Head to head

GWM

Tank 500

Toyota

Prado

Illustrative render

Illustrative render

7-seat SUVPetrol Hybrid

From$75,990

5-door SUVDiesel Mild Hybrid

From$79,390

Last updated July 2026

175kg

Payload Gap

The Tank 500 hybrid is rated to carry 790kg, well clear of the Prado, which tops out at 615kg. The plug-in hybrid is the exception; its battery cuts payload to 610kg, no better than the Prado. The Tank's payload advantage is real, but it belongs to the hybrid grades.

Your priority

What matters most: GWM Tank 500 or Toyota Prado?

Pick a priority — we’ll show the numbers that matter and tell you which car we’d choose.

Safety: GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado
GWM Tank 500	vsspecification	Toyota Prado
6	Airbags	9 (leads)
Yes	Autonomous Emergency Braking	Yes
Yes	Adaptive Cruise Control	Yes
Yes	Lane Keep Assist	Yes
Yes	Blind Spot Monitor	Yes
Yes	Rear Cross-Traffic Alert	Yes
Yes	Pedestrian Detection	Yes
Yes	Driver Attention Monitor	Yes
Yes	Auto High Beam	Yes
Yes	Reversing Camera	Yes
Yes	360° Camera	Yes
Yes	Front Parking Sensors	Yes
Yes	Rear Parking Sensors	Yes
Yes	Daytime Running Lights	Yes
Yes	Front Fog Lights	Yes
Yes	Auto Headlights	Yes
Yes	Rain-Sensing Wipers	Yes

Closer than the airbag count alone suggests. Both hold a current five-star ANCAP rating dated 2024 and both scored 85 per cent for adult occupant protection, so on the rating they are level. The Prado pulls ahead on hardware with nine airbags to the Tank 500's six, plus Toyota's deeper safety-engineering record. Both run the expected driver aids as standard, but on the detail the Prado edges it.

Based on Safety, we’d pick the Toyota Prado.

Performance: GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado
GWM Tank 500	vsspecification	Toyota Prado
255 kW (leads)	Power	150 kW
648 Nm (leads)	Torque	500 Nm
2,000 cc	Displacement	2,755 cc (leads)
4	Cylinders	4
8.5 L/100km	Fuel Economy	7.6 L/100km (leads)

The Tank 500 dominates on outputs. Its petrol-hybrid makes 255kW and 648Nm and the plug-in hybrid 300kW and 750Nm, close to double the Prado's 150kW and 500Nm diesel. That translates to markedly stronger acceleration. The Prado's diesel is torquey and proven and better suited to steady towing than sprinting, but if outright power is the measure, the Tank 500 wins comfortably.

Based on Performance, we’d pick the GWM Tank 500.

Tech: GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado
GWM Tank 500	vsspecification	Toyota Prado
14.6″ (leads)	Touchscreen	12.3″
12″ (leads)	Digital Cluster	7″
Yes	Apple CarPlay	Yes
Yes	Wireless Apple CarPlay	Yes
Yes	Android Auto	Yes
Yes	Wireless Android Auto	Yes
Yes	Bluetooth	Yes
Yes	DAB+ Digital Radio	Yes
Yes	Built-In Navigation	Yes
Yes	Wireless Phone Charging	Yes
Yes	Head-Up Display	Yes
Yes	Heated Front Seats	Yes
Yes	Ventilated Front Seats	Yes
Yes	Heated Steering Wheel	Yes
Yes	Heated Mirrors	Yes
Yes	Rear Climate Control	Yes
Yes	Rear Air Vents	Yes
Yes	Push-Button Start	Yes
Yes	Keyless Entry	Yes
Yes	Auto-Folding Mirrors	Yes
Yes	Selectable Drive Modes	Yes
Yes	Ambient Lighting	Yes
Yes	Privacy Glass	Yes
Yes	Power Tailgate	Yes

The Tank 500 brings the bigger, flashier cabin, a 14.6-inch touchscreen to the Prado's 12.3 and a more generous standard-equipment list at the price. The Prado's system is more conservative but well sorted and backed by Toyota's proven software support. Reviewers note the Tank 500's screen can be busy to navigate. For sheer size and features per dollar, though, the GWM leads.

