29/06/2025

theSunday Special XIV ON SUNDAY JUNE 29, 2025

The interior of the Tank 300 feels well built.

roads after the launch and got to know it more intimately. I said of my experience in last year’s review article, “... the Tank 300 does a surprisingly great job at keeping noise and vibration levels down to a minimum. “The double wishbone front and multilink rear suspension is brilliant on and off-road, absorb ing the bumpy stuff while maxi mising traction. All while keeping interior noise down to a mini mum… .” But I never really had a chance to test its true capabilitie. After some wheel time, I already knew it was a nice car to drive, and it had good off-road capabilities. I even ferried my family on a road trip to Ipoh and back and found it to be rather comfortable. Recently though, I also found out that the SUV can be a hardcore off-roader as well. GWM Malaysia recently organ ised the “Off-Road Weekend 2025” at the Bay 13 Off-Road Ranch in Sepang. The event consisted of some off-road challenges designed to highlight the capabilities of the Tank 300. This included drive over obstacles, submerging the car in water and even some high speed off-road driving. And just for a touch of added fun, it rained that morning. It did not just rain, it rained as if God had not showered for a week and suddenly decided he was going to take his time in the shower with the water at full pressure. All that water made everything muddier than Louis Litt’s mud baths, and it was glorious. Okay, but what can it do? Before I get to that though, let’s talk a little about what it comes packed with. The Tank 300 is loaded with electronic soldiers that fire tiny nuggets of information across and around the car to ensure that it keeps doing what it is supposed to. It comes with something called the All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) System which has various driving modes such as Standard 2H (pronounced as two high), Standard 4H, Snow Mode 4H, 4L Mode which when activated lets

you access drive modes like Normal, Mud, Sand, Pothole, Mountain, Rock and Expert Mode. It also comes with something called Crawl Control. Usable only at extremely low speed (below 20kph), it works by automatically applying the throttle and brakes to each wheel, so you don’t need to constantly feather the throttle, particularly off-road. This helps you maintain a sta ble speed, which is important when on steep inclines, declines, rocky trails, sand or as I found out, mud as well. It also helps to minimise wheel spin and maximise traction because the last thing you want when off-roading is to be bogged down. Another feature is called the Tank Turn, and though this is pre dominantly there to help you navi gate around tight corners, it can be handy when off-roading as well. It works by locking the inner wheel when turning around, giv ing you a smaller turning radius. Other than that, the Tank 300 has the usual off-roading features such as electronic controlled four wheel drive system and electroni cally controlled front and rear axle differential lock. And to help newer drivers that tend to rely on cameras to navi gate everything including parking, it also has something called Transparent Chassis Function. This uses strategically placed cameras to give the driver a bird’s eye view of what is happening around the car, as well as under neath. Though the latter is aug mented. The challenges Nothing went according to GWM’s plans that Thursday morning. Sand turned to mud, streams turned to rivers, puddles that were mostly dry were spilling over. But that didn’t stop the Tank 300 though, even though the cars were running on road tyres, which are never a good thing to have par ticularly when driving in mud. But not even one of the cars we had on hand got stuck. The chal

lenges included driving over sand piles, mounds of dirt designed to keep one wheel hanging in the air so that you can feel the system working to send traction to indi vidual wheels. There was even a three feet pool of water as well. The best part was the high speed track though. If you have ever driven fast on a dirt road, you would probably agree that it is the most fun you can have on four wheels. But doing it in a combina tion of sand and mud just takes it to a different level. Leaving the car in 4H and in Normal mode, I was just told to go gentle on the throttle in the mud, otherwise the car will just dig itself into the sludge. There was a little bit of slipping and sliding. A lot of opposite lock on the steering and a lot of gig gling like little girls. But the Tank 300 tackled it all like it was just another day at work. What did I learn from this? That the GWM Tank 300 is not a poser. It is not one of those SUV’s that look tough but have zero in terms of off-roading prow ess. On regular roads, it is both comfortable and refined. The inte rior has everything you expect – a good sound system, comfortable electronic seats with ventilation, and even the latest connectivity features like Carplay and Android Auto. But when the road gets tough, or if you feel like packing up and heading outdoors for a weekend off grid, the Tank 300 is more than capable. It even has a dining table inte grated into the floor of the boot. Which other SUV can you think of that has that? Specifications Engine: 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, tur bocharged, petrol Power: 220PS @ 5500rpm Torque: 380Nm @ 1800rpm Transmission: 8-speed auto matic Top speed: 175kph We like: Good looks, nice to drive. We don’t like: Interior is too Mercedes-ish.

Manage slippery slopes with ease with the Crawl control function.

Water wading capability of 700mm.

Not just another poser – it has some serious capabilities too!