Quoting the Ministry of Industry of China, AutoHome.cn reports that the SUV known on the local market as Tank 500 will be a PHEV based on a 2.0-liter engine producing 252 PS. Back in August, the automaker arrived at the Chengdu Motor Show with a number of hybrid powertrains it designed, including this one. The power was announced as 244 PS, but the company has apparently found a way to increase it.
Assisted by an electric motor, the system
pumps out a combined 420 PS and 750 Nm of torque.
A nine-speed automatic transmission drives the wheels. The battery is rather
modest at 19.94 kilowatt-hours of capacity and 45 km of all-electric
range. You can charge it from external sources.
In terms of size, the part-electric Tank
500 is identical to its gas-powered counterpart. Where things get different is
the weight: the electric system adds 175 kg of bulk for a total of 2,675
kilograms, or roughly 5,900 pounds.
Going forward, Tank may begin equipping
its SUVs with a high-end hybrid system based on a 3.0-liter turbo V6 engine.
This system was lauded by the media in China as one of the country’s most
technologically advanced powertrains. Its output is estimated at 520 PS, achievable thanks to a 48V starter-generator assisting the main
engine.
