With the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series not offering a V8 engine and the Nissan Patrol about to move to a twin-turbo V6, ‘affordable’ V8-powered SUVs are about to be limited in Australia.
Enter GWM, which at last week’s Beijing motor show announced the Tank 700 – its Patrol and LandCruiser competitor – will adopt a new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, a high-performance version of which is set to power its upcoming GF supercar.
According to GWM chairman Jack Wei, the Tank 700’s V8 has been developed with markets outside of China in mind, though it’s yet to be officially locked in for Australia.
“In the future, the Tank 700 will also use a V8 engine. The supercar uses a high-performance V8, while the Tank 700 uses a normal V8,” Wei said.
“This is completely opposite to the current environment or trend in China; it does not fit the Chinese market. We developed this V8 to meet the needs of more global users, in markets such as Australia and New Zealand.”
At present, the Tank 700 is only sold in China, where it’s offered with a choice of two powertrains: a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (already found in the Australian-delivered Cannon Alpha and Tank 500), plus a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 with a 385kW plug-in hybrid system.
While GWM said the new twin-turbo V8 could be used in a PHEV setup when it was revealed in Shanghai last year, the latest release hasn’t mentioned whether that’s still on the cards.
In Beijing the new Tank 700 Hi4-Z was revealed, with its turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine and two additional electric motors (one in the transmission, another on the rear axle) combining to make 644kW.
Currently GWM’s existing large SUV in Australia, the Prado and Everest-sized Tank 500, is available as a traditional series hybrid, a turbo-diesel and a plug-in hybrid.
Though so-called ‘upper large’ SUVs such as the Tank 700 are a relatively niche offering in Australia, the addition of it could see GWM break into the top five of Australia’s new-car sales charts.
After finishing sixth last year, GWM stands seventh year-to-date in 2026, while the first of its vehicles to be tuned in Australia at Holden’s former Lang Lang proving grounds is currently rolling out into dealerships.
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