Tank 500 Hi4-Z with Great Wall’s new off-road optimized PHEV system opens pre-sales
On December 3, pre-sales of the GWM Tank 500 Hi4-Z opened, priced at 379,800 yuan (52,150 USD). Thanks to the launch conference, we now know a lot more about the car. Most importantly, we know it is not just a Tank 500 Hi4-T with a larger battery. Instead, the changes have been made to make the car far more capable in off-road situations.
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At the press conference, a detailed explanation was given of why a change with the PHEV system was needed to create Hi4-Z.
In a traditional system, there is a P1 + P3 front axle configuration and a decoupling of the P4 rear axle motor. Although this configuration provides rapid power response and a large-capacity battery in the middle of the chassis, it has some limitations.
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Firstly, there is no effective power transmission between axles, and it lacks the sliding traction ability of traditional torque converters. What this means in practice is that the axle motor fails to assist the car in getting out of trouble once an axle loses grip in an off-road scenario. Furthermore, when climbing, there may be problems with the motor stalling or wheel idling.
Great Wall’s initial response was the Hi4-T system, which uses P-2 architecture and retains the torque converter and automatic transmission to maintain the ability to climb and get out of trouble. The problem is that this still requires a drive shaft, meaning that the battery cannot be placed in the chassis and has to be placed in the trunk. Both the trunk space and the battery capacity are thus limited.
The Hi4-Z system is Great Wall’s response to create a better solution. It uses a three-speed power split on the front axle, a two-speed reducer on the rear axle, and a large 59.05 kWh Battery pack in the middle.
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It is designed to take into account power consumption and stall when off-road and solves it through power shunt technology while setting multiple gears on both the front and rear axles to cope with torque demand in extreme situations. The system retains a mechanical reverse gear in order for better control when reversing and getting out of trouble. There is a DeDion bridge design similar to that used by the Mercedes Benz electric G Wagon. This allows high travel for the rear suspension and guarantees ground clearance for the motor.
At 59.05 kWh, the battery used in the Hi4-Z is considerably larger than the 37.1 kWh pack used in the Hi4-T. It is claimed to have a 201 km range as measured using WLTC, with the car having a comprehensive range of 1096 km, again using WLTC. It is an NCM battery with an energy density of 234 Wh/kg. The Tank 500 Hi4-Z uses an 800V high voltage off-road new energy platform. This allows fast charging power of up to 163 KW, resulting in a 30 to 80% fast charge in 15 minutes – the equivalent of 120 km of range. Fuel consumption is claimed to be 8.6 L/100 km.
GWM’s Tank 500 Hi4-Z uses the new Miller cycle E20NB engine, which debuted earlier this year in the 2024 update to the Tank 500 Hi4-T. This 2.0 T engine boasts a maximum power of 185 kW and peak torque of 380 Nm. According to the press conference, the new platform can also be fitted with a 3.0 T engine, although this appears not to be offered with the Tank 500 Hi4-Z. There is a three-speed longitudinal hybrid transmission.
The front electric motor has a power of 215 kW with 400 Nm torque, and the rear electric motor has 240KW and 415 Nm torque. As a system the comprehensive Power is 645 kW along with 1195 Nm of torque. This gives the Tank 500 Hi4-Z a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 4.6 seconds and even when in the feed state acceleration can be achieved in five seconds.
Unlike other hybrid off-road vehicles on the market, the Hi4-Z retains the architecture of a multi-link integral bridge suspension system rather than a decoupled system. This means the suspension travel is longer, the wheel grounding probability is higher, and the ability to get out of trouble is stronger. Furthermore, it has higher structural strength, which is better in off-road conditions.
The approach angle is 29 degrees, the departure angle is 24 degrees, and the minimum ground clearance is 210mm. Dimensions are identical to the Tank 500 Hi4-T at 5078/1934/1905mm and a wheelbase of 2850mm.
Externally, the new car is identical to the Tank 500 Hi4-T except for the badges. Similarly, the interior is pretty much the same. There is a 12.3-inch LCD instrument cluster, a head-up display, a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, and a 14.6-inch infotainment unit. Around the drive selector are buttons to control the off-road configuration, such as the low-speed four-wheel drive (4L) and differential locks for the front and rear axles.
The Tank 500 Hi4-Z should launch soon; the MIIT listing was done back in April. The Hi4-T Currently sells for 345,000 yuan (47,350 USD) and so the final price for the Hi4-Z should be expected to be somewhere between this level and the 379,800 yuan (52,150 USD) announced for presales.
