An upgraded version of the GWM Tank 500 Hi4-T will launch on March 18. While all-electric range remains the same a new engine and intelligent four-wheel drive help reduce fuel consumption. Also the car gets an upgraded human-machine interface.
The Tank 500 Hi4-T is a PHEV using a 37.1 kWh battery pack along with a 2.0T engine which can both power the wheels and act as a generator. The upgrade does not change this basic configuration. What has changed is the engine the new car uses, with it getting the E20NB engine whereas the existing car has the E20NA. The new engine uses the Miller cycle, what that actually is is beyond this article suffice to say that it is meant to increase the efficiency of the engine. Maximum power of 185 kW and peak torque of 380 Nm are same as before.
Where the benefit lies is with fuel economy. This is further helped by a new intelligent four-wheel drive system. With the upgrades fuel consumption drops from 9.55 liters to 8.8 liters per 100 kilometers.
There are no changes to the electric motor which powers the front wheels producing 120 kW power and 400 Nm torque. When combined with the petrol engine the system power is 300 kW and combined torque is 750 Nm.
The upgrade also extends to a new generation of intelligent vehicle-machine interface system. This should mean the user interface is more intuitive and improve mobile phone connectivity.
Visually the new car is identical to the existing model.
Sales of the Tank 500 began in 2022 and the car is a large five seat SUV measuring in at 5078, 1934, 1905 mm (l/w/h) with a wheelbase of 2850 mm. The Tank 500 Hi4-T only went on sale last year and has sold well. Sales in January 2024 alone were 5,045 which given the list price of 335,000 yuan (46,550 USD) is reasonable.
Tank is a brand from Great Wall Motor and was launched with the Tank 300 and has since grown to include the Tank 330, 400, 500, 700 and soon to launch 800. It is sold both within China and overseas, notably in Middle Eastern and the Australian markets. The Tank 500 was the brand’s second model.
Editor’s note:
The Tank 500 Hi4-T has been on sale for less than a year and is already being upgraded. I drove the car in April last year before it went on sale and one issue was that it used a lot of electricity and fuel. Hopefully the upgraded engine will help with the situation and make the car more attractive to buyers. Presumably the Hi4-T versions of the Tank 300 and 400 will receive this upgraded engine and intelligent four-wheel drive system in the coming months as well
Source: Autohome
