Right here’s one for the carspotters – the GWM Tank 500 now has a brand new grille.
The massive off-road SUV now wears a “redesigned entrance sports activities grille” borrowed from the Chinese language-market Tank 500 Hi4-T plug-in hybrid (PHEV), with fewer (however chunkier) horizontal slats.
The visually up to date however nonetheless chrome-heavy Toyota Prado rival entered manufacturing in April 2025, and the change in front-end styling doesn’t have an effect on the SUV’s ANCAP score.
In equity to GWM Australia, it’s executed greater than merely change out the grille since launching the Tank 500 right here in March 2024.
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The Tank 500 acquired recalibrated software program in December 2024, together with for lively security and driver help methods such because the adaptive cruise management and emergency lane-keep help.
Different software program modifications had been made to enhance throttle response, in addition to transitions between petrol and electrical energy.
These modifications had been made obtainable to current Tank 500 homeowners.
A revised suspension tune was quietly launched in automobiles that arrived from late within the third quarter of 2024, with a transfer from Chinese language to Thai market suspension tune geared toward bettering its dynamics and composure on the street.
The Tank 500 hybrid now seems extra like its Chinese language-market Hello-4T sibling, and GWM has already confirmed a PHEV choice is coming to the native lineup through the third quarter (July to September) of 2025.
GWM has, nevertheless, stopped in need of confirming whether or not it’ll be the Hello-4T or Hello-4Z.
Each are primarily based across the identical 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine however the place they differ is in packaging, design and – in response to GWM – off-road functionality.
The Tank 500 is the primary automobile to make use of GWM’s Hi4-Z system, launched in China in January 2025 with claims of superior off-roading functionality over the Hi4-T design.
Working a 185kW/380Nm model of the two.0-litre engine mixed with two electrical motors – one on every axle – mixed peak energy is 635kW and 1195Nm.
The Hi4-Z PHEV bundle makes use of multi-link rear suspension and positions the battery pack between the entrance and rear wheels, permitting GWM to suit various battery sizes to Hi4-Z automobiles.
New grille (left), previous grille (proper)
In China, the Tank 500 Hi4-Z makes use of a 59.05kWh battery pack with a claimed 201km (WLTC) electric-only driving vary and 1096km whole vary.
Additional off-road benefits embody each higher weight distribution and the flexibility to put the battery in a ‘safer’ location to guard it in tough situations.
The Hi4-T system is used within the Cannon Alpha PHEV and has the identical whole system outputs of 300kW/750Nm and a 37.1kWh battery pack within the Tank 500 PHEV.
In comparison with the Hi4-Z, the Hi4-T (pictured beneath) has a set structure which implies the battery needs to be positioned beneath the rear boot space, lowering cargo house and limiting the bodily dimension of the battery.
Whereas seemingly much less succesful than the Hi4-Z, the Hi4-T remains to be able to water wading 800mm and has related strategy and departure angles to the present hybrid – albeit with its 223mm floor clearance being 11mm much less.
The addition of the PHEV powertrain will see the Tank 500 beat the Prado and Ford Everest in providing a plug-in choice, too – regardless of the Everest being primarily based on the Ford Ranger, which is able to provide a PHEV powertrain from mid-2025.
Pricing and mannequin grades are but to be introduced, however GWM Australia beforehand informedCarExpert a PHEV model would appeal to an estimated premium of between $6000 and $15,000 over the present hybrid.
