GWM Tank 300 Four Cylinder Engines What SA Drivers Get

17 October 2026

The six-cylinder bakkie has been the default answer for anyone who actually uses their 4x4. More cylinders meant more torque, more refinement, more capacity for heavy loads. This assumption is now costing people money. GWM’s Tank 300 arrives in South Africa with no six-cylinder option at all, just three four-cylinder engines: a 2.0-litre turbo petrol, a 2.0-litre hybrid, and a 2.4-litre turbodiesel called the GW4D24. The question is whether modern forced induction has closed the gap enough to make cylinder count irrelevant, or if this is still a compromise dressed up as progress.

Why GWM bet everything on four cylinders

Every Tank 300 sold locally, from base spec to top trim, runs a four-cylinder. The 3.0-litre V6 that exists for the Tank series elsewhere never made it to South African showrooms. GWM’s calculation is straightforward: turbocharged four-cylinder engines now deliver outputs that would have required two extra cylinders a decade ago, while keeping weight, fuel consumption, and build cost lower.

The trade-offs are real. Four-cylinder engines still deliver less absolute power than a comparable six, and they can feel strained or coarse when pushed hard. Towing capacity and payload take a theoretical hit. For most owners, however, the difference manifests only at the margins: extreme grades, maximum load, sustained high-speed cruising. For daily driving, weekend trails, and moderate towing, a modern turbo four has become genuinely sufficient.

The GW4D24 is the engine that makes this argument most forcefully. It is not a token diesel option included to round out a brochure. This is the powertrain GWM expects to move in serious numbers, and it carries engineering that would have been exotic on a luxury SUV five years ago.

The GW4D24 in detail

GWM’s internal naming breaks down cleanly. GW for Great Wall, 4 for inline-four, D for diesel, 24 for 2.4 litres of displacement (2,370cc exactly). The petrol equivalents use C or E in that third position, like the GW4C20B found in various Haval models. The GW4D24 replaces the older GW4D20, a 2.0-litre diesel that served the original P-Series bakkie range. The new engine is larger, more sophisticated, and paired exclusively with a 9-speed automatic rather than the previous 8-speed.

Output figures sit at 135 kW at 3,600 rpm and 480 Nm from 1,500 to 2,500 rpm. That torque band is the critical number. Peak twist arrives just above idle and holds flat for 1,000 rpm, so the engine is already working when your foot goes down. For overtaking on the N1, crawling up Sani Pass, or pulling a loaded caravan out of a campsite, usable torque from low rpm matters more than peak power ever could.

The hardware behind those figures is specific. An electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger adjusts vane angle to keep exhaust velocity high at low engine speeds, spooling earlier than a conventional fixed-geometry unit. GWM claims this improves low-speed performance by 30 percent and virtually eliminates perceptible turbo lag. The 2,000-bar common rail injection system atomises fuel at pressures that ensure complete, efficient combustion. Combustion chambers were redesigned for this application, and the cooling system was upgraded to handle sustained low-speed, high-load operation, exactly the regime you encounter in deep sand or technical rock crawling.

What it actually drives like

On the road, the GW4D24 feels like a diesel from five years in the future of where South African bakkies typically sit. The variable geometry turbo means throttle response is immediate from 1,500 rpm. There is no hole below the power band, no waiting for boost to build while a gap in traffic closes. The 9-speed automatic keeps the engine in its sweet spot without hunting, and the ratios are close enough that acceleration feels continuous rather than stepped.

Refinement is the surprise. GWM has layered in sound dampening and tuned combustion phasing to keep noise, vibration, and harshness below what the diesel badge suggests. It is not a petrol engine; there is still the characteristic rattle at cold start and a gravel note under full load. At cruising speed, with light throttle, it fades into background hum. For a body-on-frame 4x4 with genuine off-road hardware, this is better than it needs to be.

The petrol 2.0-litre turbo is smoother at high rpm and lighter overall, but it lacks the diesel’s shove from low down. The hybrid adds electric assistance for urban efficiency, yet its towing capacity and sustained-load behaviour align with the petrol rather than the diesel. For anyone who bought a Tank 300 to use as a tool, not a statement, the GW4D24 is the rational choice.

Towing capacity makes this explicit. The diesel rates 3 tonnes braked, against 2.5 tonnes for petrol models. Payload also increases. These are not marginal differences; they are the gap between a medium caravan and a heavy one, between a loaded trailer and one that needs a bigger tow vehicle.

The ownership contract you are signing

The GW4D24 demands more from its owner than older, simpler diesels. This is not an engine you can feed whatever comes out of the farm tank and service whenever the odometer reminds you.

