The Middle East is the land where the Toyota Land Cruiser rules the desert. The roads of this oil-rich territory are filled with Toyota’s off-roading ninja warrior but that never stops China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM) from trying to attract sheikhs to try something as grand as the Tank 500.

Recently, GWM’s answer to the Land Cruiser was launched in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) as more than 140 guests attended the Tank 500’s unveiling in the Emirates. This was the Tank brand’s launch in the market as the smaller Tank 300 was also unveiled at the same event.

GWM's Tank and Haval are distributed in UAE by Al Naboodah Group which also distributes Peugeot in the country. In the Emirates, the Tank 500 is offered in 2 variants – Signature and Prestige with prices to be announced later in the year as the brochure revealed them to be 2024 models.

Both variants of the Tank 500 are powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine which produces 353 PS and 500 Nm. The brochure did not mention any mild-hybrid (MHEV) system, unlike the domestic Chinese model.

Also read: This GWM Tank 500 wants you to forget about the Land Cruiser

The Emirati-spec Tank 500 is paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission on both variants with the difference between them mainly from the features. The top-of-the-line Prestige comes with an electric sidestep, panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather seats, and a full suite of ADAS including:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane departure warning with lane-keeping assist
• Smart dodge
• Lane change assist
• Integrated automatic parking assist

Standard on both variants of the UAE-spec Tank 500 is a 14.6-inch central infotainment screen and an electronically controlled mechanical differential lock.

The Tank 500 would be expanded to other markets in the Middle East including Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The large SUV is currently available in Saudi Arabia with prices starting from SAR 169,000 (~RM 207k) which is significantly cheaper than the Toyota Land Cruiser which starts from SAR 242,880 (~RM 298k).

Also read: Toyota Land Cruiser 300 Series debuts – Super King drops V8 for V6, now with Dakar rally input

Closer to home, the Tank 500 was previewed in Thailand in both 3.0-litre V6 MHEV and 2.0-litre hybrid powertrains. The latter has a combined output of 350 PS/616 Nm though neither variant is launched in the Kingdom yet.

Also read: Large and opulent, this GWM Tank 500 HEV in Thailand wants to change perceptions on Chinese luxury SUVs