GWM Tank 500 PHEV vs Denza B5: Two Five-Seat 4x4 Plug-In Hybrids, Compared

Two big five-seat plug-in hybrid 4x4s, both rated to tow 3,000kg, at roughly $75,000 to $80,000. They look like rivals on a spec list, but they are not built the same way, and the differences are mostly in what happens off the bitumen. Everything below comes from the manufacturers' own Australian documents, ANCAP and our records, and we have not driven either car.

Who each one suits

The Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T is a 2.0-litre turbo petrol four with an electric motor and a nine-speed hybrid automatic, 300kW and 750Nm combined. It is the one with a low-range gearbox, which is what matters if your idea of a 4x4 includes steep, slow technical tracks. The Denza B5 uses a 1.5-litre turbo petrol four with two electric motors, for 400kW and 760Nm combined, and it is the quicker car by two seconds. It leans harder on equipment and electric charging speed. Both seat five, so if you need seven seats the Tank 500 diesel or hybrid is the one to look at, not this car.

What each one costs

There is no clean like-for-like price here, and we would rather say so than pick one. GWM's Australian page lists the Tank 500 Ultra PHEV at $71,990 drive-away for a Victorian private buyer on a 2026-build car, in an offer period that ran to 31 October 2026. Denza's offer page lists the B5 from $74,990 drive-away and the B5 Leopard from $79,990 drive-away, on selected 2025-build cars while stock lasts. Our record separately holds $72,490 as the Tank's recommended retail price before on-road costs, but we have not been able to match that figure to a GWM document, so treat it as unconfirmed.

Prices read from the manufacturers' Australian pages on 2 November 2026. Campaign drive-away prices change and end; they are not recommended retail prices. We hold no Denza recommended retail price and no GWM drive-away price outside that offer, so none is shown.

Safety

Both cars are rated five stars by ANCAP in our records: the Tank 500 from 2024 and the B5 from 2025. Different test years, so the percentages are a guide. The B5 leads on adult, child and safety assist; the Tank leads on vulnerable road user protection.

Powertrain and performance

The Denza is the stronger performer on paper: 100kW more and 2.1 seconds quicker to 100km/h. The torque figures are close, 750Nm against 760Nm. GWM does not print a top speed for the Tank 500, so we show none.

4x4 hardware

This section covers the off-road hardware. Not everything we wanted to compare is printed in both documents, so here is only what they print.

On the Tank 500 PHEV, GWM prints a front and rear electric diff lock and low range with a centre diff lock, all marked as fitted in the Ultra Plug-In Hybrid column of its October 2026 brochure. The B5 gets front and rear diff locks as standard on both grades, which Denza describes as mechanical locks that are electrically actuated. Its spec sheet lists 16 drive modes, including one it calls "L Function" that it does not explain, but it does not list a low-range gearset, so we leave low range off the B5 rather than say either yes or no. If you plan serious low-speed crawling, ask Denza directly.

The B5's adjustable suspension is a Leopard feature: the Base grade has the DiSus-P line marked unavailable. Denza describes it as intelligent hydraulic suspension with 140mm of travel, adjustable ride height and self-levelling under load, and Denza ties it to the Leopard's 39 degree approach angle and 790mm wading depth. We would not call it air suspension, because the documents do not.

Cars in this story

3 cars

2026 GWM Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T

$72,490 RRPas at 14 Oct 2026

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2026 Denza B5 Base

$74,990 RRPas at 24 Jun 2026

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2026 Denza B5 Leopard

$79,990 RRPas at 24 Jun 2026

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Price shown is each car's stored figure with its basis and check date.

See all Denza models

Battery, electric range and charging

The ranges are on different test cycles, so the 120km against 90km gap is smaller in practice than it looks, and we do not rank them on it. What the two documents do share is the NEDC combined range, 950km for the Tank and 975km for the B5, which is a petrol-plus-electric figure. Where the cars clearly differ is DC charging: 100kW on the B5 against 50kW on the Tank. On a plug-in hybrid with a petrol engine behind it that matters less than it would on an EV, but it is a real difference if you rely on public chargers. Battery-flat fuel use is also quoted on different cycles, so we have left it out rather than set the two side by side.

Space, boot, seats and towing

The Tank is the bigger car by 190mm in length and carries more: 640 litres behind the second row against 470 litres in the B5, and 1,400 litres to 1,064 with the seats folded. (You may see 795 litres quoted for the Tank 500; that is GWM's diesel figure, not the PHEV's.) The B5 is 36mm wider and slightly taller. On towing they are level at 3,000kg braked and 750kg unbraked, but both are heavy cars, so the weight you can load into the car and onto the tow ball is where a trailer plan gets tight.

We have left the running-cost calculator off this page. A fair plug-in hybrid fuel estimate needs the electric range and the battery-flat fuel figure on one test cycle, and these two cars quote theirs on different cycles.

Warranty and servicing

GWM backs the Tank 500 with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private, ABN and fleet use (it drops to seven years or 150,000km for paying-passenger use such as rideshare). GWM's warranty page prints an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre term for the power battery and names the Tank 500 HEV; it does not name the PHEV specifically, so confirm the battery term for the plug-in with GWM. Its capped price service covers the PHEV at $315, $500, $640, $740 and $740 for the first five services, $2,935 in total, with the first service at 12 months or 10,000km. Roadside assistance is seven years.

We could not confirm Denza's warranty or capped servicing terms from a Denza document: the B5 spec sheet prints neither. We would rather leave the cells empty than copy a figure from somewhere that is not Denza, so ask the dealer for the warranty and servicing terms in writing before you compare the two on cost of ownership.

Equipment worth knowing about

Both are well equipped, and the lists overlap heavily. The B5 prints a 15.6-inch screen, an 800-watt 16-speaker Devialet system, massaging and ventilated front seats, a built-in fridge and hot box, and front and rear parking sensors as standard. The Tank 500 Ultra prints a 14.6-inch screen, a 12-speaker system, heated and ventilated front seats, a 360-degree camera, Tank Turn assist and off-road cruise control. Denza also lists a drawbar, hitch receiver and 12-pin plug as standard. Check the individual grade pages for the full lists: Tank 500 Ultra Hi4-T, B5 Base and B5 Leopard.

So which should you buy?

You get the facts, you make the decision. Here is how the facts line up.

• Choose the Tank 500 PHEV if you want low range with a centre diff lock and front and rear locks, the bigger boot (640 litres against 470) and the longer printed electric range (120km on NEDC, remembering the cycle difference), and you are happy with 300kW.
• Choose the Denza B5 if you want the more powerful car (400kW, 4.8 seconds to 100km/h), 100kW DC charging, 11 airbags and a longer equipment list, and front and rear diff locks without low range meet your off-road needs. The Leopard adds the adjustable suspension and the extra clearance.
• If you need seven seats, neither of these will do. The seven-seat Tank 500 is the diesel or hybrid.
• If towing is the job, they tie on the rating, so compare the loaded weights and the gross combination mass on the grade you would actually buy.
• If total cost matters, get current drive-away quotes from both and the warranty and servicing terms from Denza in writing. The campaign prices we can see are on different terms and neither is a recommended retail price.

Keep reading

The cars: GWM Tank 500 range and Denza B5 range, or the full GWM and Denza ranges. Background: the charging guide.