Great Wall Motors (GWM), which has been a leader among SUV makers in China, has created a new sub-brand called TANK. The name originally began as a model name under the company’s WEY brand but at the end of last year, GWM decided that TANK would be a standalone brand. The first product is the TANK 300, a conventional looking SUV with a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine. With an output of 227 bhp and 3 differential locks in the drivetrain, it seems like a serious off-roader.
At the Chengdu Motor Show 2021 in China this month, GWM will display a second SUV which is currently referred to as TANK ‘X’. Designed by Andrew Collinson, formerly with Land Rover, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and some other carmakers, the new SUV is to be a more premium product.
It will have a ‘hardcore look’ and as the sketches show, there is a hexagonal grille, which will have chrome highlights. The side view shows a muscular form not unlike other large SUVs in the market today.
TANK ‘X’ is built on GWM’s global intelligent professional off-road platform. It will be the manufacturer’s first SUV to be equipped with the 3.0GDIT+9AT powertrain. This engine is said to have advanced technologies such as dual-injection system and Miller cycle, with a thermal efficiency of 38.5% and maximum power output of 354 bhp/ 500 Nm. Its 9-speed automatic transmission was developed by GWM and is said to have a fast shift speed, smoothness, high transmission efficiency and also light weight.
The TANK brand joins four existing brands – HAVAL, Ora, GWM PickUp and WEY. In the first half of 2021, GWM’s total sales volume was 618,211 vehicles, a year-on-year growth of 56.5%, of which nearly 10% were sold outside China.
GWM has been growing its presence in many regions and this year, it has stepped up its activities in Thailand with the aim of penetrating the ASEAN market. As an indication of the importance it places on the Thai market, GWM used the Bangkok International Motor Show this year as the venue for the world premiere of the HAVAL H6 Hybrid SUV.
