GWM Tank 300 vs KGM Rexton

Both are genuine part-time four-wheel drives with low range and a rear diff lock, so neither is a soft-roader. The Tank 300 pulls ahead on the published geometry: a 29-degree approach angle, 25-degree departure, 224mm of ground clearance and 800mm of wading depth, with terrain modes, crawl control and a front diff lock on the Ultra grades. The Rexton answers with 20.5-degree angles, 203mm of clearance and hill-descent control, enough for formed trails and touring but not the rock-work the GWM shrugs off. Read the Tank 300 as the weekend tourer that climbs harder. Read the Rexton as the one that tows the van to the campsite.

The Rexton takes it. It tows 3,500kg braked to the Tank 300's 3,000kg, and the gap widens once you load up: the Rexton carries 824kg of payload against 600kg, and its 6,460kg gross combination mass tops the GWM's 5,580kg by nearly 900kg at the entry grade. That combination mass is what decides whether you can tow at the maximum and still carry people and gear, and the Rexton gives you more headroom to do both. The Tank 300's higher grades lift its figures, so check the specific variant, but at the price-anchor grades the Rexton is the stronger tow-and-haul tool for a caravan or boat.

Only the Rexton. It is a seven-seat wagon with three rows, while the Tank 300 is a five-seater full stop. If you genuinely need the third row, that decides the comparison on its own. Two caveats on the Rexton: the third row is best for kids on shorter trips with fiddly access, and there are no child-seat anchor points back there, so you cannot safely fit a child seat in the rearmost row. The Tank 300's five seats sit in a cabin that feels tighter than its boxy body suggests, and the plug-in hybrid's boot is reduced by its battery. For a growing family, the Rexton is the only option here.

On the independent crash-test measure, the Tank 300. It carries a five-star ANCAP rating from 2022 with strong sub-scores, and autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring are standard. This generation of Rexton has never carried an ANCAP rating at all, which the Australian press repeatedly flags as the asterisk on its value story. The Rexton is not unsafe by default: it fits nine airbags and the same active-safety suite as standard. But an untested car is an unknown, and for a family weighing crash results heavily that is a real gap. The Tank 300's own catch is driver-assist that many owners find intrusive.

They are close, with different strengths. The Rexton starts at about $46,990 driveaway, and that is a run-out promotional price, so the standard list is higher and worth confirming when you buy. Its capped-price servicing runs around $2,298 over five years. The Tank 300 opens near $47,990 and asks about $2,500 over five years to service. Both back the car with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, but the Tank 300 adds seven years of roadside assistance to the Rexton's five, and it fits more standard kit low in the range. Call the purchase price a wash at the entry grades; the Rexton edges servicing, the GWM edges the warranty extras and a safety rating.

This is the Tank 300's party trick. It is sold as a 2.0-litre turbo petrol, a 2.4-litre turbo diesel and a Hi4-T plug-in hybrid that combines for 300kW and 750Nm with a claimed 1.9L/100km and around 115km of electric range. A plugless hybrid and a petrol Lux also sit in the range but are not yet in our data. The Rexton keeps it simple: one 2.2-litre turbo diesel making 148kW and 441Nm through an eight-speed automatic. Reviewers call it quiet and tractable rather than quick. If you want choice, or a plug-in off-roader, the GWM is the only one here that offers it.

For most families cross-shopping these two, the Rexton. It is the only seven-seater, it tows and carries more, and it undercuts the mainstream seven-seat 4WDs on price. The trade-offs you accept are real: no ANCAP rating for this generation, no child-seat anchors in the third row, and a firm unladen ride. If your family is four or fewer and you value a crash rating and off-road capability, the Tank 300 flips the decision, but its five seats rule it out the moment you need six or seven. Decide on seat count first; it is the hard gate that settles most of this comparison for families.

The Tank 300 for the rough stuff. Its steeper approach, departure and breakover angles, 224mm of clearance, 800mm of wading depth, terrain modes, crawl control and the Ultra's front diff lock make it the more capable climber, and the plug-in hybrid adds a torque-rich, quiet low-speed crawl. The Rexton is better understood as a tourer: it will handle formed trails and gravel, but its lower clearance and shallower angles mean it is happier towing the van to a bush campsite than picking over rocks. If your touring is caravan-led, the Rexton's tow and payload edge matters more than angles. If it is track-led, take the Tank 300.

Neither is a bad buy; they are value plays with different ledgers. The Rexton gives you the most metal, the most seats and a sharp driveaway price, backed by a seven-year warranty, which is hard to argue with if space is the priority. The Tank 300 asks a little more but hands back a five-star ANCAP rating, more standard equipment at the base grade, longer roadside cover and genuine off-road hardware, with a plug-in hybrid option if running costs matter. Read the Rexton as the value pick for families and towers. Read the Tank 300 as the value pick for capability and peace of mind on safety.