Fuel quality is the single biggest vulnerability. The 2,000-bar common rail system and its associated emissions hardware are sensitive to sulphur content and contamination. GWM specifies 50ppm sulphur or lower, which is the cleanest diesel available at standard South African pumps. Most major brand forecourts in metropolitan areas comply. Rural and remote sites can be inconsistent. Dirty fuel in this system does not just reduce performance; it destroys injectors, damages the high-pressure pump, and can contaminate the entire fuel circuit. The repair bill starts at thousands and escalates quickly.

Oil quality matters equally. The engine requires full synthetic lubricant at every service, meeting the API and ACEA specifications GWM lists. Mineral oil or extended-drain synthetics not rated for this application will shorten turbocharger and bearing life. Service intervals are typically 15,000 km or 12 months, whichever arrives first. Skipping these is false economy.

The emissions equipment, including the diesel particulate filter and selective catalytic reduction hardware, adds further complexity. These systems function correctly only when the engine reaches sufficient temperature for passive regeneration, and when the correct diesel exhaust fluid is maintained. Short-trip urban running without highway cycles will eventually trigger active regeneration cycles or warning lights.

This is the modern diesel bargain. You get torque, efficiency, and towing capacity that older engines could not match, but you accept mechanical complexity and zero tolerance for maintenance shortcuts.

Where else you will find this engine

GWM is not treating the GW4D24 as a niche powertrain for one model. It has become the standard diesel across the company’s larger vehicles in South Africa. This has direct implications for parts availability and workshop familiarity.

The P300 bakkie uses it as its headline engine, replacing the older 2.0-litre diesel across the LS and LT trims and continuing up to the off-road-focused P300 LTD. The larger P500 flagship double-cab, positioned as a more premium offering, runs the same engine across its Luxury and Super Luxury 4x4 variants. The upcoming next-generation Haval H9, a three-row family adventure SUV, will also employ the GW4D24 for its heavier frame.

This spread benefits owners. A shared engine across multiple high-volume models means critical components, from turbochargers to injectors to engine control modules, are stocked in greater numbers at GWM dealers. Technicians see the GW4D24 regularly, reducing diagnostic time and the likelihood of first-guess misrepair. For a relatively new brand still building its aftermarket and independent workshop presence, this factory-level commonality is a genuine ownership advantage.

The six-cylinder question answered

The Tank 300’s four-cylinder-only range forces a direct comparison that many buyers would prefer to avoid. A Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series or a Ford Ranger Raptor carries six cylinders and the cultural authority that goes with them. The GW4D24 does not match the absolute output or the aural character of those engines. What it does is deliver a higher percentage of usable performance, more of the time, for less fuel.

Consider the arithmetic. The GW4D24’s 480 Nm arrives at 1,500 rpm. Many naturally aspirated six-cylinder engines in this segment do not reach their torque peak until 3,000 rpm or higher. In real driving, that means the four-cylinder is already pulling hard while the six is still winding up. The six will win a drag race. The four will win a hill start with a trailer attached.

Fuel consumption reinforces the point. GWM claims 7.7 L/100 km on the combined cycle. Real-world figures from owners and road tests typically fall between 8.5 and 10.5 L/100 km, depending on load, terrain, and driving style. A comparable six-cylinder petrol 4x4 will rarely dip below 12 L/100 km and can exceed 15 L/100 km when worked. The diesel’s efficiency advantage is measured at the pump, in rand, every fill-up.

Weight savings from the smaller engine also improve vehicle dynamics. The Tank 300’s suspension and steering do not have to manage the mass of a six-cylinder block over the front axle. This pays dividends in ride quality, tyre wear, and the ability to place the vehicle accurately on technical terrain.

The bottom line for builders and buyers

The GW4D24 is not a perfect engine. It is complex, sensitive to fuel quality, and expensive to fix if mistreated. It does not sound like a six-cylinder, and it never will. What it offers is a specific, well-defined capability: maximum usable torque from minimum rpm, delivered through hardware that is more sophisticated than its price point suggests.

For the South African buyer considering a Tank 300, the choice between engines should follow the use case. Urban commuting with occasional dirt roads: the hybrid or petrol make sense. Regular towing, long-distance touring, or serious off-road work: the GW4D24 is the only option that does not leave capability on the table.

Four-cylinder engines have crossed a threshold. They are no longer the economy choice, the entry-level penalty, the engine you settle for. In the Tank 300, the four-cylinder diesel is the most capable, most expensive-to-own-properly, and most purposeful powertrain in the range. The six-cylinder assumption is not dead, but it is now a preference rather than a requirement. GWM has built its local range on that bet, and the GW4D24 is the proof that the bet is paying out.