Australia will stick with the current Tank 500 for now, including a plug-in hybrid model due in a few months, as the Chinese version gains new technology and tweaked styling.
An updated version of the GWM Tank 500 off-road SUV has debuted in China – but, at this stage, the changes will not make an appearance in local showrooms.
The 2026 GWM Tank 500 features a revised grille design which now extends below the headlights on each side, and is different from a new-look 'sports' grille introduced in Australia earlier this year complete with a blacked-out Vanta flagship.
It also introduces new alloy wheel designs, a dark green exterior colour option, and updated GWM Tank badging on its tailgate.
However, a GWM Australia spokesperson told Drive the latest revisions are "focused on the Chinese market only".
"I can confirm there are no changes planned for the Tank 500 line-up in Australia at this stage, we’ll be continuing with the current offering," the spokesperson said.
Inside, the Tank 500 appears to adopt a column-mounted gear selector as its current aviation-style shifter on the centre console is not visible, similar to the facelifted Tank 300 shown in China earlier this year.
Like the new Tank 500, GWM Australia has not committed to the facelifted Tank 300, but the Chinese-market changes are likely to preview future product updates as they become available for our market.
The biggest changes to the Tank 500 affect rear passengers, with a newly-added built-in refrigerator to cool drinks and food items, along with a large TV monitor screen that folds down from the ceiling with built-in apps.
It is also shown with blue and white leather upholstery with light wooden trim, including on the seatbelts.
Autohome reports the updated Tank 500 gains an updated Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor – found in most new Chinese-market vehicles – which is said to be the most advanced of any current GWM model, including its luxury Wey division. A new side camera module is also visible.
In China, the Tank 500 remains available in two plug-in hybrid versions – on-road-focused 'Hi4-Z' and off-road-focused 'Hi4-T' – with the latter system expected to be the one set for an Australian launch later this year, in pre-update guise.
The Hi4-T plug-in hybrid system is also found in the related GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, which has a combined 300kW/750Nm output from its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine and electric motor.
It retains a mechanical four-wheel-drive system, transfer case and differential locks, while Hi4-Z has no mechanical connection between the front and rear electric motors, and a battery nearly twice as large.
Turbo-diesel power is likely for the Tank 500 in Australia, but we're likely to wait for a larger and more-powerful 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine to become available in 2027.
Shared with the Cannon and Cannon Alpha utes, a 135kW/480Nm 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine was recently added to the Tank 500 line-up in Thailand.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
