Bothaville, Free State - Chinese carmakers are taking South Africa’s SUV market by storm and the latest contender is somewhat different to the crossover-style models we’ve seen. Meet the Tank 300, by GWM.

Set to launch in South Africa shortly, and on display at the Nampo show in the Free State, the Tank 300 is a traditional body-on-frame SUV with boxy looks to match.

It’s a breath of fresh air in a segment where softer lines have become the norm.

The Tank 300 will take on bakkie-based SUVs such as the Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Ford Everest. In terms of size, the 4.76m Chinese contender is slightly shorter than the Fortuner, albeit wider, but unlike its seven-seat rivals, the Tank accommodates only five occupants.

But how much will it cost? Haval SA hasn’t released the full model range details yet but the local importer says we can expect the newcomer to cost between R685 900 and R851 900. This puts it in close contention with the aforementioned Fortuner, which costs between R653 500 and R915 400.

While GWM’s Tank 300 offers something different, and will probably be appealing to buyers in this neck of the woods, although it does lack a diesel engine.

For now, Haval SA is mentioning only turbopetrol and hybrid models.

The 2.0-litre petrol motor produces 162kW and 387Nm, and is paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and Torque On Demand four-wheel drive system.

But perhaps the company will manage to convince diesel-heads to try out its hybrid, which pairs the aforementioned 2.0 engine to an electric motor for combined outputs of 258kW and 615Nm.

While there’s no mention of a diesel, it would make sense to install the 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine that’s fitted to most of GWM’s bakkie models.

The Tank 300’s body-on-frame chassis is similar to that of the P-Series bakkie, which should give it serious off-road credentials, Haval SA’s COO Conrad Groenewald says. He expects the new SUV to appeal to leisure and business owners.

The Tank 300 boasts a ground clearance of 224mm, and the approach and departure angles are listed at 33 degrees and 34 degrees respectively.

While the interior specifications have yet to be announced, the flagship models offered in overseas markets have an impressive array of features.

These include remote-control parking via smartphone, a nine-speaker Infinity sound system, heated and cooled Nappa leather seats, 64-colour ambient lighting and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Knowing Haval, specification will probably be generous from the base model upwards.

As you’d expect from its name, the structure is rather tough too, given that the Tank 300 was awarded a five-star Australian NCAP safety rating last year. The accolade was due to its crash performance as well as collision-avoidance technologies.

The company is also aiming to launch the Tank 500 in South Africa in early 2024. The larger SUV model will take on the Toyota Prado.

If you’re at Nampo this week, you can check out the new Tank 300, alongside the GWM P-Series LTD and the GWM Ora electric car.

IOL Motoring