29/06/2025

Contributing Editor Keshy Dhillon / keshy@piston.my Editorial

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SUNDAY | JUNE 29, 2025

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Floods? No problem.

Fun in the mud

When the going gets tough, the Tank 300 keeps going

BY KESHY DHILLON

LOOKING TOUGH and being tough are two entirely different things. In the automotive context, some companies say their prod ucts are built tough, but in fact, owners will be lucky if their gear boxes don’t act up after a year or two of ownership. Then there are humble cars like the Toyota Starlet, Nissan 120Y and even the old Mercedes-Benz W124’s. Seemingly simple cars with lit tle in terms of sophistication. But they are tough enough to be driven anywhere, provided there are decent roads. But what happens when there are no roads? Such as when you are out at a plantation, a new housing project, or even out laying down cables in the jungles? Or even when campimg? That’s when you turn to 4X4 machines with little more than just reliable powertrains. The usual suspects would include the likes of the Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and the Isuzu D-Max. But who do you turn to when you want to be different and don’t mind spending more for it? That is where the GWM Tank 300 comes in. First, a backgrounder The GWM Tank 300 was launched in Malaysia mid-2024 at a price of RM250,000. It is a fully imported model that has been very well received among Malaysians. In fact, GWM Malaysia deliv ered 100 units of the SUV within

Do you know of any other SUV that has a dinner table in its boot?

Powered by a 2L turbocharged engine.

just a month after its launch, and by the second month, the company had received 300 orders. I don’t have the latest sales fig ures, but as of April of this year, GWM said it had sold over 600 units. Its popularity is partly because there is nothing else quite like it at this price point. The mid-sized SUV offers rugged good looks mixed with modern features, and that is what has a lot of buyers flocking to it. Of course it is quite a nice SUV to drive as well, and a capable off roader too. What’s powering it? As mighty as it looks, the Tank 300 is powered by a 2.0-litre, four cylinder, petrol engine making 220PS and 380Nm of torque.

An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to either two or four-wheels. All of this gives it a top speed of 175kph. That may not be all that impressive, but the Tank 300 is not built for speed. It is built to tackle just about anything you can throw at it. What is it capable of? Essentially, it is capable of tack ling everything a pick-up truck can, minus the carrying capability because the Tank 300 does not have a bed, obviously. It can tow things though, but that’s a differ ent story. I first experienced the Tank 300 on some off-road trails in China, and it was evident then that the SUV is no poser. Later, I drove it on Malaysian

Decent boot space but a tonneau cover will be handy.