GWM has just refreshed the Tank 300 in China, and the update reads better on paper than it will feel in an Australian showroom. There is a new plug-in hybrid, a stretched body and a much bigger screen. There is also a headline new turbo-diesel. That last one is not coming to the Tank 300.
If you have been holding off on a Tank 300 in the hope a stronger diesel was around the corner, this is the news that should settle the decision. The bigger oil-burner is going to the pricier Tank 500 instead. The Tank 300 carries on with the engine it already has.
The new diesel everyone wanted is going to the wrong Tank
The Tank 500 is set to gain a new 170kW and 620Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four, due in Australia in September. That is a genuine step up and a real reason to look at the larger SUV.
The Tank 300 does not get it. It sticks with the same 135kW and 480Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four it has now. No extra power, no extra torque, no change.
So the smaller, cheaper, better-selling Tank misses the engine that would have made it a much harder ute-based off-roader to ignore. If diesel grunt is what you are chasing, GWM is quietly steering you up the range and up the price ladder.
Petrol is gone here, so the choice is narrower than it looks
In China the standard Tank 300 still offers petrol power. In Australia, GWM has phased petrol variants out. That matters more than it sounds.
With petrol dropped locally, Australian buyers are pushed toward the plug-in hybrid, which carries a clear price premium over a plain combustion model. The showroom menu is being narrowed for you, and the cheaper entry point disappears with it.
That is worth naming plainly. When a brand trims the affordable version and leaves the dearer one standing, the average price you pay drifts up even if no single sticker changes.
The stretched Tank 300L is not confirmed for Australia
The big structural news overseas is a long-wheelbase model called the 300L. It stretches the regular 2750mm wheelbase to 3010mm and adds 126mm of overall length, taking it to 4886mm.
It also claims a 38-degree approach angle and 235mm of ground clearance, up from 224mm. On paper that is a more capable and more family-friendly package.
Here is the catch. The 300L has not been confirmed for Australia. Do not delay a purchase waiting for a longer Tank 300 that may never land locally, and if it does, expect it well down the track rather than this year.
The plug-in hybrids are getting stronger, and that is the real story
The 300L is offered overseas with two plug-in systems. The flagship Hi4-Z is the headline grabber, while an updated Hi4-T is the more sensible pick for the way Australians actually use these things.
The Hi4-Z pairs a 180kW and 380Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with a 180kW and 400Nm front motor and a 200kW and 415Nm rear motor. Combined outputs hit 560kW and 1195Nm, enough for a claimed 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds. A 59.6kWh battery is good for up to 200km of electric range on the WLTC cycle.
Those are supercar-adjacent numbers in a boxy off-roader, which is faintly absurd and very on-brand for the current Chinese SUV arms race.
The updated Hi4-T is the one that should interest serious off-roaders. It produces a combined 310kW and 750Nm, up from the 300kW and 750Nm in today's Australian Tank 300 PHEV. It claims 0-100km/h in 6.1 seconds and up to 105km of WLTC electric range from a 37.1kWh battery.
Crucially, the Hi4-T keeps a conventional mechanical four-wheel-drive system with locking front and rear differentials. The Hi4-Z leans toward on-road performance and packaging instead.
For Australian buyers who actually leave the bitumen, that mechanical 4WD hardware is the difference that counts. It is why the Hi4-T, not the flashier Hi4-Z, is the version that makes the most sense if GWM brings this generation of running gear here.
There is a running-cost angle too. A plug-in hybrid with real electric range only saves you money if you can charge it at home and your daily drive fits inside the battery. On paper, up to 105km of electric range on the Hi4-T covers most commutes, but tow a van or load the tray and that figure falls fast. Buy the plug-in for the low-speed torque and the quiet around town, not on the promise of the brochure range figure.
GWM is looking at the flagship system for Australia, but nothing is locked in
GWM Australia has told the press it is exploring the Hi4-Z powertrain locally. What it has not done is confirm timing or which models would get it.
Read that as interest, not a promise. "Exploring" is a long way from a price list and a delivery date, and Australian specs routinely trail the Chinese launch by a year or more.
If you want the current Tank 300 PHEV, buy it on its own merits today. Do not pay now on the assumption a 310kW version is imminent, because it is not confirmed.
