Great Wall Motor or GWM has been rather quiet lately. But that’s probably because it might be launching something big this year, literally and figuratively.
As it is, the company was a wide range of pickups and SUVs on hand. There’s the Cannon pickup series, the subcompact Jolion, and the not so compact H6, just to name a few. Now, it seems GWM Philippines is preparing its big guns. Well, its biggest gun.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen EV is set to enter the PH market by mid-2025
Watch the BYD Sealion 6 take on the dreaded moose test
Browsing through the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Memorandum Circular list, we spotted the GWM Tank 500. With that, the company’s flagship SUV might be on the way here given the LTO’s approval.
If that’s the case, what can we expect? Per the document, we could be getting the Hi4-T version. That means a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine mated to a plug-in hybrid system. That means a combined system output of, wait for it, 402hp and an impressive 750Nm of torque.
Also stated in the file is its dimensions. At 5,078mm long, it suggests we’ll be getting the version with the tailgate mounted spare wheel. Its wheelbase of 2,850mm also hints at a spacious interior. As for other measurements, 1,934mm tall and 1,905mm wide, so it’s a fairly large SUV.
Other things you need to know? It rides on a ladder frame chassis like a, say, a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Coincidentally, the GWM Tank 500 has often been compared to the Prado over in Australia.
Locking differentials are standard, but it’s unknown if the local version will come with three (front, center, rear) or two (center and rear). GWM also claims that it has a wading depth capacity of 800mm like most midsized truck-based SUVs.
