A steep hill in a Queensland 4×4 park appears to be the new flex test for Chinese carmakers, with GWM returning to Beer O’Clock Hill to send more SUVs up the climb.
The rutted 100 metre-long hill, located in The Springs 4×4 Adventure Park – about 180km south-west of Brisbane – was last year used as the location of GWM’s first 4×4 marketing stunt, with three of its off-roaders reaching the top without stopping.
At the time, the turbo-diesel Cannon XSR ute and Tank 300 SUV plus the Cannon Alpha PHEV were sent towards the summit, becoming the second, third and fourth production-specification vehicles to reach the top of the hill, having been beaten to the punch by the Ineos Grenadier.
Last week, BYD’s luxury brand Denza announced it had also undertaken the challenge with its new B5 Leopard and B8 plug-in hybrid SUVs – something which GWM almost immediately responded to.
Returning with the Tank 300 Hi4-T PHEV and Tank 500 Hi4-T PHEV, GWM this week announced both SUVs made it to the top in full production specification, with the former 4×4 also reaching the top with its highway terrain tyres, unlike the turbo-diesel variant which had all-terrain tyres.
The brand cheekily noted the vehicles “completed the climb without mechanical modifications, calibration changes, or software upgrades” – after Denza said its cars had received all-terrain tyres and tweaked powertrain software to aid their efforts.
“Beer O’Clock Hill is becoming one of the toughest proving grounds for any off-road vehicle in Australia,” said GWM Australia & New Zealand head of marketing and communications, Steve Maciver.
“Having no less than five vehicles across the range conquering Beer O’Clock Hill is something we are incredibly proud of, but certainly not surprised.
“The latest Tank 300 Hi4-T PHEV climbing the hill on highway tyres speaks volumes about the engineering behind the Hi4-T system. This electrification is designed for real off-road performance, delivering instant torque, precise traction and relentless climbing ability.”
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