The P500 HEV is hard to miss with an enormous gloss black grille with a big P Series badge flanked by square LED headlights.
Image: Supplied.
As a nation we are bakkie mad as the monthly sales continue to tell us.
Most modern bakkies have a decent ride quality and handling characteristics and when you combine these with their practical use as an everyday drive that will cart garden refuse as easily as it does children on a school run it stands to reason why they’re our go-to.
We also like them to be fueled by diesel which is why the GWM P500 HEV Ultra Luxury AT double cab that arrived in the driveway provided an interesting prospect.
The HEV part is a hybrid electric drive system which in the P500 is connected to a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
At 5,445mm long, 1,991mm wide, 1,924mm high and a wheelbase of 3,350mm the P500 is one of the biggest bakkies available in South Africa so you have to find a more secluded area at shopping malls to park comfortably.
It’s hard to miss with an enormous gloss black grille with a big P Series badge flanked by square LED headlights, flared wheel arches covering 18-inch alloy wheels which at first sight look undersized and out of sync with the rest of the bakkie.
It has a distinctive high shoulder line and roof rails blended into the roofline emphasising its size.
LED taillights with smoked black glass, and a high mounted brake light add to the premium feel of the P500’s design.
The P500’s party piece is the 60/40 split-swinging tailgate that drops down like a traditional bakkie or opens sideways like barn doors with a step for easy access.
It’s opened by the push of a button on the tailgate and I’m not sure whether it will survive the rigours of everyday use combined with mud and dust. As it was our test unit it took a couple of attempts before it opened.
The P500’s party piece is the 60/40 split-swinging tailgate that drops down like a traditional bakkie or opens sideways like barn doors with a step for easy access.
Image: Supplied
Given the size of the bakkie the interior borders on cavernous.
As you would expect from a Chinese manufacturer there’s enough glass to cover an atrium with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
It’s not the most intuitive system and takes a while to figure it out so it’s best to get your settings right before taking off.
It also houses the rear view camera and 360 degree view camera.
The Nappa leather seats are not only incredibly comfortable but are heated and cooled as are the rear seats which can be electronically adjusted, not something you see often in a bakkie. The front seats have a massaging function which will be an added bonus on long drives.
Something else you don’t get to see is a panoramic sunroof, which when it comes to optional extras in other manufacturers is apparently South Africa’s favourite box to tick.
An impressive 10-speaker Harman Infinity sound system provides a perfect soundtrack and you also get front and rear wireless charging pads as well as a 220V inverter.
With soft touchpoints throughout it feels as if you are sitting in a luxurious doctor’s waiting room
The P500 HEV uses a 78kW/268Nm electric motor coupled to a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 180kW and 380Nm for a combined output of 255kW and 648Nm of torque, coupled to a nine-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels.
It has an array of electronic offroad settings including low range and a front and rear differential lock making it extremely capable offroad.
The towing capacity is rated at 3,500kg.
With soft touchpoints throughout it feels like sitting in a luxurious doctor’s waiting room.
Image: Supplied
Having almost exclusively driven diesel bakkies over the years, one of the things that impressed me was how smooth and supple the P500 HEV felt on the road.
The suspension is well calibrated and easily takes care of potholes and speed bumps which is helped by the extra weight of the battery.
For a bakkie of this size the steering felt light and a bit vague but you can adjust the settings on the touchscreen to provide better feedback.
Once you’ve found the happy medium the P500 is a pleasure to drive.
It feels solidly planted and for its size it’s not overly tail happy when driven hard.
One of the regularly lamented issues with Chinese manufacturers is throttle calibration.
The GWM P500 HEV doesn’t suffer as much from this and once it’s on the move gearchanges are slick and smooth.
As an HEV you would expect fairly decent fuel consumption which the official figures claim to be 9.8l/100km.
However, try as I might driving with a light foot and as much regeneration as possible, the best I could muster was 12.3l/100km.
Safety is taken care of by Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a Driver Fatigue Monitoring System. Also standard is a 360-degree camera system, seven airbags (including a centre airbag), Rear Cross-Traffic Warning System and Front Collision Warning.
While the GWM P500 HEV provides an exceptionally smooth and comfortable drive, it’s let down by its rather enthusiastic consumption of petrol.
For that reason alone, if I was looking to buy into the P500 range, the 2.4 diesel option would be a much better choice.
Taking the R999,900 price tag into consideration, there are a myriad of options in the double cab market which would make more sense when it comes to running costs, unless you are a dyed in the wool new energy vehicle enthusiast.