Bigger screen, more tech, but check what actually reaches us
Inside, the Chinese update brings a 15.6-inch central touchscreen, up from 14.6 inches, running the newer Coffee OS 3.0 software with AI-enhanced voice control. There is also a redesigned dashboard, a new digital instrument cluster, a fresh steering wheel and a column-mounted gear shifter in place of the console-mounted unit.
Outside, 300L variants get new front and rear bumpers, revised headlights with a horizontal strikethrough element and a new T-A-N-K lettered grille.
The 300L also picks up the Coffee Pilot 3 driver-assistance suite, complete with a roof-mounted LiDAR unit and Navigation on Autopilot for both city and highway driving. Petrol and diesel versions stay on Coffee Pilot 2.0 with highway-only assistance.
None of this is a guarantee for Australia. Chinese-market tech, especially LiDAR-based driver assistance, often arrives here in a watered-down form or not at all. Treat the screen and the semi-autonomous features as a preview, not a spec sheet you can order from.
Why this matters for the buyer, not the brochure
Strip away the launch gloss and the picture is simple. The Tank 300 you can buy today is not being replaced or made obsolete by this news. The genuinely new hardware, the 3.0-litre diesel and the longer 300L body, is either going to a different model or staying overseas for now.
The Tank 300 has earned its spot. It is currently GWM's fourth-best-selling vehicle in Australia, with 2759 sales to the end of June 2026. That is more than four times the Tank 500 at 629 deliveries over the same period.
That sales gap is the point. Buyers have already voted with their wallets for the smaller, sharper-priced Tank, which makes GWM's decision to hand the new diesel to the slower-selling 500 a curious one.
How to play it if you are shopping now
If you want a diesel off-roader from GWM with the newest engine, the Tank 500 from September is where that engine lives. Weigh the extra size and cost against how much of that capability you will use.
If the Tank 300 is the right size and the plug-in hybrid suits your driving, buy the current car with clear eyes. It is a strong-value package, and the update overseas does not change what it does on an Australian trail or school run.
Just do not overpay chasing what is coming. Negotiate on the car in front of you, not the one in a Chinese press release. If you want help cutting through the showroom noise, Carseekers does the running around to find the actual deal rather than the advertised one.
The headline says the Tank 300 misses out. For most buyers, the version already on sale was the smart pick anyway.
Considering finance for your next car? Loanseekers can help you explore car loan options.
The finer details
Your questions answered.
Is the new GWM Tank 300 diesel coming to Australia?
No. The new 3.0-litre turbo-diesel is going to the larger Tank 500, due here in September, not the Tank 300. The Tank 300 carries on with its existing 135kW and 480Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel four, unchanged.
Will the longer GWM Tank 300L be sold in Australia?
It is not confirmed for Australia. The stretched 300L, with its longer wheelbase and PHEV-only powertrains, has been revealed for China only so far. Do not delay a purchase waiting for it, because local timing has not been locked in.
How powerful is the updated GWM Tank 300 plug-in hybrid?
Overseas the updated Hi4-T system makes a combined 310kW and 750Nm, up from the 300kW and 750Nm in the current Australian Tank 300 PHEV. The flagship Hi4-Z goes much further at 560kW and 1195Nm, but neither upgrade is confirmed for Australia yet.
Can you still buy a petrol GWM Tank 300 in Australia?
No. GWM Australia has phased out petrol Tank 300 variants locally, even though petrol remains available in China. That pushes Australian buyers toward the plug-in hybrid, which carries a price premium over a plain combustion model.
Is the GWM Tank 300 or Tank 500 the better buy?
It depends on your needs. The Tank 300 is smaller, cheaper and Australia's clear favourite, with 2759 sales to end of June 2026. The Tank 500 is larger and gets the new 3.0-litre diesel, so choose it only if you need the extra size and engine and will use them.
Should I wait for the updated Tank 300 or buy now?
For most buyers, buy now. The current Tank 300 is not being replaced, and the genuinely new hardware is either going to the Tank 500 or staying overseas. Negotiate hard on the car in front of you rather than paying full price on the hope of an upgrade.
