GWM Malaysia has confirmed today that it will be launching the Tank 300 within 2024. In a brief press statement, the company said “The anticipated debut of Tank 300 in 2024 marks the introduction of China's leading hardcore off-road SUV.”

The accompanying photo also showed two units of right-hand drive Tank 300 on Malaysian soil.

With the launch of Tank, GWM Malaysia will soon expand its umbrella of brands here to four: battery EV-only Ora, hybrid and combustion engines-only monocoque chassis Haval SUVs, and two more brands for ladder frame chassis vehicles – GWM pick-up trucks and Tanks SUVs.

Of the four, only Ora is currently on sale. All other brands have been previewed, but no price list have been announced.

The Tank 300 is the smallest of GWM’s ladder frame chassis SUVs range. Other models include the Tank 400 and Tank 500. The latter is available in Thailand as a hybrid-only model.

With flared wheel arches and a boxy styling, it looks very similar to the iconic American Jeep Wrangler, or even the 5-door Suzuki Jimny.

Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine (227 PS and 387 Nm) coupled with an 8-speed part-time 4WD automatic transmission. There’s also a hybrid version of the same 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine. The engine alone makes 245 PS / 380 Nm, assisted by a 106 PS / 268 Nm motor, paired to a 9-speed all-wheel drive automatic transmission.

Depending on variants, the Tank 300 comes with either one or two electric differential locks – rear, or front and rear.

With a 2,750 mm wheelbase, the Tank 300 has a similar distance between its axles as the Toyota Fortuner (2,745 mm), but with a shorter and wider body, at 4,760 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, and 1,903 mm tall. The Toyota Fortuner measures 4,795 mm long, 1,855 mm wide, and 1,835 mm tall.

In Thailand, the China-made Tank 300 is sold as a (full) hybrid-only model, with a starting price of THB 1,649,000 (~RM 218,171). That’s far more expensive than the Indonesia-made Toyota Fortuner, which starts from THB 1,375,000 (~RM 181,995).