Based on Tech, we’d pick the GWM Tank 500.

Family: GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado
GWM Tank 500	vsspecification	Toyota Prado
7 (leads)	Seats	5
5	Doors	5
795 L	Boot Space	954 L (leads)
1,459 L	Boot (folded)	1,895 L (leads)
Yes	Rear Climate Control	Yes
Yes	Rear Air Vents	Yes
Yes	Privacy Glass	Yes

Both offer seven seats, the Tank 500 on its hybrids while its plug-in drops to five, and the choice splits on priorities. The Tank 500 brings more power, a bigger screen and more standard kit for less money. The Prado answers with proven durability, extra airbags, a five-seat option for boot space, and the resale that softens ownership costs. Features per dollar to the Tank 500; long-term peace of mind to the Prado.

A genuine tie.

Both cars handle familyequally well — this one’s a draw.

Storage: GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado
GWM Tank 500	vsspecification	Toyota Prado
795 L	Boot (seats up)	954 L (leads)
1,459 L	Boot (seats folded)	1,895 L (leads)
790 kg (leads)	Payload	605 kg
3,000 kg	Towing (braked)	3,500 kg (leads)
6,705 kg (leads)	GCM	6,600 kg
Yes	Roof Rails	Yes
Yes	Power Tailgate	Yes
No	Factory Towbar	No

Both fold their rear rows for serious cargo, but packaging separates them. The 250-series Prado drew criticism for a raised boot floor, a consequence of its mild-hybrid battery, which cuts into space behind a folded third row, though the five-seat GXL grade avoids it. Even so, the Prado holds more with its rear seats folded, 1,829 litres on the seven-seaters and 1,895 in the flat-floored five-seat GXL, to the Tank 500's 1,459. For maximum cargo the GXL is the pick, and the Tank 500 sits behind both.

Based on Storage, we’d pick the Toyota Prado.

Off-road: GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado
GWM Tank 500	vsspecification	Toyota Prado
220 mm (leads)	Ground Clearance	210 mm
800 mm (leads)	Wading Depth	700 mm
30°	Approach Angle	31° (leads)
24° (leads)	Departure Angle	17°
11.8 m (leads)	Turning Circle	12 m
3,000 kg	Towing (braked)	3,500 kg (leads)
Yes	Selectable Drive Modes	Yes
No	Factory Towbar	No

A genuine draw on paper. The two match almost exactly on the numbers, a 32-degree approach angle for the Prado to the Tank 500's 30 and near-identical ground clearance around 220mm, and both are proper body-on-frame 4WDs with low range. The difference is heritage: the Prado's outback record is proven over decades where the Tank 500's is promising but young. Capability looks even; the confidence a long way from help still favours the Toyota.

A genuine tie.

Both cars handle off-roadequally well — this one’s a draw.

Pick a priority above to see how the GWM Tank 500 and Toyota Prado stack up on what matters to you.

In the metal

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: design

GWM

The Tank 500 wears a bold, chrome-heavy face that borrows unmistakably from the big American SUVs it is priced well below, all upright grille and squared LED lights. It is the more ostentatious of the two, designed to look like a lot of truck for the money, and for many buyers that presence is a large part of the appeal at this price.

Toyota

The 250-series Prado's nose is retro-modern, a deliberate nod to the boxy 1990s LandCruisers with round or rectangular headlights depending on grade and a clean, upright grille. It looks more restrained and more expensive than its predecessor, and more classically Toyota than the flashier Tank. Where the GWM shouts, the Prado trades on heritage and the quiet confidence of the badge.

