Tank 300 Hook Road Officially Launched at RMB 250,000: A Factory-Built Off-Road Machine with Dual Solid Axles
Front and Rear Solid Axles
The standard Tank 300 is already a body-on-frame SUV designed to balance daily commuting, long-distance travel and off-road driving.
The Hook Road takes the platform further toward rock crawling, extreme off-roading and technical terrain.
The biggest change is the adoption of solid axles at both the front and rear. This configuration can provide greater suspension articulation and better wheel contact when driving over uneven terrain.
When one wheel climbs over a rock or another obstacle, the opposite wheel can maintain greater downward travel. This helps reduce wheel lift in situations such as cross-axle terrain, deep ruts and large potholes.
The solid-axle structure is also relatively straightforward and is well suited to repeated impacts and further off-road modifications.
Semi-Active Stabilizer Bar
One challenge with solid axles is that they can affect on-road handling and body roll.
To address this, the Tank 300 Hook Road is equipped with a semi-active stabilizer bar. The driver can control the stabilizer bar from inside the vehicle.
During normal road driving, the stabilizer bar remains connected to increase body stiffness and reduce lateral movement.
When the vehicle enters difficult off-road terrain, the stabilizer bar can be disconnected, allowing the left and right wheels to move through a larger range of suspension travel.
According to the official specifications, the vehicle is designed to handle deep potholes exceeding 500 mm and slopes with up to 30 degrees of lateral inclination.
This system also eliminates the need for the driver to get out of the vehicle and manually disconnect the stabilizer bar, making repeated off-road obstacles easier to handle.
Larger Body and Improved Off-Road Geometry
The Tank 300 Hook Road measures:
- Length: 4,886 mm
- Width: 1,984 mm
- Height: 1,960 mm
- Wheelbase: 3,010 mm
Compared with the standard Tank 300, the Hook Road has a longer and wider body as well as a longer wheelbase.
More importantly, its chassis geometry has been specifically optimized for off-road use.
The vehicle offers:
- Approach angle: 41°
- Departure angle: 34°
- Minimum ground clearance: 245 mm
- Maximum gradeability: 70%
- Maximum wading depth: 850 mm
The combination of increased ground clearance, large approach and departure angles, solid axles and extensive suspension articulation gives the Hook Road a much stronger focus on difficult terrain.
Factory-Fitted High-Mounted Air Intake
The Tank 300 Hook Road comes with a factory-installed high-mounted air intake snorkel.
By raising the engine air intake, the snorkel can reduce the risk of water and dust entering the intake system when driving through deep water, sand or muddy terrain.
The official maximum wading depth is 850 mm.
However, this does not mean the vehicle can enter deep water without preparation. Water depth, current speed, road conditions and vehicle sealing should still be carefully assessed before attempting deep-water crossings.
MTS All-Terrain Control System
The Hook Road is also equipped with the MTS all-terrain control system, offering 10 driving modes.
The system can adjust parameters including engine output, transmission shifting, four-wheel-drive operation and electronic traction-control strategies according to different terrain conditions.
For experienced off-road drivers, the different modes provide quick access to preset vehicle settings. For drivers with less off-road experience, the system can also reduce the complexity of manually adjusting multiple vehicle systems.
2.0T Turbocharged Engine and 9AT
Despite its more extreme chassis configuration, the Tank 300 Hook Road does not switch to a larger-displacement engine.
It continues to use a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine producing:
- Maximum power: 170 kW
- Peak torque: 400 Nm
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
For serious low-speed off-road driving, maximum horsepower is not necessarily the only important factor. Torque delivery, transmission control and four-wheel-drive performance are also critical.
The Hook Road therefore focuses on delivering usable torque and precise power management at low speeds.
Three Differential Locks
The four-wheel-drive system uses a mechanical 4WD configuration combined with three differential locks.
The three locks include:
- Center differential lock
- Front differential lock
- Rear differential lock
The center lock helps connect the front and rear axles, while the front and rear differential locks can lock the speed difference between the left and right wheels.
When the vehicle encounters cross-axle conditions or loses traction on one side, the differential locks help transfer power to wheels that still have sufficient grip.
This is particularly useful for rock crawling, deep ruts, steep climbs and uneven off-road terrain.
Reinforced Steering System
Replacing the front independent suspension with a solid axle also requires changes to the steering system.
The Tank 300 Hook Road uses an electro-hydraulic power steering system and features reinforced components in key load-bearing areas.
As a result, steering feedback, return characteristics and road-driving behavior may differ noticeably from those of the standard Tank 300.
A Factory-Built Extreme Off-Road Version
One of the biggest advantages of the Hook Road is that the solid-axle chassis, four-wheel-drive system and water-wading equipment are all integrated into the vehicle during factory production.
Compared with purchasing a standard Tank 300 and subsequently carrying out a solid-axle conversion, the factory-built solution means that the chassis structure, electronic systems, component matching and vehicle certification are developed as one complete package.
However, the solid-axle configuration also brings certain compromises.
The increased unsprung mass and aggressive off-road tires can affect road noise, fuel consumption, ride comfort and steering behavior.
Therefore, the Hook Road is clearly different from a conventional urban-oriented SUV.
RMB 250,000 and Limited to 300 Units
The Tank 300 Hook Road is priced at RMB 250,000, and the first release is limited to 300 units.
