GWM Tank 300 vs Volkswagen Tiguan

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

GWM Tank 300 in South Africa

GWM Tank 300

2.0T Hi4-T Hybrid Plug-in Hybrid 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 849,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 240 kW 🔧 750 Nm ⛽ 35.7 km/l
VS
Volkswagen Tiguan in South Africa

Volkswagen Tiguan

2.0 TSI 140kW R-Line 4Motion DSG Petrol Current
ZAR 856,200 ex-showroom
⚡ 140 kW 🔧 250 Nm ⛽ 13 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance Tank 300
Fuel Economy Tank 300
🛡 Safety Tank 300
📦 Practicality Tiguan
🔑 Ownership Tank 300
Tiguan starts ZAR 31,800 cheaper Tank 300 from ZAR 699,900 · Tiguan from ZAR 668,100

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec Tank 300 Tiguan
Maximum Power 240 kW @ 5500 rpm 140 kW
Maximum Torque 750 Nm 250 Nm
Engine Size 1999 cc 2000 cc
Claimed Mileage 35.7 km/l 13 km/l
Ground Clearance 224 mm 201 mm
Boot / Load Bay 490 l 652 l
Airbags 8 6
Kerb Weight 2050 kg 1599 kg
Seating Capacity - -
Warranty 5 Years / 100,000 km 3 years / 120 000 km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Tank 300 dominates this comparison with clear advantages across multiple categories.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance Tank 300 +38 pts
Efficiency Tank 300 +46 pts
Safety Tank 300 +50 pts
Practicality Tiguan +1 pts
Ownership Tank 300 +39 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

🏆 Overall Winner

Tank 300

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Stronger safety package
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Fuel Efficiency

Tiguan

Strengths
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Family Usage

Which One's Right for You?

Tank 300

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Tiguan

  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec Tank 300 Tiguan
Hybrid System Plug-in Hybrid Not Applicable
Combined Power 255 kW Not Applicable
Combined Torque 615 Nm Not Applicable
Motor Type Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Number of Motors Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Motor Location Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Quarter Mile Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio 124.4 kW/tonne 87.6 kW/tonne
Torque-to-Weight Ratio 300 Nm/tonne 156.3 Nm/tonne
Usable Battery Capacity Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Battery Voltage Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Electric Range 105 km Not Applicable
AC Charging Time Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
DC Charging Time Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Aspiration Turbocharged Not Officially Disclosed
Bore 82.5 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 Not Officially Disclosed
Cylinders 4 Not Officially Disclosed
Drive Type AWD 4WD
Engine Code GW4C20D Not Officially Disclosed
Engine Displacement 1999 cc 2000 cc
Fuel System Direct Injection Not Officially Disclosed
Launch Control Yes Not Officially Disclosed
Maximum Torque 750 Nm 250 Nm
Regenerative Braking Yes Not Applicable
Stroke 93.1 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Top Speed 195 km/h Not Officially Disclosed
Valves 16 Not Officially Disclosed
Valves per Cylinder 4 Not Officially Disclosed
AC Charging Power Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
0-100 km/h 5.8 sec Not Officially Disclosed
Battery Capacity 19.1 kWh Not Applicable
Battery Type Lithium-ion Not Applicable
Cylinder Layout Inline Not Officially Disclosed
DC Charging Power Not Officially Disclosed Not Applicable
Drive Modes Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Engine 2-litre Turbocharged Petrol Plug-in Hybrid Not Officially Disclosed
Fuel Type Plug-in Hybrid Petrol
Maximum Power 240 kW @ 5500 rpm 140 kW
Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Not Officially Disclosed
Spec Tank 300 Tiguan
360 Degree Camera Yes Not Available
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Not Available
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Not Available
Around View Monitor Yes Not Available
Attention Assist Yes -
Autonomous Emergency Braking Yes Not Available
Automatic High Beam Yes -
Auto Highbeam Yes Not Available
Auto Lights Yes -
Auto Park Assist No -
Auto Wipers Yes Not Available
Blind Spot Monitoring Yes Not Available
Blind Spot Warning Yes Not Available
Cruise Control Yes Standard
Driver Fatigue Alert Yes Not Available
Eco Mode Yes -
Emergency Braking Yes -
EV Mode Yes Not Available
Forward Collision Warning Yes Not Available
Front Camera Yes -
Lane Departure Warning Yes Not Available
Lane Keep Assist Yes Not Available
Park Assist Yes Not Available
Parking Distance Sensors Front and Rear -
Parking Sensors Front and Rear Not Available
Rain Sensor Wipers Yes -
Rear View Camera Yes Standard
Rear Cross Traffic Alert Yes Not Available
Rear Parking Sensors Yes Not Available
Rear View Camera Yes Standard
Reverse Camera Yes Standard
Reverse Camera Type Yes -
Sport Mode Yes -
Surround View Camera Yes Not Available
Traffic Sign Recognition Yes Not Available
Parking Sensor Front and Rear -
Pre-Collision System Yes -
Reversing Camera Yes Standard

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

Tank 300 leads by 33 points

Tank 300 dominates this comparison with clear advantages across multiple categories.

Winner 88 /100
Lead 33 points
Data 97% confidence
88
#1 Winner

Tank 300

97% data confidence 4 strong categories
Best at Safety 100 Check Ownership 65
Performance 98
Efficiency 97
Safety 100
Practicality 76
Ownership 65
Leads by 33 points
55
#2

Tiguan

84% data confidence 1 strong categories
Best at Practicality 77 Check Ownership 26
Performance 60
Efficiency 51
Safety 50
Practicality 77
Ownership 26
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance Tank 300 +38 Efficiency Tank 300 +46 Safety Tank 300 +50 Practicality Tiguan +1 Ownership Tank 300 +39

High confidence result.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

Tank 300

Performance 98/100
Efficiency 97/100
Safety 100/100
Practicality 76/100
Ownership 65/100

Tiguan

Performance 60/100
Efficiency 51/100
Safety 50/100
Practicality 77/100
Ownership 26/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 GWM Tank 300 wins with 88 pts vs 55 pts for Tiguan

In structured scoring, Tank 300 emerges as the stronger overall package. However, Tiguan may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the Tank 300 edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: Tank 300 97 vs Tiguan 51. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: Tank 300 100, Tiguan 50. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: Tank 300 65, Tiguan 26. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: Tank 300 76, Tiguan 77. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: Tank 300 98, Tiguan 60. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The Tank 300 edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The Tank 300 scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between Tank 300 and Tiguan in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: Tank 300 scores 98 vs 60.

Efficiency: Tank 300 scores 97 vs 51.

Safety: Tank 300 scores 100 vs 50.

Practicality: Tank 300 scores 76 vs 77.

Ownership: Tank 300 scores 65 vs 26.

Final structured scoring gives Tank 300 the advantage in this comparison.