Fast Facts
South Africans have a soft spot for diesel vehicles, so bringing an SUV like the Tank 300 to Mzansi in petrol had us all asking when the diesel was coming. GWM obliged and introduced the more affordable 2.4-litre turbodiesel Tank 300 a few months ago, available in three flavours, namely the 2.4TD Luxury 2WD AT, 2.4TD Super Lux 4WD AT, and 2.4TD Ultra Lux 4WD AT, which we are reviewing. In August, the brand added an entry-level diesel model to make the range more accessible. (Lawrence drove the P Series bakkie with the same engine here.)
Related: More affordable GMW Tank 300 launched (April 2025)
Styling
There's nothing much visually distinguishing the diesel model from the stylish petrol model; it's the same boxy Jeep-esque styling with a retro-inspired front end, T-emblem in the centre, square overfenders, rectangular side mirrors, sexy alloys, and 18-inch alloys shod with Michelin all-terrain tyres.
Usable roof rails and a full-sized spare wheel on the rear side-hinged door round off the bundu-basher look. Super Luxury and Ultra Luxury models have a sunroof as standard (Luxury 2WD Diesel does without).
However, the side steps are too high, so I skipped them altogether. (Ground clearance is 224 mm.)
Related: GWM adds diesel power to Tank 300 range
Interior
The Geländewagen influence is easy to spot, replete with circular turbine-style air vents, quilted stitching and ambient lighting. However, the execution is a little gauche; the Germans would never use so many reflective surfaces in one cockpit. Premium design features like the sexy gear selector and surrounding switchgear help to make up for this.
Up front, there are big, dual screens that flow into one, but it seems like the screen was lifted off a left-hand-drive vehicle and placed inside a right-hand-drive vehicle without changing the layout for ergonomics. The front passenger must lean to the far right to adjust the volume.
Audio systems are as follows:
Tank 300 Luxury 2WD Diesel: 9-speaker audio
Tank 300 Super Luxury 4WD Diesel: 9-speaker audio
Tank 300 Ultra Luxury 4WD Diesel: Infinity premium audio, 9 speakers
The screen size made my Apple icons appear pleasantly large, and connecting my phone via CarPlay was super easy. (Android Auto is also supported.) Like in other GWM/Haval products, it’s not the user‑friendliest infotainment system, but we got along fine, apart from being unable to change Normal drive mode into Eco. The brochure mentions an “Economic” mode, but our SA‑spec diesel didn’t surface a separate Eco toggle; we used the default mapping alongside 2H/4H/4L and terrain settings.
Be that as it may, the overall interior ambience still feels and looks like quality, with all the posh trimmings, but without the steep G-wagon/Jeep price tag.
The 2.4TD Ultra Luxury, the most luxurious diesel in the lineup, costs the same as the Toyota Fortuner 2.4 GD-6 4x4, but has all the bells and whistles you can imagine, including seat heating, memory, massaging, 8-way electric adjustment, and seat ventilation.
Download the full brochure for the VERY comprehensively specified Tank 300 here.
Space and Comfort
After driving the Tank 500 HEV last year, I thought the Tank 300 would be considerably smaller, but it's a big car, ideal for families with busy, active lives.
Conveniently, cameras are all around, so you don't get into fender-bender situations, and the transparent chassis view allows you to see through the car. The camera view also appears for safety when you turn left or right.
The second row is wide, has loads of legroom, and comfortably seats three adults. The floor is slightly raised in the middle, so the shorter of the three would have to sit there, but the hip width is also adult-sized. The supportive seats are covered in nappa or faux leather.
The boot is a good size for camping families, but the side-hinged door may be an issue when parked somewhere without space directly behind the car.
The Drive
Interestingly, every time you slot the lever into drive, there's an intentional, engineered sound, like a laser gun being fired in a video game (don't worry, there's nothing wrong with the car). It's disconcerting at first, but then you get used to it. Will it irritate you eventually? Perhaps.
The other irritating characteristic of the Tank 300 is the gearbox calibration. You prod the accelerator to pull away, and there's no power, and all of a sudden, there's all the power. This means you spin out of your gravel driveway noisily, or if you're waiting to cross a busy intersection, you think there's a big-enough gap, but there might not be. Switching to 4H alleviates the problem, but it will eat into your fuel budget if you're in permanent all-wheel drive when you don't need to be. (Ask your dealer about the latest ECU/TCU software update to fix this.)
The Tank 300 is immensely well-equipped and capable in its off-road skillset (2 x diff locks in the front and rear, complete underbody protection, and comprehensive off-road controls), but we mostly used good gravel and tar roads for this review. We took a beautiful scenic dirt road from Bredasdorp via Elim to Stanford, and I thought the Tank 300 behaved itself perfectly in 4H, consistently stable, always pliant over the lumps and bumps: a win if you live in rural areas and have to drive on farm roads regularly.
Chad made a reel while testing the Tank's suspension in China, and it's well-worth viewing here.
Performance
The 2.4‑litre turbodiesel has a nice amount of shove and a braked towing capacity of 3 000 kg. The diesel’s power figures are 135 kW and 480 Nm, and it feels sprightly enough for a vehicle with a kerb weight of 2 280 kg (GVM 2,880 kg). Independent tests put the 0–100 km/h sprint for the 2.4TD 4×4 at around 11.3–11.5 seconds.
Fuel Consumption
Considering the Tank's size and heft, our 78-litre diesel tank lasted surprisingly long. In town, average consumption was not exactly low at 10.5 L/100 km, but driving to Cape Town and back 'over the mountain' came down to a decent 8.2 L/100 km. On average, we got around 850 km from one full tank, but it's worth mentioning that I am one of those annoying, law-abiding citizens who stick to the speed limit on public roads.
Safety
Every conceivable box is ticked regarding safety features, nannies, and assistants, and you can thankfully switch most of them off. (The Tank 300 also features all of the semi-autonomous tech, such as lane-keep assistance and adaptive cruise control, and it's pretty effective, but I don't care much for it unless it operates like Volvo's Pilot Assist, which has set the bar high.)
The Tank 300 HEV gets a 5-star ANCAP safety rating, so we reckon the diesel model will have the same credentials.
Price
The Tank 300 we tested isn't cheap, but I would go for the entry-level model if I didn't plan to take on challenging off-road tracks. Despite its quirks, it's a lovely car-pool car and daily driver, which will happily tackle most weekend family adventures.
• Tank 300 Luxury 2WD Diesel — R 649,900 (recommended)
• Tank 300 Super Luxury 4WD Diesel — R 699,900
• Tank 300 Super Luxury 4WD Petrol — R 729,950
• Tank 300 Ultra Luxury 4WD Diesel — R 739,900
• Tank 300 Ultra Luxury 4WD Petrol — R 779,950
• Tank 300 Super Luxury 4WD HEV — R 855,950
• Tank 300 Ultra Luxury 4WD HEV — R 929,950
*Pricing includes a 7-year/200 000 km warranty and a 7-year/75 000 km service plan.
Other 4x4 models in this range include the BAIC B40 Plus 2.0T Honor Edition (R699 500, although it lacks a diff lock), the Mahindra Scorpio-N 2.2D Z8L 4XPlor Adventure (R699 999), the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (from R789 990), and the aforementioned Toyota Fortuner.
The Verdict
The Tank 300 is not without its gremlins, but it's good value if you look at what you get for your money. You will have a spacious, luxurious yet capable car that can take you anywhere, and you're not stuck with G-wagon repair costs. The 7-year warranty is another feather in its cap.
