Tank 400 patented in China with a diesel engine

Chinese carmaker Tank will be expanding its 400 SUV lineup with a new diesel model, Car News China reports quoting data from the Industry of Ministry database. The only Tank 400 on sale right now is a hybrid.

The new version utilizes a 2.4-liter diesel block rated at 186 PS (183 hp / 137 kW). The rest of the specifications are pending. Great Wall, the corporation that owns the Tank brand, puts a diesel engine with the same volume and output into the Haval H9, where it connects to a nine-speed automatic transmission and produces 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque. It is likely that the Tank 400 will get the same or similar configuration.

Switching from a hybrid to a diesel powertrain mostly hasn’t affected the size of the SUV, but the weight went down from 2,770 to just 2,455 kilograms (from 6,107 to 5,412 pounds). The company submitted the patent application along with a picture showing four different 18-inch wheel designs.

The Tank 400 Hi4-T that’s currently on sale in China (see video) starts from 285,800 Yuan. The diesel version is expected to cost a fair bit less than that. Just when it may get released is unknown, though.