For years Toyota’s Land Cruiser has been synonymous with all things four-wheel drive but China may have an answer to Japan’s golden boy which was just launched recently, in the form of the new Tank 500 revealed at the Chengdu Motor Show.
Under the hood of that muscular-looking front end is a petrol-powered 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 making 354 hp and 500 Nm, while a 9-speed ZF auto helps channel power to all four wheels.
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It’s unlikely to spring any surprises against the Land Cruiser 300 in terms of grunt, as the Toyota’s off-road crown jewel makes over 400 hp and over 650 Nm. Videos have surfaced showing how it accelerates like a hot hatch as well.
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Inside is where the Tank 500 really works its charm. There’s a hint of Volvo on the centre console, a hint of Mercedes-Benz on the steering wheel, and it’s hard not to think of Audi with the switches and the door handles/speaker cover. Even the dashboard somewhat mimics that of Rolls-Royce.
Not much else is known in terms of its features, although based on the images available, it’s clear that the Tank 500 isn’t short of creature comforts and off-road abilities. It gets a locking differential with 4L mode, parking sensors, hill descend control and auto brakehold, to name a few.
Interestingly, the Tank 500 shares the same wheelbase length as the Land Cruiser at 2850 mm, offering three rows for seven passengers but elsewhere it’s just milimetres more petite.
With an 800 mm wading depth, it’s even better than the Range Rover Velar (at 650 mm) we tested and pick-ups (around 700 mm) we testedbefore.
Source: Drive
GALLERY
