lights
- Sunroof
- Privacy glass
- Two-piece under-body guard
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Six-way power driver’s seat
- Comfort-Tek leatherette upholstery
- Microfibre and leatherette steering wheel
- 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Front and rear USB ports
- Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 9-speaker sound system
- Ambient interior lighting (seven colours)
- 12V power outlets (front and luggage cabin)
Lux Diesel and Hybrid add:
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- DAB+ digital radio
- Satellite navigation
- Connected services app
Ultra Petrol adds (over Lux Petrol):
- 18-inch chrome-finish alloy wheels
- 265/60R18 spare tyre
- Three-piece under-body guard
- Electronically locking front differential
- Nappa leather upholstery
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Eight-way power driver’s seat with massage function
- Heated steering wheel
- Wireless phone charging
- Infinity 9-speaker sound system
- 64-colour ambient lighting
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Ultra Diesel and Hybrid add (over Lux Diesel and Hybrid):
- Driver’s seat and mirror memory
- 18-inch chrome-finish alloy wheels
- 265/60R18 spare tyre
- Three-piece under-body guard
- Electronically locking front differential
- Nappa leather upholstery
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Eight-way power driver’s seat with massage function
- Heated steering wheel
- Wireless phone charging
- Infinity 9-speaker sound system
- 64-colour ambient lighting
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
Is the GWM Tank 300 safe?
The GWM Tank 300 has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2022, though this hasn’t been carried over for the diesel variants just yet.
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Safe exit warning
- Lane-keep assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane centring
- Traffic sign recognition
- Seven airbags (front, front-side, front-centre and curtain)
- Surround-view camera with ‘Transparent Chassis Function’
- 4 x parking sensors (front)
- 4 x parking sensors (rear)
Diesel variants add:
- Front cross-traffic alert
- Second-row child presence detection
- 6x parking sensors (front)
- 6x parking sensors (rear)
- Driver monitoring system
Hybrid variants add:
- Highway Assist
- Reverse Assist (Ultra Hybrid only)
- Auto Parking Assist (Ultra Hybrid only)
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
How much does the GWM Tank 300 cost to run?
The GWM Tank 300 Diesel is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, with seven years of roadside assistance, and seven years of capped-price servicing.
| Servicing and Warranty | GWM Tank 300 Diesel |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 7 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 7 years |
| Total capped-price service cost | TBD |
To see how the GWM Tank 300 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the GWM Tank 300
The Tank 300 is already a great off-road SUV, offering plenty of capability and luxurious appointments at an appealing price point, but this new turbo-diesel engine option makes it an even more compelling package. In fact, it’s the pick of the range.
Compared to the turbo-petrol and hybrid powertrains, the turbo-diesel feels the most natural in a body-on-frame four-wheel drive like this. The way it delivers power makes for a settled, comfortable and relaxing driving experience, especially on the highway if you can overlook the wind noise, but also off-road.
Crucially, it offers more payload and towing capacity than the turbo-petrol and hybrid powertrain offerings. The former is still a pinch point for those variants because you have to pick whether to load up passengers or gear.
There’s more room for flexibility in the diesel variants, but more payload wouldn’t go astray, especially given the maximum 300kg of towball download removes half of the available payload.
We commend GWM for getting its engineers to readdress the Tank 300’s problematic ADAS calibration in Australia, because they have made it considerably better than it was previously.
It no longer pulls the steering wheel hard the moment you drift from the centre of your lane, but some other safety systems like the adaptive cruise control and driver attention monitoring are still far from the benchmark.
So diesel power has made the Tank 300 much better, but it’s still not perfect. It will be exciting to see what’s in store for the GWM range when ex-Holden vehicle dynamics engineer Rob Trubiani gets his hands on the cars. This Chinese carmaker is listening to local feedback and levelling up. Established rivals should take notice.
Interested in buying a GWM Tank 300? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
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