GWM launches TANK 700 Hi4-T, 516bhp luxury off-roader

Considering that the ORA Good Cat has made inroads into Singapore on the strength of its cutesy styling, the revelation of what its parent company, Great Wall Motor (GWM), has been busy building recently might be slightly surprising.

On 26 February 2024, the company hosted close to 1,000 guests at Beijing's National Tennis Centre for the domestic market launch of the TANK 700 Hi4-T, a full-sized, plug-in hybrid off-roader that it says has introduced a new pinnacle in luxury off-roading. 

The launch follows the car's initial preview at the 2023 Guangzhou Motor Show, and has now officially gone on sale in China. Retail prices here start at approximately $81,510 (RMB428,000) for the entry-level variant. 

For those less in the know, GWM holds many other sub-brands under its larger portfolio. While Singapore was only introduced to ORA last year, other GWM sub-brands have already established a presence in the region. This most notably includes HAVAL (present in Thailand and Australia), a maker of family-SUVs.

Think of TANK as the more extroverted and upscale larger brother. Designated as a builder of luxury off-roaders, the brand has already launched three prior SUVs – the 300, 400 and 500 - all of which seem markedly different in the audiences they appeal to. As its name might already suggest, the 700 is not only its latest flagship but the largest SUV it has made yet. Still, while the car appears to be targeting customers which are even better-heeled, it remains true to the brand's core off-roading DNA.

For starters, there's how it looks: Unabashedly boxy, with large blocky wheel arches, a tall nose and flat bonnet, and riding on 22-inch wheels.

Its short overhangs might be misleading initially but don't be fooled - the 700 is huge, stretching out at 5,090mm long, and standing more than 1,950mm tall in height. Standard variants have 1,742mm wheel tracks, though buyers who step up the Limited Edition model will get a car's that slightly larger on all fronts. (To maintain their exclusivity, TANK says a maximum of 700 Limited Edition variants will be sold annually.)

All this, of course, is not for show. GWM is claiming an approach angle of 37.8 degrees, and a departure angle of 37.6 degrees for non-Limited Edition variants of the 700 - very good figures that put the car in the territory of some of the most capable 4x4s we know. Extensive testing was apparently carried out to ensure it copes with both icy and desert-like terrain equally well.

Its ground clearance is not for show either. By default, the 700 already has a wading depth of 900mm, but electronic air suspension, offered as standard, can help bring this up to 970mm where needed. Conversely, the car can be lowered too for entering shorter parking spaces, and when travelling above 110km/h.

TANK'S P2 hybrid architecture has allowed for the 700 Hi4-T to accommodate a plug-in hybrid system, consisting of a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and an electric motor. Combined output stands at 516bhp and 800Nm of torque (850Nm in the Limited Edition variant)

On that note, GWM has made it very clear that it is proud of the technology that has gone into the making of the TANK 700 Hi4-T.

Understanding that those who enjoy the outdoors might be resistance to EVs, a key pillar to its promise of building some of the world's most rugged off-roaders is its resistance to full-electrification. 

Here's where we get into the latter portion of its name, with 'Hi4-T' standing for 'Hybrid intelligent 4-Wheel-Drive Tank'.

One of the highlights here is the car's proprietary P2 hybrid architecture, which has allowed TANK to fit this specific plug-in hybrid powertrain into the car: A 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, assisted by an electric motor. Total system output stands at an incredible 516bhp and 800Nm of torque (850Nm in Limited Edition variants), which is enough to send the car from 0-100km/h in five-ish seconds. 

While this drivetrain was designed to be future-proof against emissions regulations, GWM is also not disguising the fact that it is taking explicit aim at other powerful SUVs.

Specifically, it has noted that such a high-displacement plug-in hybrid system was previously only given to far more expensive SUVs (such as the Range Rover P440e), while claiming "performance parameters [that] surpass those of V8 engines comprehensively".

Mated to this drivetrain is yet another technological achievement GWM is proud to have taken full charge of: A special nine-speed hydraulic automatic transmission built to aid both the 700's high-performance and rigorous off-roading targets. Impressively, GWM has been able to mount it longitudinally into the car's chassis, making it the first Chinese carmaker to develop such a transmission.

Then, there is the car's cabin. The basic building blocks for modern luxury are all present - ambient lighting, large screens, and a cabin swathed with leather - but the 700 comes with specific party tricks. 

There are the Nappa-leather 'Cloud Seats' for instance, named as such to convey their immense softness. Active Noise Cancellation is also present in a cabin that has apparently been heavily tuned to keep NVH at bay - all the better, so that its occupants can enjoy the 16-speaker Harman Kardon 3D surround system. 

But perhaps most eye-catching (and also uncannily familiar) is its 'starry sky ceiling', which GWM says was inspired by the sky over New Zealand's Lake Tekapo. This consists of 1,200 densely arranged "stars", with production once more employing high-tech, highly-automated production methods.

GWM has high hopes for the TANK 700 Hi4-T, stating that it wants the model to not just be the flagship of the TANK brand, but of Chinese off-roaders on the whole. It seems the market is responding well, too; pre-orders filled out in an unbelievably rapid 55 seconds for the 70 Limited Launch Edition units of the car, back at last year's Guangzhou Motor Show.

Sgcarmart understands that there are currently no plans to bring the 700 Hi4-T to Singapore, despite a GWM spokesperson confirming that the model (like its siblings) will be produced for both right- and left-hand drive markets.

Nonetheless, the company was quick to assure that it is exploring bringing other models from within the larger GWM group in, following the success of the ORA Good Cat in Singapore. Globally, GWM is also intensifying its push into foreign markets. Last year, the TANK brand managed a 31% increase in deliveries, with overseas territories now accounting for 20% of sales.