GWM Tank 300 Ultra PHEV: reviewers find value and capability wrapped around compromises

What reviewers conclude

The GWM Tank 300 Ultra PHEV has drawn a broadly consistent verdict from Australian testers: it is a genuinely capable, well-equipped and sharply priced plug-in hybrid off-roader, let down by packaging and refinement details rather than any fundamental flaw. GoAuto's week-long test of the range-topping Ultra PHEV found it comfortable in town and easy over light off-road trails, concluding it represents excellent value for money despite what the outlet called low-speed powertrain tuning that could feel rough and reduced storage compared with the diesel. ¹

Chasing Cars reached a similar place, describing the Tank 300 PHEV as blending 4WD capability and daily usability well and noting that GWM's Australian team has been busy tweaking driver-assistance settings and adding new drive modes, including a tow mode for the 2026 model year. Yeecar scored the Ultra PHEV 7.8 out of 10 overall in its own rating framework, praising value, output and off-road hardware while listing depleted-battery efficiency, unrefined dynamics and compromised boot space among its cons. ³⁴

These are attributed road-test findings from named outlets; DriveAgent has not driven or independently scored the vehicle. ¹

Price and market position

GoAuto tested the Tank 300 Ultra PHEV at a price of $61,990 drive-away Australia-wide, positioning it at the budget end of an electrified off-roader field that includes the plug-in hybrid Denza B5 ($77,185–$82,185 plus on-road costs), the mild-hybrid diesel Toyota LandCruiser Prado ($73,200–$100,620 plus on-roads) and the plug-in hybrid Land Rover Defender ($136,800–$149,000 plus on-roads). ¹

Chasing Cars reported introductory launch pricing for the plug-in hybrid range of $55,990 drive-away in Lux grade and $59,990 for the as-tested Ultra, with the Ultra set to climb to $61,990 drive-away once the introductory period ends — the same figure GoAuto tested at. The outlet put the PHEV premium at roughly $7,000 over the diesel. ³

Yeecar listed the fuller Australian drive-away ladder: Lux diesel $47,990, Ultra petrol $49,990, Ultra diesel $51,990, Ultra Hybrid $56,990, Lux PHEV $57,990 and Ultra PHEV $61,990. All figures are Australian drive-away prices as reported by those outlets at their respective publication times. ⁴

For context only, the equivalent New Zealand-market Tank 300 Ultra PHEV is priced at NZ$68,990 according to Driven, which also notes five years of 24/7 roadside assist there. Those are overseas specifications and terms and should not be read as Australian ones. ⁵

Powertrain, battery and charging

The plug-in hybrid Tank 300 combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder with an electric motor and a nine-speed hybrid automatic transmission driving a part-time 4x4 system on a ladder frame. GoAuto and Yeecar both report a combined system output of 300kW and 750Nm, with a claimed 0–100km/h time of 6.3 seconds cited by Yeecar and Driven. ¹⁴⁵

The battery is a 37.1kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) pack. GoAuto and Yeecar cite a claimed electric-only range of 115km on the NEDC cycle, while Chasing Cars reports a claimed 100km of WLTP electric range. These are different test cycles rather than conflicting claims about the same number; neither figure should be substituted for the other. ¹³⁴

On charging, GoAuto reports AC charging plus 50kW DC capability, with 30–80 per cent top-ups in 24 minutes, and 6kW vehicle-to-load output. Yeecar adds that AC charging at up to 6kW takes approximately 6.5 hours from 15 to 100 per cent, and Driven's New Zealand review similarly cites about seven hours from flat on a 7kW wallbox, with Chasing Cars reporting 20–80 per cent in 24 minutes at up to 50kW. Combined range is quoted at up to 955km by GoAuto and about 900km by Yeecar. ¹³⁴⁵

