THE vehicle options for the tycoon to survey his property, whether it be the construction site, recreational resort or plantation, seem relatively limited in this increasingly diverse market.
A pick-up truck might seem like an ideal choice or better still, a Toyota Fortuner should just fit the bill if the ride comfort factor becomes priority.
We were given an impression of what Great Wall Motor (GWM) had to offer in this vehicle segment last year in the Tank 300.
The Tank is a separate model range under the GWM umbrella.
That was the entry-level version as there is also the dimensionally bigger model in the Tank 500 that was introduced locally recently.
The model that is made available for the Malaysian market is assembled in Thailand and this resulted in an attractive price of RM328,800 on the road without insurance.
Not surprisingly, GWM sees the Tank 500 as good value for money, especially when you compare it to the Toyota Land Cruiser, which is available here as a reconditioned vehicle from Japan.
You could almost see the similarity in body profile and design between them reflecting the familiar saying “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.
The value-for-money factor comes in when the Land Cruiser has an asking price of RM450K despite its recon status and somewhat sketchy warranty of any kind, if any.
GWM describes the Tank 500 as an all-terrain luxury hybrid SUV (sports utility vehicle) that is perfect for the tycoon to survey his respective property in comfort without paying too high a price for the vehicle.
We gained a better perception of this model design approach during a media drive GWM Malaysia organised to Penang and back that took in secondary roads and highways.
The Tank 500 stamps its identity clearly with the relatively large “T” model badge in chrome emblazoned on the front grille.
As a premium SUV, the Tank 500 has the dimensional expanse to impress being longer than its Toyota rival at 5,078mm body length against 4,985mm, thanks to the standard spare wheel housing mounted on the fifth door.
It is narrower though at 1,934mm (1,980mm) and lower at 1,905mm (1,955mm) while sharing the same wheelbase of 2,850mm.
While it has a lower ground clearance of 224mm (235mm), GWM says the Tank 500 has a better wading depth of 800mm (700mm); it comes with a water depth detection feature to help it in this area.
An appreciable note is the side step that is electrically activated on either side of the vehicle when any of the doors is opened; similarly, this is retracted once the doors are closed.
They felt solid in structure when we used them to get into or out of the vehicle and weren’t some flimsy items that might appear to break any time.
The luxury note that welcomed us came in the nappa leather upholstery for the seats and front row seats that came standard with ventilation and massage functions.
A panoramic sunroof comes standard but with the blazing sun overhead during the drive, we had no inclination to enjoy its merits.
What we did appreciate though were the additional air vents just above the rear windows with louvres that could be shut or open as per the need.
During the times when we had to get into a baking hot vehicle, the additional flow of cool air that supplemented the ones from the centre console was a welcomed relief as it brought down the ambient temperature quickly.
The Tank 500 is a seven-seater but for long distance travel, the luggage space with all the seatrests up won’t accommodate luggage for that many people.
We were assigned three media personnel to a vehicle and found it more practical to collapse the third-row seatrests to stow our luggage.
Getting comfortable in the driver’s seat comes easily with the electric adjustments and we liked the arched gearshift for its arty profile.
Engaging the respective gears is straightforward with the guide clearly provided on the shift top.
The transmission is a nine-speed hybrid automatic and the drivetrain is an intelligent 4WD (four-wheel drive) with 11 drive modes.
However, only four are for tarmac driving while there are seven to choose from for the intelligent drivetrain to handle the respective terrain that is about to be covered.
As our drive was purely on highway and secondary roads with no detours for off-road, we could only marvel at what is on offer without enjoying the performance aspect.
The Tank 500 has a ladder frame chassis, like its Toyota rival and on pick-up trucks as it could handle the demands of the rough terrain it is meant to cover.
While we expected the ride to be somewhat similar to that of a pick-up truck, the coil spring suspension front and rear appeared well tuned to rough out the edges and bumpiness a lot more than expected.
Yes, you would still feel the rolling road surface and its irregularities, but the impacts were noticeably softened to make ride more comfortable.
For sure, we could still catch our 40 winks when our turn to be rear passenger came, thanks in part also to the low noise intrusion from air turbulence around the squarish body profile.
A relevant note here was that when we first started out from the Elmina Lakeside Mall, the air pressure for the Continental CrossContact 205/50 R20 tyres was set to 280kPa, the recommended Eco pressure.
There appeared to be a slight choppiness and wallow when driven along the highways, especially at brisk speeds.
At GWM Malaysia’s suggestion, the air pressure for the front tyres was reduced to 240kPa (Comfort pressure) at our first scheduled stop while retaining the rear tyre pressures at 280kPa.
That did away with the choppy and wallowy feeling, allowing us to revel with some of its dynamic quality along the winding secondary route.
Here too, we noted the better damping quality of the suspension system over the rougher edges against expectations to make overall ride comfortable for everyone on board.
For an SUV of its dimensions, the 2.0-litre petrol engine might seem somewhat puny, eventhough it comes with a variable geometry turbocharger and an electric motor to qualify as a mild hybrid (HEV – hybrid electric vehicle).
The combined power output is given as 346PS and 648Nm and that looked good enough to do the job.
Nevertheless, we felt the vehicle’s 2,500kg+ kerb weight a little on initial acceleration, which we would put down to the slight turbo lag.
Once we got going, the Tank 500 picked up the pace nicely, even for some confident quick overtaking along clear secondary roads.
As such, it was all too easy to drive at robust speeds, the Tank 500 with its high level of specifications and safety features is best enjoyed at legal speed limits.
An interesting active safety feature from its full range of items is the Wisdom Dodge System; what it does is activate warnings and initiate mild steering action should it detect a motorcyclist or truck coming too close to the side of the Tank 500.
Another unusual feature is the Tank Turn function that automatically locks the rear inside wheel when negotiating tight turns off-road so that the manoeuvre could be performed without too much hassle or requiring more space.
With no off-road detours, we didn’t get to enjoy this function but we could see how the Tank 500 owner could use this feature to his advantage when surveying his plantation.
As a dedicated vehicle pandering comfortably to his needs at an attractive price, the Tank 500 should garner a strong following in next to no time.
Add to that the six-year unlimited mileage vehicle warranty and lifetime powertrain warranty, the Tank 500 is a good investment.
