TANK 300:  New range will take on established offroad brands such as Ford and Toyota

By Ali Mphaki

GWM has unleashed the next phase of its product offensive on the South African market with the introduction of the Tank brand.

The Tank is an offroad vehicle brand that means serious business, not only in South Africa but across the globe.  With a starting price of less than R750 000, the GWM TANK 300 range will comprise the following models:

Tank 300 2.0T 8AT 4×4 Super Luxury          

R725 950 (Available Late Q1)

Tank 300 2.0T 8AT 4×4 Ultra Luxury           

 R775 950 (Available Late Q1)

Tank 300 2.0T 9HAT 4×4 Super Luxury        R851 950

There are five distinct colours to choose from. These are: White, Black, Mars Red, Orange and Grey. All models are sold with a 7-year / 200 000 km new vehicle warranty and unlimited roadside assistance for the same period. A 5-year / 75 000 km service plan is included across the range, and service intervals are 12 months or every 15 000 km whichever comes first.

Lest we forget that merely a  decade ago, GWM was very much a fringe player in South Africa, only for its fortunes to change in  2017, when its SUV brand, Haval, was launched locally  establishing itself as a major rival to traditionally popular SUV brands such as Volkswagen, Toyota, Kia and Hyundai.

The GWM TANK 300 cuts a unique profile that shows it is made-for-purpose. GWM designers created a smoothed-out angular profile that tips the hat to off-road vehicles from the past yet stands firmly in a modern environment.

Some of the stand-out design features include the round LED headlamps that are dissected by bright LED daytime running lights.

The side profile frames off the large alloy wheels with black fender extensions. The fenders are connected with a black running board. The door handles, large side mirrors and roof rails are treated in a similar black finish.

At the back, there are squared LED tail lamps, a door-mounted spare wheel – also fitted with a full-sized alloy wheel – and a square rear bumper with integrated tow bar mounting bracket and 12Volt power plug. The rear luggage door is hydraulically assisted, and a spare wheel cover is standard.

The Tank 300 is sold in 3 different trims to appeal to different buyers including the standard Tank 300, Tank 300 City with emphasis on urban appeal and the more hardcore Tank 300 Border which is kitted for the serious offroad enthusiast.

The Tank 300 is a medium-sized body-on-frame SUV that measures 4 760 mm in length, 1 930 mm wide and stands 1 903 mm tall with a generous wheelbase of 2 750 mm.

To put those dimensions into perspective, the Tank 300 is just 35 mm shorter in length than a Toyota Fortuner but it stands wider and taller while also having a longer wheelbase compared to the Fortuner. Standard ground clearance for the Tank 300 is 224 mm with a wading depth of 700 mm while the offroad-biased Tank 300 offers 249mm ground clearance and 900 mm wading depth.

All iterations of the Tank 300 are powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine offering 167 kW and 389 Nm of torque and come mated with an 8-speed automatic transmission as standard.

As far as offroad capability is concerned the Tank 300 is unlikely to disappoint with its new generation all-terrain control system that offers no less than 9 driving modes. Furthermore, depending on the specification, the Tank 300 can be equipped with up to 3 locking differentials (front, centre, rear) and is able to execute a close-quarter “Tank Turn” while a creeping function is also offered for steady offroad progress in difficult terrain.

As standard, the Tank 300 offers an approach angle of 33 degrees, breakover angle of 23.1 degrees and a departure angle of 34 degrees. The Tank 300 rides on 17-inch wheels.

If you’re thinking that the Tank 300 is a budget offroader, you are very wrong. The interior of the Tank 300 is lavishly equipped with comfort and luxury features. Leather upholstery is standard with an 8-way adjustable driver’s seat and note the large integrated 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment system as well as the aviation-style transmission lever. Very smart, indeed…

In terms of driver assistance technology, the Tank 300 is loaded with useful features such as a 360-degree camera, 3D navigation, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, lane centering keeping, intelligent speed assistance, traffic jam assist, intelligent cruise assist, fatigue monitor, tyre pressure monitoring, hill hold control, hill descent control and front and rear parking sensors, to name but a few…

MOTORING:

Briefs

MINI MINI MORE

The first example of the three-door fifth-generation Mini Cooper has left the production line at the MINI Plant in Oxford driven off the Mini Cooper Oxford plant’s production line by John Cooper’s grandson, Charlie Cooper. The funky British hatch is the third member of the Cooper lineup, alongside the Cooper Electric and the Countryman. The new hatch will be offered in two derivatives, namely; the Cooper C and the more athletic Cooper S.

The new Mini Cooper range, which includes the aforementioned Electric and MINI Countryman models, will be available in South Africa from the second quarter of this year.

TAKING IT TO THE C3 MAX

Hot off the heels of being named a finalist for the South African Car of the Year, the Citroën C3 range has an exciting new addition: the C3 MAX. This newest iteration of the acclaimed Citroën C3 lineup is tailored to meet the discerning needs of our South African customers, offering carefully curated enhancements while maintaining exceptional value.

The Citroën C3 MAX represents a fusion of style and versatility, crafted as a crossover that epitomizes the spirit of modern motoring. With its advanced features and unparalleled value proposition, the C3 MAX promises to redefine the driving experience and resonate strongly within the market.

NISSAN IN BED WITH HONDA

Nissan is considering entering into a partnership with rival Honda to jointly develop electric vehicles (EV), Japanese media reported.

Japanese automakers have been slow to develop EVs, particularly in comparison to Chinese competitors such as BYD, causing them to lose ground in the Chinese market and leaving them vulnerable at home. Both Honda and Nissan are considering cutting production capacity in China as sales decline, while BYD earlier this month said it will introduce a series of new models and expand its dealership network in Japan. Nissan declined to comment on the reports, while a spokesperson for Honda said the company “didn’t announce the news and is unable to comment.”

MERCS BUILD BY

HUMANOID ROBOTS

Mercedes-Benz has entered into an agreement with Apptronik to deploy humanoid robots in its factories, streamline operations, and aid human workers on vehicle assembly lines.

These robots, known as Apollo, will be used by the German automaker to evaluate potential uses for logistics-related jobs, such as bringing parts to workers on the assembly line, delivering assembly kits, or even inspecting parts, theoretically saving time and increasing efficiency.

The idea behind a human-shaped robot may be jarring, but there’s a reason behind it. Creating humanoids that can adapt to existing factories is far more cost-effective than redesigning multi-billion dollar facilities to accommodate new robots. Similar in size and weight to a human worker, the Apollo robots stand five feet eight inches tall and weigh around 160 pounds. They can also lift things to a weight of 55 lbs.

ONE MORE THING…

The promise of fully self-driving cars remains elusive. That might be a good thing, at least going by a new study from AAA that found the majority of people are actually afraid of autonomous vehicles. Even more surprising: That number has increased in recent years while public trust has fallen.

According to AAA, 66 percent of respondents said they feared self-driving vehicles. That’s up from 55 percent in 2022, but down from 68 percent last year. The share of those who trust AVs held steady from 2023 to 2024 at 9 percent, while 25 percent were unsure of them. Both numbers are down from 15 and 30 percent, respectively, in 2022.

While buyers might be weary of robot cars, they aren’t opposed to some technological assistance behind the wheel. Respondents said they were interested in some technology, with more than half open to automatic braking, reverse automatic braking, and lane keep assist. Only 42 percent were interested in active driving assist, and 49 percent were for adaptive cruise control.