- GWM confirms V8 powertrain planned for flagship Tank 700 SUV.
- Engine targets export buyers wanting towing grunt and prestige.
- Chairman named Australia and New Zealand as priority markets.
Just when many brands are shrinking engines or deleting them entirely, a Chinese automaker has asserted its commitment to big ICE motors. GWM has confirmed a V8 for its flagship SUV, and it’s not doing it for the benefit of Chinese car buyers.
Speaking at the Beijing Auto Show, Great Wall Motors (GWM) chairman Jack Wei said the Tank 700 will gain a newly developed V8 powertrain. He also made clear the engine wasn’t created for China’s domestic market, where electrified and smaller-displacement vehicles dominate. Instead, it’s aimed squarely at overseas buyers.
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“In the future, the Tank 700 will also use a V8 engine,” GWM Chairman Jack Wei told journalists at the Beijing Auto Show.
“This is completely opposite to the current environment or trend in China; it does not fit the Chinese market. We developed this V8 to meet the needs of more global users, in markets such as Australia and New Zealand.”
V8 Culture
Those are places where towing, long-distance touring, and big SUV culture still matter, and where a burly engine can carry just as much emotional appeal as practical value.
Wei says the Tank 700’s “normal” V8 will be different from the “performance” unit planned for its upcoming GWM GFsupercar, due in 2027. That model has already been confirmed to use a 4.0-liter twin-turbo, hybrid V8, while the Tank’s version is described as a more mainstream application.
Beyond PHEV
Mainstream, however, is relative. The current Chinese-market Tank 700 already offers a turbocharged V6 and plug-in hybrid variants with massive outputs. One version claims over 860 hp (872 PS) so if GWM drops a hybridized V8 into the same platform, don’t expect modest numbers.
The Tank 700 sits at the top of the Tank range and mixes chunky styling with luxury features and genuine off-road hardware. Think of it as GWM’s answer to SUVs like the Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol, and Lexus LX, but with a more aggressive pricing play.
