GWM Tank 700 Hi4-T -Hybrid PHEV

The Tank 700 is the car I like. Although it has some shortcomings, the overall cost-effectiveness is very high. The coil spring chassis of the Ultimate Edition is very surprising. Some urban road sections have large undulations and potholes, but compared with the air suspension, the Ultimate Edition's chassis feels tighter, with clean and neat bounces, retracting and releasing smoothly. This is slightly different from the handling of the Extreme Mirror Edition. Now that I have test-driven and compared both versions, they each have their own characteristics. Of course, both are very classy overall, depending on personal preference. After getting on the highway, the speed increases rapidly, and overtaking is very confident. The chassis is stable and solid. When entering a curve at speed, there will be some body roll at the initial stage of cornering, but the body quickly rebounds and stabilizes the center of gravity, and the wheels have good tracking to drive forward. In addition, high-speed lane changes in the 700 Ultimate Edition, with the cooperation of the front and rear double wishbone independent suspension and the solid body, are all smooth and seamless. The overall experience makes me very satisfied. I originally planned to replace the nitrogen shock absorption system, but it seems that it is not needed for the time being.

Let me talk about the overall situation of the Ultimate Edition:
First, the steering wheel is very straight, with no signs of deviation;
Second, the infotainment system was already the latest version when I got the car;
Third, the original 20-inch 275 Continental tires have very good grip on the road. Probably because there are no air suspension, CDC and other electronic control devices, the wiring under the car is relatively clean and simple;
Fourth, the engine sounds good after starting, without too many messy abnormal noises. The rumored abnormal noise from the chassis drive shaft has not appeared either;
Fifth, when playing high-quality lossless music from a USB flash drive, the vehicle's audio performance is very good;
Sixth, although the car is tall, with the high riding视野, wide rearview mirrors and streaming rearview mirror, the situation around the car is clear at a glance;
Seventh, the cooperation between the engine and the motor in hybrid mode is seamless, and the overall output is extremely quiet;
Eighth, above 120 km/h (the maximum speed reached was 131 to comply with regulations), there will be wind noise on both sides. Although slightly noticeable, it does not affect the in-car atmosphere. It is mainly because the interior is too quiet that the wind noise seems more prominent. Chatting or listening to music is almost unaffected and completely acceptable;
Ninth, the Tank 700 is particularly comfortable on the highway: quiet interior environment, strong power reserve, stable chassis performance, flexible handling, wide sitting视野 and strong passing ability. So far, it has traveled about 650 kilometers, including about 400 kilometers on the highway and about 250 kilometers in the urban area, with a comprehensive fuel consumption of approximately 7.3 liters per 100 kilometers.

Space: Although the wheelbase is 3 meters, the rear seats cannot be reclined. Additionally, the trunk space is particularly small due to the hybrid battery pack.

Range: Pure electric range in the city - when fully charged, the meter shows 100km, but the actual range is about 80km, and in winter it's估计也就50km. At a high speed of 120km/h, the pure electric power drains very quickly, only able to run 50km. In hybrid mode on the highway, after driving 2000km, the average fuel consumption shown on the meter is 9L/100km. As long as there is electricity, it is not fuel-consuming.

The key point is ❗ I don't know if other car owners have encountered this. Just 2400km after picking up the car, a problem was found: when the car decelerates naturally or manually to 40km/h, the car will automatically brake for a moment, and the feeling is very obvious. This situation occurs frequently (it has nothing to do with regenerative braking or vehicles/pedestrians ahead; after discovering the problem, it was特地 tested on an empty road section). The car is having a protective film applied these days, and after that, I will go to the 4S shop for specific inspection.

On May 15th, inspected at the Dalian 4S shop. The maintenance师傅 diagnosed that there was obvious jerking when downshifting from 5th to 4th gear. Then the driving data was copied and sent to the Tank后台 for diagnosis, and the data was normal. The师傅 reflashed the transmission, and the jerking feeling improved but was still obvious. Waiting for further inspection tomorrow for further treatment.

