GWM Tank 500 diesel review: GoAuto finds stronger torque and long-range touring focus

Assessment of the Tank 500 diesel review signal

GoAuto’s Australian road test points to a materially different Tank 500 in diesel form: the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder is quoted at 170kW and 620Nm, drives through a nine-speed automatic and is claimed to return 7.1L/100km. GoAuto says that low enough fuel use means no AdBlue requirement, and its review frames the diesel as the Tank 500 variant aimed at towing and long-distance work rather than outright pace. ¹²⁶⁸⁹

The road-test signal from GoAuto is generally favourable, but it is not a clean sweep. The outlet says the diesel feels stout from around 1500rpm to 2000rpm, the nine-speed auto shifts quickly enough to make the SUV feel more urgent than the outputs alone suggest, and the local AT-1 suspension tune gives it a settled, composed ride for a body-on-frame seven-seater. GoAuto also says the diesel is not quick, especially alongside PHEVs, and that the Tank 500 still carries the weight and body movement typical of a ladder-frame SUV. ¹²

What the Australian diesel brings on paper

The verified local specification is centred on a seven-seat, body-on-frame large SUV with a diesel powertrain replacing the hybrid Tank 500 in Australian showrooms, while the Ultra plug-in hybrid continues alongside it. GoAuto says the diesel adds a first-for-the-nameplate 3500kg braked towing capacity, a factory-fitted trailer brake controller, towing drive mode and a dynamic trailer rear-view system exclusive to the 3.0TD. GWM and GoAuto both say the diesel sits on part-time 4WD with low range and front and rear differential locks, and that the Vanta gets the larger touring-focused fuel arrangement. ¹⁴⁶⁸⁹

The Vanta’s headline practical advantage is the dual-tank arrangement, which GoAuto says pairs a 78-litre main tank with a 53-litre auxiliary tank for 131 litres all up, while the Lux makes do with 78 litres. GWM and CarExpert both say that setup comes with more mass and less payload: GoAuto lists the Vanta at 2705kg kerb weight and 690kg payload, compared with 2635kg and 760kg for Lux, while CarExpert’s specifications page matches those figures. CarExpert also notes that the Tank 500 diesel’s towing limit increases from the outgoing local hybrid’s 3000kg to 3500kg. ¹⁶⁸⁹

Price, offers and delivery timing

GWM Australia’s quoted driveaway pricing is $65,990 for the Lux diesel and $71,990 for the Vanta diesel, while the Ultra PHEV continues at $79,990 driveaway. GoAuto repeats those diesel figures and also notes the Ultra PHEV at $79,990 driveaway, but the amounts should be read as driveaway pricing rather than list prices. GWM’s own model page says the diesel offer includes a limited-time $2,000 driveaway cash bonus or $2,000 fuel card for purchases made before 31 October 2026. ⁴⁵⁶⁸⁹

On timing, GoAuto and CarExpert both say customer deliveries were expected from mid-September 2026, with GWM’s launch material describing pre-orders as open and more than 1,000 expressions of interest already received. That timing matters because it positions the diesel Tank 500 as a fresh local release rather than a distant future model, but it does not change the underlying review evidence: the road-test assessment is still about the diesel specification and behaviour, not a production run over time. ⁴⁶⁸¹⁰

Road-test findings, attributed by outlet

GoAuto’s specific findings are the clearest Australian production-car road-test evidence in the corpus. The outlet says the engine is the story of the car, praising its strong low-rev shove, relatively smooth character for a diesel and the way the nine-speed automatic gives the Tank 500 a more urgent feel. It also says the local AT-1 suspension tuning has paid off, with better composure over bumps than some rivals, while still acknowledging ladder-frame shudder and the heavier feel that comes with a more than 2.7-tonne seven-seat SUV. ¹²

GoAuto was less positive about some day-to-day details. It found the premium audio only average, said there is no volume dial, and described the two separate fuel tanks and manual switching between them as a genuine quirk, even if it accepted the arrangement as a worthwhile trade-off for range. The same review also says driver-assist tuning is relatively good, although lane centring can be too eager to intervene. ¹²

Chasing Cars’ separate pre-production drive at the Australian Automotive Research Centre in Victoria is useful as an early comparative signal, but it is not the same thing as GoAuto’s production-car road test. Chasing Cars said the diesel feels punchy and benefits from improved ride and handling, yet it also complained about lazy gearbox calibration, touchy low-speed throttle response and the switch to part-time 4WD, with the 4H speed cap cited at under 80km/h. ⁷

Context from manufacturer and dealer material

GWM’s local model page and dealer listings describe the Tank 500 as a body-on-frame seven-seat luxury SUV with 7-year unlimited-kilometre warranty coverage and an extensive equipment list, including the 14.6-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats and towing-related features on the diesel. Dealer material also shows the Vanta diesel in stock at $71,990 driveaway and repeats the 2026 build-year private-buyer pricing basis, while reminding buyers that images may show overseas models and local specification can vary. ³⁹

The evidence supports a Tank 500 diesel that is better aligned to towing, touring and remote-distance use than the earlier local hybrid, but the limits remain clear. GoAuto’s review still describes a heavy ladder-frame SUV with some body movement and a fiddly fuel-tank arrangement, so the diesel broadens the specification and use-case rather than erasing the format’s compromises. That is a more precise reading than calling it a universal improvement, and it stays within what the reviewed sources actually show. ¹⁹