The 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra is a very cool-looking five-seater 4WD. For families looking for a seven-seater, there's its big sister, the Tank 500. Let's see how the Tank 300 fares as a BabyDrive and put it through our family car testing with child seats and Thule prams.
BabyDrive Verdict
This five-seat off-roader is available in three variants. The bottom-spec Lux starts at $46,990. The mid-spec Ultra I am driving costs around $50,990, and the top-spec Hybrid $55,990.
The GWM Tank 300 Ultra looks cool! It is very Jeep-esque, and the mid-spec Tank Ultra is $25,000 cheaper than its competitor, the Jeep Wrangler.
The styling inside the Tank 300 is not as rugged and basic as I had expected. It is full of the modern technology you come to expect from new Chinese cars and some of the decor reminds me of a Mercedes GLB or Kia Stinger.
There are some nut-and-bolt-like elements throughout the Tank 300, just like a Jeep, and storage is good in both rows of seats. Refillable water bottles will fit in the rear doors.
… and two central cup holders will hold a reusable coffee cup or kids' drink cup.
A phone storage in the back of the central console box and sockets for rear passengers to charge devices.
In the front, the central console provides good storage and can be cooled using a vent inside. With cup holders and a storage box.
A wireless phone charging pad…
… and a practical-size glove box.
Storage in the GWM Tank 300 Ultra's boot is practical for families. The boot floor is nice and flat for an emergency nappy change and comfortable for a medium-sized dog to travel in.
On the right-hand side of the boot is a household plug socket, bag hook and 12V socket.
When empty, the Tank 300's boot holds eleven shopping bags, just one more than the Mahindra Scorpio, which holds ten.
When using all three rows of seats, the Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…
…will fit in the GWM Tank 300 boot with two shopping bags.
The Thule Urban Glide 2 single is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…
… with one of the back wheels removed, it will fit in the 2024 Tank 300 boot with one shopping bag.
The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…
… fits in the boot of the GWM Tank 300 with six shopping bags.
You can also fit two 90L Thule Chasm duffle bags in the boot of the Tank 300 Ultra.
When it comes to installing child seats in the 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra…
… there are ISOFix points in both outer second-row seats. They are within plastic guides, and they are nice and easy to connect to.
All three second-row seatbacks have top tether anchorages, which are clearly labelled, within plastic guides, and easily located through the boot.
Three child seats fit really well across the second row of the 2024 Tank 300. Combinations of two forward-facing and a rear-facing child seat fit well.
With a forward-facing child seat in the second row, we could fit a 186cm driver in front. Or, with a forward-facing child seat in the second row, we could fit a 180cm driver in front.
Your rear passengers are kept comfortable with air conditioning vents in the back of the central console box.
The media system in the Tank 300 is nice and modern to use.
You adjust the climate easily on the right on the screen. I'd prefer old-fashioned buttons and dials but this isn't too bad.
You can turn your seat ventilation on and off through the media screen for both front seats and change the vehicle settings for the lights too.
In the driving and intelligent driving screens, you can turn the driver assist settings on and off.
You can check your individual tyre pressure and temperature, which is helpful when driving off-road in the GWM Tank 300.
The GWM Tank 300 has Apple CarPlay, so you can access your phone's navigation, listening and messaging apps while driving.
When you put it in reverse the camera images are excellent and clear.
With a 360-degree camera, you have great visibility in car parks around children.
The 2024 GWM Tank 300 is great fun to drive. You have a nice high seating position and good visibility. It is very capable of driving off-road and even has an underfloor camera for spotting obstacles when you are driving over tough terrain. A 2.5-tonne towing capacity means it's suitable for families who want to tow a camper trailer or small caravan can.
Dual frontal, side head-protecting (curtain), and front row side airbags are standard. A centre airbag to prevent occupant-to-occupant interaction is also fitted as standard.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the 2024 GWM Tank 300?
Storage in the GWM Tank 300 Ultra's boot is practical for families. The boot floor is nice and flat for an emergency nappy change and comfortable for a medium-sized dog to travel in.
On the right-hand side of the boot is a household plug socket, bag hook and 12V socket.
When empty, the GWM Tank 300's boot holds eleven shopping bags, just one more than the Mahindra Scorpio, which holds ten.
When using all three rows of seats, the Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…
…will fit in the GWM Tank 300 boot with two shopping bags.
The Thule Urban Glide 2 single is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…
… with one of the back wheels removed, it will fit in the 2024 Tank 300 boot with one shopping bag.
The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…
… fits in the boot of the GWM Tank 300 with six shopping bags.
