GWM has revealed its largest, most ostentatious Tank-branded body-on-frame SUV yet with the plug-in hybrid 700.
First revealed in a Chinese government filing in arguably its least flattering colour and spec combination, GWM subsequently released an official image wherein the SUV looked more attractive.
Now, it has been revealed at the Guangzhou motor show in an aggressive-looking Limited Launch Edition variant of which just 70 examples will be produced.
It features a carbon-fibre kit, light bars above the windscreen and 22-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tyres.
Inside, GWM has paid homage to Rolls-Royce with a starry night headliner of its own featuring dozens of individual LEDs, as well as a distinctive two-tone black and white upholstery.
The Tank 700 uses a Hi4-branded powertrain, GWM-speak for a plug-in hybrid.
Unlike the Tank 400 and 500 Hi4 models which use a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine as part of their plug-in hybrid powertrains, the Tank 700 Hi4-T uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine.
This engine, which is also set to be offered without the plug-in hybrid system, produces 268kW of power and 500Nm of torque. Paired with an electric motor, outputs are bumped up to 386kW and 750Nm.
Drive is sent through a nine-speed automatic transmission to a four-wheel drive system.
The Tank 700 offers air suspension, electromagnetic shock absorbers, and a disconnecting stabiliser bar for greater off-road agility.
It measures 5113mm long, 2061mm wide and 1952mm tall on a 3000mm wheelbase. For reference, a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series measures up to 5015mm long, 2000mm wide and 1950mm tall on a 2850mm wheelbase.
No other technical specifications have been released yet by GWM.
It follows a similar design language to the smaller Tank 400 – as opposed to the boxy Tank 300 and more conventional Tank 500 – with a canted C-pillar treatment, angular wheel arches, and small headlights.
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Likely base model Tank 700
Like all Tank models, however, there’s an external spare tyre carrier mounted to the tailgate.
There’s one final piece of the Tank puzzle: a production version of the Tank 800 concept.
Revealed in 2021, the Tank 800 more closely resembles the Tank 500 but with even glitzier styling inside and out.
We’ve contacted GWM Australia to confirm if the Tank 700 will come here. It has previously teased the smaller Tank 400 on its official social channels, only to say later this wasn’t a confirmation of a local launch.
It has yet to officially announce the Tank 500, but CarExpert understands this will arrive in the first quarter of 2024.
The Tank 300 arrived here this year, and already GWM has sold 1029 examples, pushing it past the Jeep Wrangler (930 sales).