Images are illustrative and digitally rendered. They may not reflect the exact variant, colour or trim. Details →

Side by side

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: full specifications

GWMToyota

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: Performance
GWM Tank 500	Specification	Toyota Prado
Combined Petrol-Electric	Engine	2.8L Turbo Diesel
Petrol Hybrid	Powertrain	Diesel Mild Hybrid
2.0L	Displacement	2.8L
4	Cylinders	4
255	PowerkW	150
648	TorqueNm	500
9 Speed Automatic	Transmission	8-speed automatic with manual mode
4WD	Drivetrain	4WD

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: Dimensions & Practicality
GWM Tank 500	Specification	Toyota Prado
5078	Lengthmm	4990
1934	Widthmm	1980
1905	Heightmm	1935
2850	Wheelbasemm	2850
220	Ground Clearancemm	210
11.8	Turning Circlem	12
2605	Kerb Weightkg	2490
3395	Gross Vehicle Masskg	3100
795	Boot (seats up)L	954
1459	Boot (seats folded)L	1895
7	Seats	5
5	Doors	5
790	Payloadkg	605
6705	Gross Combined Masskg	6600
3000	Towing (braked)kg	3500
750	Towing (unbraked)kg	750
800	Wading Depthmm	700

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: Safety & Driver Assist
GWM Tank 500	Specification	Toyota Prado
6	Airbags	9
Yes	Autonomous Emergency Braking	Yes
Yes	Lane Keep Assist	Yes
Yes	Adaptive Cruise Control	Yes
Yes	Blind Spot Monitoring	Yes
Yes	Rear Cross-Traffic Alert	Yes
Yes	Pedestrian Detection	Yes
Yes	Driver Attention Monitor	Yes
Yes	Automatic High Beam	Yes
Yes	Reversing Camera	Yes
Yes	360° Camera	Yes
Yes	Parking Sensors (front)	Yes
Yes	Parking Sensors (rear)	Yes
Yes	Daytime Running Lights	Yes

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: Comfort & Tech
GWM Tank 500	Specification	Toyota Prado
14.6	Infotainment″	12.3
12	Digital Cluster″	7
Yes	Apple CarPlay	Yes
Yes	Android Auto	Yes
Yes	Bluetooth	Yes
Yes	Digital Radio	Yes
Yes	Built-in Navigation	Yes
Yes	Wireless Charging	Yes
Yes	Head-Up Display	Yes
Dual Zone Automatic Climate Control	Climate Control	3-zone climate control on GXL and above
Yes	Rear Climate Control	Yes
Yes	Heated Seats (front)	Yes
Yes	Ventilated Seats (front)	Yes
Yes	Heated Steering Wheel	Yes
None	Sunroof	None
Yes	Ambient Lighting	Yes
LED	Headlights	Not specified
Yes	Power Tailgate	Yes
Yes	Push-Button Start	Yes
Yes	Keyless Entry	Yes
Yes	Rain-Sensing Wipers	Yes

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: Ownership
GWM Tank 500	Specification	Toyota Prado
7	Warrantyyears	5
Unlimited	Warranty Distancekm	Unlimited
15000	Service Interval (distance)km	10000
12	Service Interval (time)months	6
400	Capped-Price Service CostAUD/visit	390
2000	5-Year Servicing CostAUD	3900

Towing

Which tows better, the GWM Tank 500 or the Toyota Prado?

The Toyota Prado tows 500 kg more than the GWM Tank 500. Hitched at their maximums, the GWM Tank 500 keeps 80 kg more payload.

GWMUltraToyotaAltitude

3,000 kg

Braked towing

3,500 kg

610 kg

Payload

580 kg

310 kg

Payload at max tow

230 kg

GVM

Limit that bites first

GVM

300 kg

Max ball weight

Not published

Trailer weight loaded (ATM) — 3,000 kg

Ball weight (kg)

Assuming 10 per cent of the trailer weight.

People and cargo (kg)

Two adults plus luggage is roughly 400 kg.

GWM Tank 500 Ultra

Over a limit. This combination does not comply.

Tow rating

0 kg under the 3,000 kg braked rating

Vehicle GVM

Over GVM by 90 kg. Lighten the load or the ball.

Combined GCM

210 kg spare across the whole combination

Tow ball limit

0 kg under the 300 kg ball limit

Toyota Prado Altitude

Over a limit. This combination does not comply.

Tow rating

500 kg under the 3,500 kg braked rating

Vehicle GVM

Over GVM by 120 kg. Lighten the load or the ball.

Combined GCM

690 kg spare across the whole combination

Tow ball limit

No published limit. Vans usually need 8 to 12 per cent of ATM on the ball.

Manufacturer maximums; the compliance plate of your exact vehicle governs. Ball weight assumed at 10 per cent where unpublished; kerb or payload calculated where the maker omits one. Check any car against your van with the towing calculator.