You can also fit two 90L Thule Chasm duffle bags in the boot of the Tank 300 Ultra.
How good is storage in the 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra?
In the front of the 2024 GWM Tank 300, the central console provides great storage.
Underneath the armrest, two cup holders in the central console hold reusable or disposable coffee cups…
… above them a little tray slides back and forth and behind them is a generous storage box that you can chill by sliding the vent up or down.
In front of the gears is a wireless phone charging pad and USB, USB-C and 12V sockets.
The glove box is a generous size and fits my wallet and iPad.
My the driver's right knee there are a couple of little coin drawers…
… that if I owned it, my kids would quickly fill up with little gifts!
There is a glasses case in the ceiling that is lined so you won't scratch your lenses.
The front door bins will hold a refillable water bottle, and an iPad and wallet can fit in there, too.
Rear passengers have great storage in the GWM Tank 300. There are two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seat back. Coffee cups and kid's drink cups fit well.
There are solid map pockets on the back of both front seats. They will hold and conceal an iPad, and in the back of the central console is a phone storage space and there are two charging sockets and a little well for phones or other small items.
Rear door bins will hold a refillable water bottle.
On the inside of the rear door are two bag hooks, which are super handy, and a storage net.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2024 GWM Tank 300, and how easy is the media screen to use?
The GWM Tank 300 is not a particularly noisy vehicle to drive. It's either a petrol or a hybrid, so smoother than the usual diesel engines found in four-wheel drives.
The media system in the GWM Tank 300 is nice and modern to use.
You adjust the climate easily on the right on the screen (not quite as simple as buttons and dials but not bad for a screen operated system).
You can turn your seat ventilation on and off through the media screen for both front seats and change the vehicle settings for the lights too.
In the driving and intelligent driving screens, you can turn the driver assist settings on and off.
You can check your individual tyre pressure and temperature, which is helpful when driving off-road in the GWM Tank 300.
The GWM Tank 300 has Apple CarPlay, so you can access your phone's listening, navigation and messaging apps while driving.
When you put it in reverse the camera images are excellent and clear.
With a 360-degree camera, you have great visibility in car parks around children.
The GWM Tank 300's indicator sound was not too loud, so it did not disturb my kids while they were sleeping in the back.
The windows and doors in the Tank 300 are not too loud or noisy to open and close, and they do not baby-wake!
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child/baby seats can you fit in the 2024 GWM Tank 300?
When it comes to installing child seats in the 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra…
… there are ISOFix points in both outer second-row seats. They are within plastic guides and are nice and easy to connect to.
All three second-row seatbacks have top tether anchorages, which are clearly labelled, within plastic guides, and easily located through the boot.
Three child seats fit really well across the second row of the 2024 Tank 300. The combination of two forward-facing and a rear-facing child seat fits well.
With a forward-facing child seat in the second row, we could fit a 186cm driver or passenger in front. Or, with a forward-facing child seat in the second row, we could fit a 180cm driver in front.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra?
Your rear passengers are kept comfortable with air conditioning vents in the back of the central console box.
You can control the climate from the front media screen.
The rear seats are comfortable for passengers not in child seats, with good legroom.
The upholstery is grey with cream contrast stitching and piping, so it will be relatively easy to keep clean. The front seats are equally as comfortable as the rear seats, and you sit nice and high, so you get good visibility out too.
There are four circular air-conditioning vents across the front of the dashboard, two below the media screen and one at each end of the dashboard.
Visibility is great in the Tank 300. Even with three child seats installed in the back, I could see a little over the top of them and out of the rear side windows.
There are excellent cameras in the Tank 300 to help with visibility too.
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually, I dread parking in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Tank 300 was easy to reverse park!
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2024 GWM Tank 300 Ultra?
The GWM Tank 300 has been given a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 89% for child occupancy protection and 88% for adult occupancy protection.
Of the child occupancy testing, ANCAP wrote:
In the frontal offset test and side impact tests, protection of the 10 year dummy and of the 6 year dummy was GOOD for all critical body regions. The GWM Tank 300 scored the maximum possible points in each of these tests. The GWM Tank 300 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on rear outboard seats of the second row. Top tether anchorages are available on all seats in the second row. Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, however the Type E booster seat could not be correctly installed in the centre rear position.
Seven airbags are standard:
Dual frontal, side head-protecting (curtain), and front row side airbags are standard. A centre airbag to prevent occupant-to-occupant interaction is also fitted as standard.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!
Share on
About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
Be the first to comment