Went to the 4S shop again the next day, reflashed the transmission program, and the jerking was almost imperceptible, solving 80-90% of the problem. A friend in the Tank 700 group had the same transmission problem as me, which was more serious. After reflashing, it improved, but the problem reappeared after driving 200-300 kilometers. So I will wait and see and give feedback to everyone later. During the inspection, a Tank 300 lady owner noticed a problem with my car's headlights. The 4S shop师傅 reported it to the manufacturer, who provided a free headlight replacement. When picking up the car, because the key was close, the lights were on, so I didn't notice this gap. Therefore, when picking up the car, everyone should be as careful as possible to avoid this problem.

Extreme Environment Edition, fully equipped with all optional features. Picked up the car half a month ago, have driven 2000 kilometers, and feel very good. The appearance is domineering, not inferior even when parked next to a Mercedes-Benz GLS or Land Cruiser; the power is abundant, with the 3.0T engine kicking in, giving full confidence; the air suspension performs well on rough roads. During the May Day holiday, I drove a section of unpaved road with a friend's GLS, and the Tank 700 felt more得心应手.

The Tank 700 has nothing to挑剔 about in terms of performance and configuration. If choosing a car, I think the only thing people might be纠结 about is the exterior and interior. I checked out the actual car in person. Originally, I was inclined towards the Meteorite Gray exterior and Burgundy interior, but when I actually saw the Burgundy interior, I couldn't accept it—probably because I'm getting older. In the end, I chose Glacier Silver for the exterior, which is more dirt-resistant and耐看; for the interior, I chose Black-Orange (later changed to Black-Brown in newer versions).

Here are some small suggestions for everyone:

1. Parking issue. Everyone should be most concerned about this. Garages with a height limit of 1.9 meters are definitely accessible. I've tested it many times. Just remember to adjust the air suspension to Quick Access mode (which lowers the vehicle height by 5 centimeters). It is recommended to lock this mode to prevent the vehicle from raising itself when driving at higher speeds.

2. Tire replacement issue. When changing or repairing tires, remember to first adjust the air suspension to Lift mode.

3. Gear shifting issue. The electronic gear shift is indeed not very user-friendly. It is recommended not to toggle it back and forth to avoid misoperation. For example, when using the right turn signal, if it doesn't automatically reset, usually toggling the right turn signal again will reset it. It's best not to toggle the gear lever in the opposite direction, as it may switch back to the left turn signal, causing the lights to flash back and forth endlessly.

4. Infotainment system. It's just average. However, the infotainment systems in the JEEP, BYD, and even BMW 2 Series, 3 Series, and X7 I've driven before were also average. I'm waiting for the upgrade to Huawei's HiCar system, which should be much better.

5. After-sales service. Currently, it's very good. After I bought the car, they set up an exclusive owner group, with several people specifically serving me (which is actually answering questions); they inquired about the driving condition of the vehicle multiple times after purchase. Of course, the 700 is indeed a bit complex with slightly more functions; the most considerate thing is that they provided a one-year free charging service, which is great and will save a lot of money over a year.

6. Fuel consumption issue. I haven't calculated it in detail. Since charging has been relatively convenient recently, I've been driving in hybrid mode. When the battery is low, I refuel, and the fuel consumption feels very low. Of course, during the May Day holiday, when I was stuck in traffic with a low battery, it was quite painful. So, for long-distance driving, it is recommended to use the intelligent battery preservation mode first, and try to avoid slow driving in traffic jams with a low battery, as it is both fuel-consuming and very uncomfortable.

One last suggestion: If you are a new driver and buying a car for the first time, it is not recommended to buy the Tank 700. It is indeed too big and has many functions, which takes time to get used to. I saw a video online where a guy driving a Tank 700 was having a tug-of-war with another iconic car, and neither driver knew how to lock the differential. It was a bit awkward. It's better for owners with some off-road vehicle or SUV driving experience to buy it, as they will adapt faster and the driving process will be safer. In short, the Tank 700 is indeed a rare good car, and Great Wall Motors has shown great sincerity. Especially being included in the US White House's sanctions list, it further shows that its products already have considerable international competitive strength.