Editorial

The honest take on the GWM Tank 500 and Toyota Prado

On the GWM Tank 500

The Tank 500 was built to blast through the Prado fortress, and on the spec sheet it lands real blows. It undercuts the cheapest Prado while handing you nearly twice the power: a 255kW petrol-hybrid or a 300kW plug-in against the Toyota's 150kW diesel. It packs a bigger 14.6-inch screen to the Prado's 12.3, seven seats on the hybrid grades, a longer seven-year warranty to Toyota's five, and a standard-equipment list that reads richer for the money. It rides a proper body-on-frame chassis, matches the Prado almost exactly on approach angle and clearance, and carries a recent five-star ANCAP rating from 2024. Where it gives ground is the fundamentals a Prado buyer prizes. It tows 3,000kg braked to the Prado's 3,500, it carries six airbags to the Toyota's nine, and it wears a badge with no track record in the outback, where the Prado's proven reliability and strong resale are worth real money over years of ownership. Reviewers rate it a capable and generous package, tempered by an unproven brand. Buy the Tank 500 for the power, the equipment and the price, not if towing near the limit or long-term resale certainty sit at the top of your list. The value heavyweight.

On the Toyota Prado

The Prado does not win the spec battle, and it doesn't need to. Australia has trusted the nameplate for decades, and the new 250-series leans on exactly that: a proven 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, now with a 48V mild-hybrid, a 3,500kg tow rating that beats the Tank's 3000, and the resale and reliability record no newcomer can yet claim. It carries nine airbags to the Tank 500's six behind the same recent five-star 2024 rating, and its dealer and parts network reaches the remote corners where these trucks earn their keep. It is, by a wide margin, the more familiar sight on an outback track, and its off-road hardware and touring pedigree are proven where the Tank's are still only promising. The costs are power and price. Its 150kW diesel is down heavily on the Tank's hybrid outputs, its 12.3-inch screen is smaller, its warranty runs five years to GWM's seven, and it opens above the Tank 500 and climbs past $109,000 in Kakadu trim in 2026. The 250-series also drew criticism for a raised boot floor that eats into cargo space. Buy the Prado for the towing, the resale and the near-certainty that it will still be worth something, and running, in ten years, not if outright power or value for money is what moves you. The safe bet, again.

By Yuri Cartland, Editor

Opinions are our own.

Common questions

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: what people ask

The Tank 500 is clearly the cheaper way in. As of mid-2026 it runs from the mid-$70,000s driveaway, undercutting the Prado, whose entry GX opens around $79,000 driveaway and climbs past $109,000 for the Kakadu. Both are quoted driveaway, so the comparison is like for like. For that lower price the Tank 500 also throws in more power, a bigger screen, seven seats and a longer warranty, which is the heart of its value pitch. The Prado's answer is not a lower sticker but lower long-term cost through stronger resale, which narrows the gap over years rather than at the dealer.

The Tank 500 wins outright. Its petrol-hybrid makes 255kW and 648Nm, and the plug-in hybrid pushes to 300kW and 750Nm, against the Prado's 150kW and 500Nm from its 2.8-litre turbo-diesel. On paper that is close to twice the power, and it shows in how much more urgently the Tank 500 accelerates. The Prado's diesel is torquey, proven and well suited to towing and touring, and outright power is not what most Prado buyers are shopping for. But if straight-line performance matters, the Tank 500 is comfortably the stronger of the two.

The Prado has the towing edge that counts for this class. It is rated to 3500kg braked, the outback benchmark, while the Tank 500 tops out at 3000kg. For a caravan or big boat near the upper limit, that 500kg is the difference between legal and not, and it is a genuine reason serious towers stay with the Toyota. The Tank 500 still pulls a substantial trailer and has the power to do it easily, but it is the wrong pick if you regularly tow heavy. The Prado's proven diesel and touring range only reinforce it here.

This one is close. Both the Tank 500 and the 250-series Prado hold a five-star ANCAP rating dated 2024, so on rating recency they are even, and both scored 85 per cent for adult occupant protection. The separation is hardware: the Prado carries nine airbags to the Tank 500's six, and Toyota's longer safety-engineering record is part of what the badge buys. Both include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring as standard. Neither is unsafe, and both are current five-star cars, but on the detail the Prado has the edge.

