Jakarta – GWM has put its diesel technology through one of its most demanding tests yet by entering two TANK 300 Diesel vehicles in the Asia Cross Country Rally 2026. After tackling more than 2,000 kilometers of difficult rally terrain, both vehicles completed all six legs of the competition and reached the finish.
The Asia Cross Country Rally, or AXCR, is widely known for pushing vehicles and crews through changing conditions and punishing terrain. For GWM, the 2026 event was not simply about chasing an overall victory, but about testing the durability, engineering and performance of a diesel powertrain in real-world motorsport conditions.
Both cars were entered by the GWM Ek Group Racing Team. Car No. 114, driven by Olan Sornsirirat with navigator Somkiat Noychat, finished 12th overall and fourth in the T2A-D class, while Car No. 128, driven by Thovald Thovaldsen with navigator Chapphawit Junlasantirat, completed the rally in 15th overall and sixth in its class.
More Than 2,000 km of Extreme Rallying
Completing an event such as AXCR is an achievement in itself. The rally presents competitors with long distances, changing surfaces and unpredictable conditions that place constant pressure on engines, transmissions, chassis and other mechanical components.
The two GWM TANK 300 Diesel rally vehicles successfully completed all six legs, allowing the team to bring both entries across the finish line. That result gave GWM valuable data from a competition environment far more demanding than normal everyday driving.
According to Wayne Zhou, Managing Director of GWM Thailand, the rally represented an important milestone for the brand’s involvement in international motorsport.
“This is not just about competition or ranking, but an opportunity to test our technology, engineering and product durability in real-world conditions that are harsh, unpredictable and constantly changing,” Zhou said.
For an automaker increasingly expanding its range of powertrain options, AXCR provided a particularly demanding environment to evaluate the capabilities of its diesel technology.
A Production-Based SUV Tested Under T2 Rules
One of the most interesting aspects of the TANK 300 Diesel’s AXCR campaign is its connection to the production vehicle.
The rally car was developed from the mass-produced TANK 300 Diesel before receiving modifications required to comply with FIA safety standards and T2 regulations. The T2 category is designed to keep competing vehicles relatively close to their production-based foundations.
That means the rally is capable of testing more than just a purpose-built racing machine. It can also provide a demanding examination of the vehicle’s underlying engineering, including its chassis structure, powertrain and overall durability.
GWM said the experience gained from the competition will be used to support future improvements in product quality, reliability and durability.
The result also supports the company’s strategy of using motorsport as an extreme testing environment. Rally conditions can expose weaknesses that may not appear during conventional road use, particularly when vehicles are subjected to sustained loads and changing terrain over long distances.
Diesel Power Takes Center Stage
At the center of GWM’s AXCR effort was the TANK 300 Diesel powertrain.
The company’s diesel technology is based on more than two decades of development experience, with a focus on combining performance, durability and efficiency. For the Thailand market, GWM introduced its diesel lineup in 2025, starting with the TANK 300.
GWM now offers three major diesel-powered models in Thailand: the TANK 300 Diesel, TANK 500 Diesel and POER SAHAR Diesel.
All three use a 2.4-liter diesel engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain features a 2,000-bar high-pressure common-rail direct injection system and an intelligent variable geometry turbocharger designed to deliver responsive performance from lower engine speeds.
GWM has also revised the engine’s combustion and lubrication systems as part of its approach to durability and long-term operation.
The AXCR campaign pushed that engineering philosophy into a far more extreme environment than normal customer use. Long-distance rally competition places sustained demands on a vehicle’s mechanical systems, making reliability just as important as outright performance.
Motorsport as a Real-World Development Tool
Automakers have long used motorsport as a testing ground for new technology, and GWM’s AXCR program follows a similar approach.
A rally of this scale allows engineers to collect information under extreme conditions that are difficult to replicate through standard testing alone. Heat, terrain, vibration and extended mechanical loads can provide valuable feedback for future development.
For GWM, the successful completion of all six legs by both TANK 300 Diesel entries is therefore significant beyond their final positions.
Car No. 114’s 12th-place overall result and fourth position in the T2A-D class was the stronger of the two finishes. Meanwhile, Car No. 128 reached the finish in 15th overall and sixth in the same class.
Neither result put GWM on the overall podium, but both cars completing the entire event demonstrated the team’s ability to keep the vehicles running through more than 2,000 km of demanding competition.
GWM Looks to Build on the AXCR Experience
The Asia Cross Country Rally 2026 marked another step in GWM’s broader push to demonstrate its capabilities across different powertrain technologies.
The company has promoted an “All Scenarios, All Powertrains, All Users” approach, offering different vehicle and powertrain options for different markets and customer needs. The AXCR campaign placed the diesel side of that strategy under a particularly intense spotlight.
GWM is also backing the long-term durability of the TANK 300 Diesel in Thailand with an engine warranty covering up to 1,000,000 km or eight years, whichever comes first.
That warranty reflects the company’s confidence in the powertrain, while the AXCR program offered a separate demonstration of how the technology could perform in extreme competition conditions.
The 2026 rally showed that GWM’s diesel SUV could survive one of Asia’s most challenging off-road motorsport events. With both TANK 300 Diesel entries completing every leg and reaching the finish, the company now has real competition data to support further development of its diesel technology.
For GWM, the final result in AXCR 2026 was not only measured by finishing positions. It was also a test of whether a production-based diesel SUV could endure thousands of kilometers of difficult terrain — and both cars made it to the end.