2025 GWM Tank 500 gets fresh face following software, suspension upgrades
The large off-road SUV now wears a 'redesigned front sports grille' borrowed from the Chinese-market Tank 500 Hi4-T plug-in hybrid (PHEV), with fewer (but chunkier) horizontal slats.
The visually updated but still chrome-heavy Toyota Prado rival entered production in April 2025, and the change in front-end styling doesn't affect the SUV's ANCAP rating.
In fairness to GWM Australia, it's done more than simply change out the grille since launching the Tank 500 here in March 2024.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
The Tank 500 received recalibrated software in December 2024, including for active safety and driver assist systems such as the adaptive cruise control and emergency lane-keep assist.
Other software changes were made to improve throttle response, as well as transitions between petrol and electric power.
These changes were made available to existing Tank 500 owners.
A revised suspension tune was quietly introduced in vehicles that arrived from late in the third quarter of 2024, with a move from Chinese to Thai market suspension tune aimed at improving its dynamics and composure on the road.
The Tank 500 hybrid now looks more like its Chinese-market Hi-4T sibling, and GWM has already confirmed a PHEV option is coming to the local lineup during the third quarter (July to September) of 2025.
GWM has, however, stopped short of confirming whether it'll be the Hi-4T or Hi-4Z.
Both are based around the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine but where they differ is in packaging, design and – according to GWM – off-road capability.
The Tank 500 is the first vehicle to use GWM's Hi4-Z system, introduced in China in January 2025 with claims of superior off-roading capability over the Hi4-T design.
Running a 185kW/380Nm version of the 2.0-litre engine combined with two electric motors – one on each axle – combined peak power is 635kW and 1195Nm.
The Hi4-Z PHEV package uses multi-link rear suspension and positions the battery pack between the front and rear wheels, allowing GWM to fit varying battery sizes to Hi4-Z vehicles.
New grille (left), old grille (right)
In China, the Tank 500 Hi4-Z uses a 59.05kWh battery pack with a claimed 201km (WLTC) electric-only driving range and 1096km total range.
Further off-road advantages include both better weight distribution and the ability to place the battery in a 'safer' location to protect it in rough conditions.
The Hi4-T system is used in the Cannon Alpha PHEV and has the same total system outputs of 300kW/750Nm and a 37.1kWh battery pack in the Tank 500 PHEV.
Compared to the Hi4-Z, the Hi4-T (pictured below) has a fixed layout which means the battery has to be placed below the rear boot area, reducing cargo space and limiting the physical size of the battery.
While seemingly less capable than the Hi4-Z, the Hi4-T is still capable of water wading 800mm and has similar approach and departure angles to the current hybrid – albeit with its 223mm ground clearance being 11mm less.
The addition of the PHEV powertrain will see the Tank 500 beat the Prado and Ford Everest in offering a plug-in option, too – despite the Everest being based on the Ford Ranger, which will offer a PHEV powertrain from mid-2025.
Pricing and model grades are yet to be announced, but GWM Australia previously told CarExpert a PHEV version would attract an estimated premium of between $6000 and $15,000 over the current hybrid.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
27 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Tesla under ‘heavy scrutiny' by investors and analysts ahead of earnings call
Tesla will report its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday evening (United States time), with investors and analysts watching closely. The electric vehicle giant's expected revenue is to come in at USD 22.7 billion, down 11 per cent from the same quarter last year. It's also experienced a decline in global deliveries, down 13.5 per cent year-on-year to 384,122 vehicles, which marks the third consecutive quarter of decline and the lowest volume recorded in more than a year. The company's share price has fallen 18 per cent since the beginning of the year and is now trading 35 per cent below its December 2024 peak. eToro market analyst Josh Gilbert said the result from the earnings call is unlikely to satisfy investors. 'Even if Tesla delivers a solid set of numbers, it's unlikely to escape heavy scrutiny when it reports earnings on Wednesday, US time,' he said. Gilbert said Musk's latest developments in AI and cost-cutting might provide some relief in the short term, but 'expectations are low'. Tesla's product has remained flat year-on-year at 410,244 vehicles, which has raised concerns about demand. On top of slowing demand, the Cybertruck has not been as successful as investors hoped. 'The Cybertruck has also been arguably somewhat of a flop so far, with a third consecutive quarter of falling sales now hitting their lowest point in a year,' Josh Gilbert said. Regardless, Tesla remains a dominant force in the global electric vehicle market. However, its success has not been without challenges. Tesla CEO Elon Musk's growing interest in politics has drawn criticism from major investors. He previously promised to distance himself from politics but has since announced plans for his political party in the United States, a terrible move according to Gilbert. 