The next member of Great Wall Motor’s Tank family of SUVs has been revealed.
The Tank 700 has been leaked in typical Chinese fashion: through unflattering images from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, shared on social media network Weibo.
It reportedly measures over 5m long, with a 3m wheelbase and a width of 2061mm – slightly longer and wider than a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.
The large SUV had previously been revealed in concept form at the Shanghai motor show in 2022, along with a similarly large model called the Tank 800.
It’s the next member of Great Wall Motor’s newest established brand, following the Tank 300 (here this year with GWM Tank badging) and the 500 (expected here this year).
The concept’s styling has largely carried over, though there are some detail differences – perhaps because this is a lower-end trim level.
It rides on smaller wheels than the 22-inch footwear of the concept, and lacks its gloss black wheel arch cladding and distinctive pale blue paint.
Down back, the circular quad exhaust outlets are nowhere to be found, and the gloss black trim surrounding the tail lights is missing.
Otherwise, the styling is as edgy as the concept and most of the details, from the grille to the unusually shaped headlights, are carried over.
As for those missing details, these have appeared in images in a local trademark filing, while larger wheels also appear in the MIIT filing.
Where the Tank 800 concept is more overtly luxurious in its exterior design with its shiny chrome waterfall grille and two-tone paint treatment, the 700 is intended to have a more rugged look.
Inside, however, the concept boasts a luxurious interior like the 800, with suede upholstery across the dash, doors and centre console, plus rear entertainment screens and leg rests and a widescreen infotainment system.
A badge on the tailgate reveals the production 700 is equipped with a V6 engine.
Tank 700 concept
The Tank 700 concept uses a turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol V6 engine mated with a nine-speed automatic transmission and an intelligent four-wheel drive system, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid options available that boost power and torque to up to 380kW and 750Nm.
In the more conservatively styled Tank 500, GWM’s twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6 produces 265kW of power and 500Nm of torque.
GWM confirmed the 700 concept uses the same body-on-frame Tank architecture as the 500. According to Chinese media, this cost 20 billion yuan (A$4.27bn) to develop over five years.
The 700 concept features off-road equipment like creep and wading modes, various terrain modes, a tank turn function, an active stabiliser bar that can disconnect the left and right wheels, and locking front, centre and rear differentials. It also features air suspension.
With the introduction of the production Tank 700 imminent, it appears likely a debut of the Tank 800 won’t be far off, completing the initial quartet of Tank SUVs.
Tank’s first model was the 300, revealed in 2020 wearing Wey badging – GWM’s premium crossover brand. But just months later, GWM decided to spin Tank off into its own brand to sit alongside Wey, Ora, Haval and GWM Pickup.
Tank 800 concept
In Australia, GWM is selling all its vehicles with GWM badging, and treating the brands as sub-brands – for example, the Haval H6 is sold here as the GWM Haval H6.
That allows GWM to market itself as a single, almost full-line brand, which by the end of this year is expected to offer everything from small crossovers and electric hatchbacks all the way up to large body-on-frame utes and SUVs.
Globally, GWM sold 123,881 Tank-branded vehicles in 2022, ahead of Ora (103,996) and Wey (36,381) but behind Haval (616,550) and GWM Pickup (186,715).
MORE: GWM sold another million cars last year, 170,000 outside China
