$33K for a crossover with a 3.0T Tank 330 six-cylinder engine. It's pricier than the Ford Ram, so why is the maker planning a limited edition?
Mar 25, 2024In the development of hardcore off-road vehicles in China, Great Wall Motors has made a significant contribution, especially with the introduction of the Tank 300. By offering a high-performance hardcore off-road vehicle, it has become something that most consumers can afford. Recently, the Tank brand has come up with a new trick, launching its first "user co-creation" model - the Tank 330. The new car is priced at 33K$, and is developed based on the Tank 300 Border Limited Edition. One major highlight is the 3.0T V6 twin-turbocharged engine. It is officially stated that the initial batch of models for sale consists of 1000 units.
Below, let's take a quick look at the product. From a design standpoint, the Tank 330 maintains a high degree of consistency with the Tank 300 currently on sale, including a rugged body, iron bumper, and stylish wheel rims that give off a wild vibe. In terms of details, the Tank 330 has more exaggerated hood decorations, offers optional tail wings and special luggage racks, as well as front winches, towing hooks, electrical outlets, and roof tire carriers. It can provide a towing capacity of 2.5 tons, and even includes 8-stage adjustable nitrogen shock absorbers and 18-inch all-terrain tires.
The dimensions of Tank 330 in length, width and height are 4772/1970/1960 mm respectively, with a wheelbase of 2750 mm, which falls into the category of a mid-size SUV. However, due to the use of a completely new exterior kit, the size of Tank 330 is slightly larger than the standard Tank 300, but still slightly smaller compared to the Ford Mustang.
Minimum sale price starting at 20K$. Inquire about picture parameters and configuration for the lowest price. Understand car details for 3.84. Understand car testing space, performance, and other aspects. 390,000 car enthusiasts are discussing it in the car circle and the used car starts at 15K$, with 1108 vehicles available.
The biggest change in the Tank 330 is in the power aspect, with a 3.0T twin-turbocharged V6 engine delivering a maximum power of 260 kilowatts. The transmission system is matched with a 9-speed automatic transmission. In addition, the new car also comes with a lot of top-notch off-road equipment, such as three differential locks, an intelligent all-wheel drive system, with MLock mechanical locking function, offering 2H two-wheel drive, intelligent four-wheel drive (AWD), high-speed four-wheel drive (4H), and low-speed four-wheel drive (4L) four modes of switching. The 4L mode can amplify the torque by 2.64 times. In comparison to the Ford Bronco, which only uses a 2.3T four-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 202kW, the Tank 330 evidently offers better value for money, and at an expected price of 33K$, it is likely to overlap with the Ford Bronco. In theory, the Tank 330 should be more attractive, so why is the official limiting the release of this product?
The reasons are mainly as follows: first, the limited upward branding capability. Even though Tank has already gained fame in the domestic market, it is not well-established in the off-road vehicle market, leading high-end off-road enthusiasts to find it difficult to spend a large amount of money to purchase it. This is why the Tank 330 might end up being sold at a loss if it's priced too low, or nobody would buy it if it's priced too high. It also includes the problem of the high cost of the 3.0T engine. Currently, only the Tank 500, Tank 700 Hi4-T, and the Tank 330 are using it. The Tank 500 has less sales volume than the Tank 500 Hi4-T, even though it uses a 2.0T+ plug-in hybrid. The Tank 700 Hi4-T also has low sales volume, making it difficult to spread the cost of the 3.0T engine. This is also the reason why the Tank 330 cannot be cheap, leading to a contradiction between high prices and sales volume.
The second point is that currently the Ford Bronco has not been officially released, the pricing is unknown, and the price may overlap with the Tank 300. Although the 2.3T is a four-cylinder, its performance is impressive, with a maximum power of 202kW, which is sufficient for off-roading. Through later modifications, it can completely replace the Tank 330. The third point is that in the hardcore off-road vehicle market, the Ford Bronco has already been very popular in overseas markets, with its performance, reputation, and playability quickly surpassing the Jeep Wrangler. It has huge modification potential, and friends who can afford hardcore off-road vehicles will prefer this type of overseas off-road vehicle. This is not to say that the Tank 330 is not worth it, but under limited budget circumstances, that's when people might choose it. If the budget is sufficient and there are mature global products like the Ford Bronco, domestic hardcore off-road vehicles will typically only be considered as alternatives.
Obviously, the tank officials should understand this better than anyone else, so they came up with a "co-creation" method, which was officially approved on March 30, 2023 and immediately started crowdfunding from users. If the crowdfunding fails, it will not affect the tank in any way. However, as is well known, the 1000-unit crowdfunding goal was reached in 6 seconds, allowing the product to be mass-produced. The benefit of successfully limited crowdfunding is that it is equivalent to order-based sales - as many orders as there are, that many vehicles will be produced, ensuring that the manufacturer does not lose money. Users have limited edition products, and the tank brand's visibility has increased. Therefore, overall, the Tank 330 may be more valuable than the Ford Mustang. However, as a domestically produced high-end hardcore off-road vehicle, the method of selling limited edition cars is a more secure approach in a niche market. In this regard, the tank has indeed played it smart.
