2024 GWM Tank 500 approved for Australia with hybrid power

The 2024 GWM Tank 500 is one giant leap closer to Australian showrooms, after its Chinese manufacturer was given the green light to sell the Toyota Prado rival to local customers.

The five-metre-long Tank 500 from Great Wall Motors (GWM) has been approved for sale in a single four-cylinder petrol-hybrid variant offering seven seats as standard.

GWM Australia is yet to formally confirm plans to sell the Tank 500 locally. However car manufacturers do not go to the effort – and financial expense – of homologating new vehicles for Australian roads if they do not plan to sell them to customers.

Drive has previously speculated on local showroom arrivals later this year or early next year, pending any delays.

The GWM Tank 500 has been spotted on local roads multiple times in recent months, wearing varying levels of camouflage – even though it has been on sale in China for two years.

It is the larger sibling to the five-seat, Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco-like Tank 300 – and fits between the current Toyota Prado and LandCruiser 300 Series in size.

In Australia, one engine has been approved so far: a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor, nine-speed automatic transmission, and four-wheel drive.

The combined output is 258kW – matching the Tank 300 with the same hybrid system – while the braked towing capacity is listed as 3000kg, matching a current '150 Series' Prado but down on the 3500kg of next year's new '250 Series' Prado.

In China buyers can opt for a 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 petrol with mild-hybrid technology – developing 265kW and 500Nm – but there is no word on if this will come to Australia.

The Tank 500 measures 5078mm long (with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel), 1934mm wide and 1905mm tall, on a 2850mm wheelbase, with 237mm of ground clearance.

With a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, a current Toyota Prado Kakadu measures 4995mm long overall, 1885mm wide, 1880mm tall, and 2790mm long in wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheel axles).

The GWM claims a tare weight (without oil, fuel or other fluids, nor the driver) of 2630kg, and a gross vehicle mass of 3395kg. Government documents for the Toyota Prado show 2335kg and 2990kg respectively for the same metrics.

The government documents show a choice of 18-inch, 19-inch or 20-inch alloy wheels, depending on model.

The 2024 GWM Tank 500 is expected in Australia later this year or early next year – given government certification documents are typically filed within a few months of first showroom arrivals.