The Prado is the safer long-term bet, and Australian reviews are consistent on why. Toyota's decades-long reliability record and the Prado's strong resale are proven, where GWM is a newer brand whose long-term durability and residual values are not yet established locally. That is a track-record and resale gap rather than any documented failure, and reviewers rate the Tank 500 a genuinely capable vehicle. But for a buyer keeping a truck for a decade or trading it in a few years, the Prado's certainty is worth real money, and it is the single strongest card the Toyota holds against the cheaper, more powerful Tank.

Fuel use is closer than the power gap suggests. The Prado's diesel claims 7.6L/100km, a little thriftier than the Tank 500 hybrid's 8.4, so on a straight petrol-hybrid-versus-diesel basis the Toyota edges it. The Tank 500 plug-in hybrid changes the maths entirely: charge it regularly and short trips run on electricity for a claimed 2.1L/100km, but leave it flat and it drinks like any heavy petrol SUV. So a diesel Prado is the safer bet for consistent long-distance economy, while a plugged-in Tank 500 PHEV can be cheaper around town.

The seat count splits by drivetrain and grade. The Tank 500's hybrid grades seat seven, but the plug-in hybrid drops to five, its battery taking the third-row space. The Prado seats seven on most grades, with a dedicated five-seat GXL option for buyers who would rather have the extra boot space than the third row. Both fold their rear rows for cargo, though the 250-series Prado drew criticism for a raised boot floor, a consequence of packaging its mild-hybrid battery, which eats into load space with the third row folded. Even with that caveat the Prado holds more folded than the Tank 500's 1,459 litres, 1,829 on the seven-seaters and 1,895 in the flat-floored five-seat GXL, so maximum cargo is the Prado's advantage rather than the Tank's.

It is a genuine alternative, and that is new for the class. The Tank 500 matches the Prado's brief as a seven-seat body-on-frame family 4WD, then beats it on power, equipment, warranty and price, which is why Australian reviewers treat it as a real challenger rather than a curiosity. What it cannot yet match is the Prado's 3500kg tow rating, its airbag count, and above all the proven reliability and resale that come from decades in the Australian outback. Buyers led by the head and the budget will find the Tank 500 compelling; buyers who value certainty above all still have their answer in the Prado.

How they protect

How safe are the GWM Tank 500 and the Toyota Prado?

GWM

GWM Tank 500

ANCAP · Tested 2024

Adult Occupant85%

Child Occupant93%

Pedestrian81%

Safety Assist74%

Toyota

Toyota Prado

ANCAP · Tested 2024

Adult Occupant85%

Child Occupant89%

Pedestrian84%

Safety Assist82%

The verdict

Which is better: the GWM Tank 500 or the Toyota Prado?

Pick the Tank 500 if

Power, standard equipment and value matter more to you than a badge with a long history, and you want the most performance, screen and kit for the least money. Seven-seat hybrid grades and the seven-year warranty appeal, you rarely tow near the 3,000kg limit, and you are comfortable being an early adopter of a Chinese brand still building its reputation in Australia.

Explore the Tank 500

Pick the Prado if

Towing to 3,500kg, proven durability and resale that holds outweigh outright power and a cheaper sticker. You plan to keep the truck for years and take it a long way from a dealer, you want the deeper airbag count and the Toyota network behind you, and you accept paying more for less power to have the vehicle Australia already trusts.

Explore the Prado

Keep exploring

People also compared.

7-seat 4WD

Everest vs Prado

Ford · Toyota

Large 4WD

LandCruiser 300 vs Prado

Toyota · Toyota

Large 4WD

Defender vs Prado

Land Rover · Toyota

What matters most: GWM Tank 500 or Toyota Prado?

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: design

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: full specifications

Performance

Efficiency

Dimensions & Practicality

Safety & Driver Assist

Comfort & Tech

Wheels & Tyres

Ownership

Which tows better, the GWM Tank 500 or the Toyota Prado?

The honest take on the GWM Tank 500 and Toyota Prado

GWM Tank 500 vs Toyota Prado: what people ask