The GWM Tank 300 Diesel has been designated as a support vehicle at China’s Great Wall Station in Antarctica, marking the first time a Chinese auto manufacturer has used an unmodified, mass-production vehicle for a polar expedition.
The large off-road SUV earned its stripes through a series of comprehensive tests conducted by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC), intended to evaluate “powertrain capability, off-road performance, low-temperature reliability, and fuel-adaptability”.
GWM also undertook its own validation testing, in which the vehicle “successfully completed one-touch starting, defrosting, and heating operations at -30ºC”, all while in a simulated severe polar blizzard.
All up, GWM says it’s capable of conducting more than 2000 individual test projects under its test and validation system, which was presented to the PRIC as part of the Tank 300’s approval process.
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The Chinese brand has outlined the Tank 300’s construction as a key consideration in its polar application. Featuring a “ring-shaped structural design”, the body-on-frame SUV is made up of 70 per cent high-strength steel and 20 per cent ultra-high-strength (1500MPa) steel, allowing its roof to withstand more than 15 tonnes of pressure.
GWM says its chassis can comfortably resist twisting and flexing across uneven terrain – a necessity for particularly rough polar regions.
Powering it all is a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 135kW of power and 480Nm of torque. It’s mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with part-time four-wheel drive and selectable low-range gearing.
Australians can also take some pride in the Tank 300’s new recruitment, as GWM told CarExpert its diesel powertrain “probably wouldn’t have happened” if the brand’s Australian arm hadn’t pushed for it in response to local market demand.
The agreement with the PRIC supports GWM’s ‘Seven-Country, Ten-Site’ global research and development network, covering locations including Japan, Germany, and the US.
Through this, GWM manages more than 110 projects in “powertrain development, new energy, intelligent cockpit technology, and autonomous driving”, and it’s also working to ensure each of its Australian vehicles receives local chassis tuning by mid-2026.
It isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Tank 300 Diesel take on serious off-road terrain.
GWM took its Toyota Prado rival, and several of its other off-road models, to Queensland’s notorious ‘Beer O’clock Hill’ earlier this year, successfully showing they are able to scale the rocky incline with relative ease and little to no damage.
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