{"id":1962,"date":"2026-09-17T10:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T10:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/?p=1962"},"modified":"2026-09-29T10:38:26","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T10:38:26","slug":"gwm-finally-puts-strong-efficient-diesel-into-p500-and-tank-500","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/?p=1962","title":{"rendered":"GWM FINALLY PUTS STRONG EFFICIENT DIESEL INTO P500 AND TANK 500"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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We (royal \u201cwe\u201d<\/strong> meaning media and customers) have been telling our audiences and GWM SA<\/strong> the same thing for two years: the Tank 500<\/strong> and P500<\/strong> look the part, sit in the right segments and are equipped very well. What was not in the menu was the rather thirsty petrol-hybrid<\/strong> as the only option. This week, at last, the company answered with a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel<\/strong> that feels purpose-built for our market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The new engine internally codenamed GW4F30, produces 170kW<\/strong> of torque and 620Nm<\/strong> of torque, sent through to the wheels via a 9-speed automatic<\/strong>. I have mentioned this motor previously, including here on my interview with GWM Powertrain Director Michele Scotti<\/strong>. So anticipation for it has been high ever since GWM first mentioned it at the 2025 Shanghai International Auto Show<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      Of course the surprise \u2013 at least for me \u2013 was that it\u2019s not a V6<\/strong>, but a 4-cylinder<\/strong> unit. During our chat, Scotti did explain that the packaging for this one was preferred at four pots, rather than the fancier, more \u201cmarketing-friendly<\/strong>\u201d V6 moniker which can complicate matters technically. On the Tank 500 the claimed combined figures are 6.8 L\/100km<\/strong> for the 4×2<\/strong> and 7.1 L\/100km<\/strong> for the 4WD. I drove both here in Gauteng<\/strong> and the North West<\/strong> at high altitude<\/strong> of around 1 500m<\/strong> average, and the distances were not that long to be fair. We did see ranges of about 700km<\/strong> in the main, but of course that will remain to be tested<\/strong> under \u201creal-life<\/strong>\u201d conditions at a later stage. The P500 sits in the same ballpark. That is a world away from the old 2.0-litre petrol HEV<\/strong>, which can drink like a whale<\/strong>. This diesel is exactly what these two vehicles needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        An Overland<\/strong> model is listed as the top-of-the-range<\/strong> Tank 500 and it can take an auxiliary 53 litre<\/strong> diesel tank on top of the standard 78 litres<\/strong>. Theoretically then, that stretches claimed range past 1 800km<\/strong>. Again, that remains to be tested. Therefore if your new Tank 500 Overland was fitted with this extra tank<\/strong>, together you would have around 131 litres<\/strong> of fuel capacity available, costing \u2013 at today\u2019s prices \u2013 about R4 300<\/strong> to fill up from empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          GWM has sold 47 800 cars<\/strong> in Mzansi since January 2025<\/strong>, enough for a 5% market share<\/strong>, a place in the top five LCV<\/strong> brands, and the top spot among the Chinese LCV (Light Commercial Vehicles) names. The P500<\/strong> bakkie is aimed at buyers aged 30 to 55 who want power, capability and versatility, according to the GWM marketing department. The Tank 500<\/strong> on the other hand, being a large SUV, is sold on presence, luxury<\/strong> and the same off-road ability<\/strong> as the bakkie sibling. Both now have the engine that matches those briefs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            My driving partner<\/strong> was questioning<\/strong> the power unit, wondering out loud if it feels like the amount of power and torque listed. For me, the way the diesel delivers<\/strong> its torque is the first thing you notice. It does not arrive with the sudden shove<\/strong> of a small turbo<\/strong> or the electric punch of a PHEV. It builds in a smooth, gradual wave. Torque comes in strong from low revs (GWM talks about 385Nm<\/strong> from 1 000rpm<\/strong>) and it never feels unexpected<\/strong>. You simply ask and the vehicle answers. On the open road that makes for relaxed, unhurried<\/strong> progress. On a gravel road<\/strong> it means you can meter the power without the rear stepping out because the boost arrived a second too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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              That last point matters on the P500 4×2<\/strong>. My driving partner found the 2-wheel-drive bakkie a little skittish<\/strong> on loose gravel. The rear end was a tad too light<\/strong> when you are not carrying a load<\/strong>, and without the security of a driven front axle the tail can wander if you get enthusiastic<\/strong>. It is not dangerous, but it is a reminder that the 4×4<\/strong> is the version most Mzansi owners will actually want if they leave the tar. The 4×4 adds 2H, 4H and 4L plus the usual locking hardware<\/strong>. Both vehicles are rated to tow 3 500kg braked<\/strong>, which is the number that matters if you own a boat or a trailer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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              Inside, both cars are large and spacious<\/strong>. Legroom in the second row of the Tank 500 is generous<\/strong> even with the third row<\/strong> in place. Loading space<\/strong> seemed a tad limited on our short trip though. The P500 double cab offers a similar story: adults sit properly, not perched. The 37cm touch screen<\/strong> and 31cm digital cluster<\/strong> are the same family of hardware GWM has been rolling out, now running the company\u2019s Coffee OS 3 operating system<\/strong>, with an off-road intelligence display that shows pitch, roll and the selected drive mode among other features. Seats are heated<\/strong>, ventilated and, on the higher trims, the massaging<\/strong> function is added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Interestingly you now get a conventional drop-down tailgate<\/strong> in the P500, not the vertically splitting<\/strong> version found in the HEV. There was no explanation for this change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              The new GWM 3.0-litre turbo diesel<\/strong> is not a V6<\/strong>. If that is a negative, then the positives are that claimed efficiency<\/strong> looks good for the size of the vehicles and features<\/strong> are top notch<\/strong>, as we have come to expect. For the buyer who wants a big, premium bakkie<\/strong> or 7-seat SUV<\/strong>, and who is keen on big diesel<\/strong> benefits, the P500<\/strong> and Tank 500<\/strong> respectively finally make sense. The hybrid<\/strong> was never the wrong idea per se. It was just the wrong idea for this country. GWM has now corrected<\/strong> that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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              PRICES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              P500 3.0TD 4×2 Super Luxury – R724 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              P500 3.0TD 4×4 Ultra Luxury – R799 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Tank 500 3.0TD 4×2 Super Luxury – R849 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Tank 500 4×4 Ultra Luxury – R929 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Tank 500 Overland 4×4 – R999 900<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              We (royal \u201cwe\u201d meaning media and customers) have been telling our audiences and GWM SA the same thing for two…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_regular_price":[],"currency_symbol":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[365,76,59,80],"tags":[79,675,673,676,677,674,678],"class_list":["post-1962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gwm","category-gwm-tank","category-launches","category-news","tag-gwm","tag-gwm-p500","tag-gwm-tank-500","tag-p500","tag-p500-diesel","tag-tank-500","tag-tank-500-diesel"],"post_slider_layout_featured_media_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"post_slider_layout_landscape_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-1200x800.jpg",1200,800,true],"post_slider_layout_portrait_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-1200x1800.jpg",1200,1800,true],"post_slider_layout_square_large":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-1200x1200.jpg",1200,1200,true],"post_slider_layout_landscape":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-600x400.jpg",600,400,true],"post_slider_layout_portrait":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-600x900.jpg",600,900,true],"post_slider_layout_square":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1-600x600.jpg",600,600,true],"full":["https:\/\/in4ride.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IN4RIDE-GWM-P500-1.jpg",1920,1920,false]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1962"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1981,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962\/revisions\/1981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in4ride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}