Chasing Cars explains the architecture: GWM's Hi4-T system, shared with the Cannon Alpha ute, places the electric motor before the transmission, preserving selectable 2H/4H/4L four-wheel drive. Off-road hardware includes front and rear locking differentials on the Ultra, a low-range transfer case and drive modes including Rock, Snow, Mud/Sand and a configurable Expert setting. ³¹

Dimensions

GWM Australia's Tank 300 brochure lists length of 4760mm, width of 1930mm, height of 1903mm and a 2750mm wheelbase, noting the Lux dimensions shown; the brochure edition reviewed is current as at 8 September 2025 and covers the diesel, petrol and hybrid variants rather than the PHEV. Yeecar independently lists the same 4760/1930/1903mm dimensions and 2750mm wheelbase for the PHEV, and Driven cites the same length and wheelbase for its New Zealand test car. Ground clearance is listed at 224mm in the brochure and 222mm by Yeecar and Chasing Cars for the PHEV. ²⁴⁵³

Practicality and equipment

Boot space is the most consistent criticism. GoAuto quotes GWM's figures of 360 litres with the rear seats up and 1520 litres folded — some 40 and 115 litres down on non-PHEV counterparts in the same configurations — with no underfloor storage because of the battery, and the jack and charging cable occupying part of the load area. Chasing Cars makes the same point bluntly, noting 360 litres is smaller than a Volkswagen Golf and that touring with four aboard would be difficult. ¹³

Inside, the Ultra PHEV brings Nappa leather-accented seats with eight-way power adjustment, memory, heating, ventilation and massage for the driver, dual 12.3-inch screens with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a nine-speaker sound system, 64-colour ambient lighting, wireless phone charging and a sunroof, per GoAuto's equipment rundown. Chasing Cars praises real Nappa trim and well-integrated screens but finds the front seats flat and unsupportive even with lumbar adjustment, and laments that ventilation must be activated through the touchscreen while heating gets a physical button. ¹³

Yeecar notes the Australian-market car retains the original cabin layout rather than the updated design released in China, with harder plastics lower in the cabin. It also flags ergonomic quirks including indicator stalks that frequently fail to self-cancel and lurchy low-speed throttle tip-in. Chasing Cars notes GWM keeps a 610kg payload despite the 2615kg kerb weight, comparable to the dearer Denza B5 and Toyota Prado. ⁴³

On the road and running costs

GoAuto's efficiency findings split sharply by use case: with a full battery in HEV mode around town it recorded 1.6L/100km and 28.7kWh/100km on the trip computer, but on a 418km, largely motorway return trip started with 36km of battery range it saw 10L/100km and 1.0kWh/100km in Smart mode, finishing with 20km of electric range. Those are test-car observations, not standardised results. Chasing Cars similarly saw 3.2L/100km in mixed driving with charge retained, rising to 10L/100km or more at low state of charge, and managed 85–95km of real-world electric range in stop-start conditions. Yeecar recorded 9.4L/100km in mixed testing with the battery holding charge, and reports around 13L/100km on the highway when depleted. ¹³⁴

On dynamics, GoAuto found the ride unable to fully mask the body-on-frame underpinnings but far from uncomfortable, with strong straight-line pace and occasionally awkward low-speed power delivery; it also switched off the lane-centering system after finding its interventions unhelpful. Chasing Cars calls the on-road ride occasionally harsh and sometimes clumsy but forgivable for the target buyer, and finds the PHEV's lazier throttle response easier to modulate off-road than the diesel's. Yeecar reports a spongy brake pedal and steering that is either overly light or twitchy depending on mode. ¹³⁴

Ownership terms are consistent across outlets: GoAuto and Yeecar report a seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, an eight-year unlimited-kilometre battery warranty and seven years of roadside assist, with capped-price servicing totalling $4,055 over seven years on intervals of 12 months or 10,000km first, then 15,000km. Chasing Cars independently cites seven-year warranty and roadside cover and $2,610 for the first five years of servicing. All Tank 300 variants carry a five-star ANCAP rating based on 2022 testing, per GoAuto. ¹⁴³