Stickered R100 shy of the R1m mark, the flagship bakkie in the Great Wall Motors (GWM) portfolio, the P500 HEV (hybrid electric vehicle), is never going to be a volume seller.

According to The Citizen, like all the top-of-the-range models in its rival stables, this P500 is the flagbearer of the GWM bakkie stable. And it wears the badge with the same distinction as the Toyota Hilux GR-Sport, Ford Ranger Raptor, Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, Nissan Navara Pro-4X or VW Amarok Adventura or PanAmericana.

Flagship presence

Measuring almost 5.5m in length and 2m in width, the P500 made an immediate statement upon its arrival in 2024. Slotting in above the P-Series, which has become the P300 since, the P500 made a splash with its hybrid powertrain, bakkie-firsts such as a sunroof and a clever double-action tailgate.

But like its Tank 500 sibling, the P500 had one problem. Its exuberant amount of chrome touches. Chrome in general is not everyone’s cup of tea. Even less in the cutthroat bakkie segment for a Chinese product on which the jury is still out on whether it can hold its place among the proven regulars.

Black package makeover

But thankfully sanity prevailed and GWM, less than a year after the P500’s arrival, introduced a black appearance package. At no additional cost. The powertrain, the interior, the technology on offer and everything else stays unchanged, yet the black suit gives the bakkie a lot more impetus. And eliminates any chance of it being ridiculed on its looks by the hardcore bakkie communities.

The chrome grille, alloy wheels and roof rails have all received the black treatment, along with the door handles and side mirrors, which were clad in body colour before. Smoke glass head- and taillight clusters further enhance the look.

Premium cabin and tech

The black theme continues inside with the plush black Nappa leather trim complemented by piano black, grey veneer and brushed alloy touches.

A 14.6-inch infotainment system with 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system takes centre stage in a cabin packed to the rafters with features. These include a sunroof, front and rear wireless charger, electric, heated, ventilated and massaging front seats and heated and cooled rear seats with power adjustment.

Safety comes in the form of a comprehensive set of advanced driver assist systems like lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control and a rear cross-traffic warning system.

Hybrid power and performance

The GWM P500 features the same self-charging hybrid powertrain as the Tank 500. A 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is hooked up to a battery and electric motor which sends 255kW of power and 648Nm of torque to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Its off-roading credentials include the likes of selectable low range and front and rear diff locks.

Tipping the scales at 2 575kg, the GWM P500 HEV is a bit on the heavy side, but it nonetheless recorded an impressive 0 to 100km/h sprint time of 7.76 seconds during our high-performance test in 2024. At the time of testing it was the second fastest bakkie in Mzansi after the Raptor (6.90 seconds), but other new energy offerings in the BYD Shark (5.66) and Changan Hunter REEV (7.37) have now also supplanted it on our time sheets.

Our fuel consumption worked out a rather heavy 14 litres per 100km, which is kind of par for the course considering it is a heavy performance bakkie.

The GWM P500, which already offered power, premium touches and tech, now sports the right kind of looks to be taken more seriously than the chrome mobile. Even at one bar, it offers the kind of value the top products in the heritage stables can only dream of. And isn’t that just the aspirational quality a flagship product is supposed to have?