'Elon's position as a Tony Stark-like personality at the head of the company was a boon for a long time, but it's hard to argue that his prominence isn't having some detrimental effect on the brand,' he said. 'The Tesla CEO made a broad commitment to step away from politics after his controversial time with DOGE. 'Musk has previously been criticised as being absent as Tesla's CEO, so these renewed political aspirations are unlikely to please investors who were hoping for a steadier hand at the helm of Tesla.' Adding to investor worry is Musk's attempt to channel Tesla cash reserved into his private artificial intelligence venture xAI, a move that needs to be approved by investors first, according to Gilbert. 'This will require Tesla investor approval, and even if there is a theoretical future benefit for Tesla in doing so, it's going to be a very hard case to make,' he said. Despite these pressures, Gilbert said its continued development in autonomous driving, specifically the Robotaxi program, will eventually pay off. 'That's worth watching closely, although any meaningful contribution to revenue is still years away,' he said. He added that Tesla is a 'household name' and 'even amid the chaos of Musk', it maintains its strong position in the EV market. 'That's why it maintains its position as the second most-held stock on the eToro platform in Australia, and why so many shareholders back it as a long-term investment,' he said. 'Markets expect EPS of USD$0.44 with revenue of USD$22.8 billion.'
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Scott Morrison tells US congress to strengthen aliances against China's economic pressure
US alliances and partnerships must be strengthened to push back against Chinese economic coercion, former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has told a US congressional panel. 'This is as true in the economic sphere as it is in the security sphere,' Mr Morrison said in a rare appearance by a country's former leader before Congress. He shared with the House Select Committee on China his experience of coping with the country's trade punishments - including restrictions on imports of Australian wine, barley and more - when his government called for an independent inquiry into the origin of COVID-19. Mr Morrison, who was prime minister from 2018 to 2022, said US allies and partners can be tapped to build an alternative supply chain of rare earths, used in technology such as smartphones. For such alliances and partnerships to work, 'there has to be a strong core, and that requires a strong America,' he said.
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
BMW M to stick with six- and eight-cylinder engines
Tightening emissions rules in Europe are forcing automakers to confront how they power their flagship performance models, but BMW M believes it can meet those regulations with updated versions of its twin-turbo straight-six and V8 engines. Frank van Meel, CEO of BMW M, told Autocar at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 'the challenge was not so much to make an engine that is EU7 compliant', but rather to 'keep performance'. The Euro 7 (or EU7) emissions standard passed in 2024 will come into effect in 2030. Although it was initially planned to be much more stringent, automakers successfully lobbied the EU into largely carrying over the current Euro 6 regulations. While permissible output levels haven't changed, testing will now be carried out over a broader range of scenarios to more closely mimic real-world conditions. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Camera Icon Supplied Credit: CarExpert Although Mr van Meel didn't go into details, he said the engineering team applied some 'very interesting' tweaks to make its six- and eight-cylinder engines pass. When asked if the performance arm considered downsizing to electrified three- or four-cylinder engines, Mr van Meel replied, 'No'. He went on to stay he 'couldn't imagine putting a four-cylinder in an M5'. According to Mr van Meel 'the six-cylinder in-line engine is our legacy, and the V8 has got a long history in racing, so we intend to keep going'. Rival Mercedes-Benz controversially replaced the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 in the C63 with a complex 2.0-litre turbocharged plug-in hybrid system. A report last month claims the drivetrain 'failed to resonate with our traditional customers', and will be phased out in favour of an inline six or V8 engine. Camera Icon Supplied Credit: CarExpert The latest M5 has also gone down the plug-in hybrid path, but kept its 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine. Both power and weight have gone up dramatically in order to keep performance about the same as before, but, critically, the plug-in hybrid system allows owners in some countries to avoid higher road taxes. BMW M is also developing electric models to be sold alongside petrol-powered counterparts, with the upcoming all-electric 3 Series set to spawn an M3 EV variant. MORE: Everything BMW
