GWM Tank 800 V8 PHEV Confirmed for Australia, LandCruiser and Patrol in Its Sights

GWM has confirmed that its biggest, most powerful SUV yet, the Tank 800, is coming to Australia. The body-on-frame flagship sits above the already-confirmed Tank 700 and lands with a properly serious party trick: a twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid making up to 735kW. GWM is pointing it straight at the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and the next Nissan Patrol, two icons that have both stepped away from V8 power.

The Powertrain

At the heart of the Tank 800 is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine that produces 403kW on its own. Mate that to at least two electric motors and a dedicated hybrid transmission driving all four wheels, and combined output climbs to as much as 735kW. GWM intends to offer the 800 in both series-parallel hybrid and full plug-in hybrid (PHEV) configurations, so buyers can have the big petrol engine with either a fuel-saving assist or a chargeable battery for electric-only running.

When and How Much

GWM Australia has the Tank 800 locked in but is targeting a 2027 local launch, with the production version set to be revealed during 2026. Pricing has not been confirmed, though industry expectation puts the starting point somewhere north of $100,000. That would make it one of the priciest models ever sold by a Chinese brand here, with equipment and trim levels pitched closer to a Lexus LX than a workhorse 4WD.

Why It Matters

The timing is pointed. Toyota downsized the latest LandCruiser 300 to a 3.3-litre six-cylinder diesel, and Nissan is dropping V8 power for the new Patrol. That leaves a gap at the top of the full-size 4WD market for a genuinely big-engined flagship, and GWM is stepping straight into it with more power and more cylinders than either Japanese rival. Whether Australian buyers will pay luxury money for a Chinese badge is the real question, but the hardware is undeniably ambitious.

Safety

As a model still ahead of its local launch, the Tank 800 has not yet been rated by ANCAP. GWM has been fitting increasingly comprehensive driver-assist suites across its range, and we will report the official safety result once it is published. For context on the brand's off-road credentials, our GWM Tank 300 review is a good starting point.

How It Compares

Against the LandCruiser 300, Nissan Patrol and Lexus LX, the Tank 800 would be the most powerful thing in the segment by a wide margin, and a plug-in version would add a fuel-economy angle none of them can match. The trade-off is the unknowns: resale, long-term reliability and whether GWM's dealer network is ready for a six-figure flagship. If you are shopping big 4WDs for touring or towing, our best towing vehicles guide and camping cars guide are worth a read.

Our Take

A 735kW twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid 4WD from GWM sounded far-fetched a few years ago, and yet here we are. The Tank 800 is a statement of intent, and it arrives at exactly the moment the LandCruiser and Patrol have walked away from V8 power. The big unknown is price and whether buyers will spend luxury money on a newcomer. We will be watching closely as GWM firms up local pricing and timing ahead of that 2027 launch.

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