BY PETER BARNWELL

LOOKING more than a bit like a scaled down, new generation Ford Bronco, Great Wall Motor’s new Tank 300 Hybrid 4x4 lobbed here just before the Christmas past.

Strange as that would have made it almost invisible to buyers given the time of year… But the new off-roader is a worthy contender in the ridgey-didge, medium-size ‘fourbie’ space with a name so apt that you could hardly forget it.

Apart from being built using ‘old school’ engineering in some areas, the Tank 300 Hybrid is first cab off the rank in the segment with a hybrid powertrain.

It’s available in two grades, Lux and Ultra, with what the manufacturer describes as “unbeatable levels of toughness and sophistication”.

The Tank 300 Hybrid is priced from $55,990 drive-away.

Styling channels other mid-size, boxy 4WDs… the likes of Jeep’s Wrangler and the aforementioned Ford Bronco but that look is ‘de rigour’ in this territory. And buyers love it. The five-door, five-seat Tank 300 rides on an ‘old school’ ladder chassis and not the increasingly common, but less off-road desirable monocoque used on ‘soft road’ SUVs.

With no direct hybrid competitor… against what some might call potential competition, the Tank 3000 Lux is roughly $5000 less than a comparable mid-spec Toyota Fortuner GLX at $55,085 plus ORCs which would bring the Toyota close to $60,000 drive away and the mid spec’ Ssangyong Rexton Ultimate at a grand less ($54,990 drive away).

GWM reckons Tank’s bold looks are not merely skin deep with a toughness extending to under-the-skin mechanicals where it has ‘world-class 4WD technology’ including a ‘proper’ selectable 4WD system and locking differential on the high-grade model.

The company says in promotional material that the Tank 300 Hybrid features a luxurious interior and advanced technology that make the 4x4 “poised to become a strong option for those looking to explore Australian roads, tracks and beyond.”

GWM has launched three ‘New Energy Vehicles’ here in quick succession including the Tank 300 Hybrid. The others are soft road SUVs; the Haval Jolion Hybrid and Haval H6 Hybrid.

The Tank 300 Hybrid runs a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine with an electric traction motor driving through a nine-speed hybrid calibrated automatic transmission.

The petrol engine delivers 180kW at 5500-6000rpm and 380Nm at 1700-4000rpm while the electric traction motor adds an additional 78kW and 268Nm. Australian Government rules put the two together for a total rated output of 225kW.

It’s a robust output by any measure and would undoubtedly give the Tank 300 Hybrid strong performance across a wide range and contributes to a creditable towing capacity of 2500kg – 5kg more than Jeep’s Wrangler.

A good-looking vehicle in a tough sort of way, the Tank 300 Hybrid is built on GWM's global off-road platform that is used under vehicles designed to perform in all conditions providing some 224mm of ground clearance matched to a 33-degree approach angle and 34-degree departure angle combined with Torque On Demand 4WD technology to “facilitate challenging off-road adventures.”

With overall dimensions (length, width and height) of 4760mm x 1930mm x 1903mm, the Tank 300 Hybrid provides a spacious interior for all five occupants. It measures very closely to the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

Those two grades offered, Lux (at $55,990 drive-away) and Ultra (at $60,990 drive-away), provide generous levels of standard equipment available across both variants.

The Lux features: 17-inch alloy wheels, a six-way power driver seat, comfort-tek leather seats, micro-fibre leather steering wheel, 12.3-inch full colour instrument cluster and 12.3-inch full colour infotainment system, front and rear USB charge points (front with data transmission), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, nine-speaker audio, seven-colour ambient lighting, DAB+, power windows, auto-folding, heated power exterior mirrors, LED headlights and tail lights, daytime running lamps, sunroof, two-piece under-body guard, 12V power outlets (front and luggage cabin).

In safety terms the Lux has tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), seven airbags, adaptive cruise control, AEB, front collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, rear cross traffic alert with brake, crawl control for ultra- low speed off road driving a feature called ‘tank turn’ that selectively applies the brake to assist steering in tight off-road driving.

Also on Lux are a transparent chassis function, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree view monitor.

Moving to the Ultra grades adds: 18-inch alloys, Nappa leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, eight -way power driver seat with massage function and four-way power lumbar support adjustment, heated, leather steering wheel, wireless charging, premium Infinity nine-speaker audio, 64-colour ambient lighting, 220V power outlet (luggage cabin), front differential lock, three-piece under-body bash plates, auto parking and auto reverse tracking function.

GWM offers the new Tank 300 in five exterior colours: Lunar Red, Hamilton White, Dusk Orange, Fossil Grey and Crystal Black while providing a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, five years’ roadside assistance and capped price servicing.

Protect your Classic. Call Shannons Insurance on 13 46 46 to get a quote today.