The hybrid is indeed more economical than the gasoline version, but it also does not fit into the consumption range of less than 10 l/100 km
In the YouTube channel «Behind the wheel» A test of the Tank 500 Urban SUV has appeared. This new product has just begun to be issued to the first customers, so the review will be useful for everyone who is looking at this car.
The most important question that many asked after the announcement of the hybrid – how much fuel it will consume. And the expert «Behind the wheel» gave the answer to it: 10 l/100 km or a little more. This is, of course, less than the consumption of a regular gasoline Tank 500, but still more than the stated value of 8.5 l/100 km.
But the Tank 500 Urban turned out to have many differences from the regular gasoline version. So, this SUV has its own original radiator grille and its own wheels. Due to the fact that the traction battery is installed in the spare wheel well, the wheel itself had to be moved to the rear door. This led to other changes: the Tank 500 Urban has a different placement of the license plate and rear view camera from the petrol version. The rear door release handle is also different.
The trunk with the third row backrests folded down is quite small – 98 liters, but the third row backrests fold electrically into a flat floor. The second row seats have a simplified armrest and no massage function, but now have longitudinal adjustment.
The third row seats are not bad: but the landing is “grasshopper” makes it difficult to stay in these places for a long time. The third row has its own ventilation deflectors, cup holders and an additional courtesy light.
The equipment of the Tank 500 Urban is the same as that of the top-end petrol version Premium. All-wheel drive – with Eaton front and rear differential locks, BorgWarner transfer case, and off-road cruise control.
The infotainment system menu has a new item called «Energy Management», it is complemented by graphics of the hybrid system on the instrument panel.
On the move, the Tank 500 Urban turned out to be not as smooth as the Land Cruiser 300 (especially on small bumps). Columnist «Behind the Wheel» I also noted a delay in the engine response when pressing the gas pedal, which is especially annoying when parking in several steps.
At the same time, the Tank 500 Urban turned out to be more dynamic than the regular gasoline version: it takes less than 8 seconds to accelerate to 100 km/h. Better dynamics are achieved through the use of an electric motor and greater torque (616 N·m).