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The badgework for Great Wall Motors’ Cannon range is a confusing mix of the GWM acronym used in export markets and the letter 'P' displayed on the grille and other places which symbolises its domestic brand name Poer.
However, there’s clearly no confusion for Aussie buyers looking for a well-equipped ute at a super low price, judging by local sales. According to the latest 2022 industry figures, the Cannon range has clocked up more than 5,000 sales in the nine months to September. That represents 3.7 per cent of the 4x4 ute market, which is a larger share than Chinese rival LDV (2.5 per cent) and not far behind mainstream rivals like the Nissan Navara (5.0 per cent) and Mazda BT-50 (5.5 per cent).
We recently spent a week in the top-shelf model of the Cannon range to see why this ute is winning friends and assess its suitability for the dual roles of weekday tradie workhorse and weekend escape machine.
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GWM UTE 2023: Cannon-X (4X4)
| Engine Type | Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 9.4L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $36,410 - $43,340 |
| Safety Rating |
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Price and Features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?
Our test vehicle is the Cannon X which is the premium variant in GWM’s three-tiered range which includes entry-level Cannon and mid-grade Cannon L. The X shares the same 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and German ZF-designed eight-speed automatic as its siblings, for a list of $45,490 Plus ORCs.
The optional Pittsburgh Silver prestige paint on our example adds another $595. Even so, the Cannon X represents knock-out value for money when compared with more mainstream (non-Chinese or Korean) competitors. For example, the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo Wildtrak in the new Ford Ranger line-up is $67,190, Nissan’s Pro-4X Warrior is $69,990 and Toyota’s latest Rogue HiLux flagship is $70,200.
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So, if your jaw doesn’t drop at such a huge saving in purchase price, it will probably hit the floor when you discover how much standard equipment you get. Externally, in addition to its 18-inch alloys and 265/60R18 Cooper tyres with a full-size spare, there’s body-coloured bumpers with contrasting chrome grille, door handles and mirrors, LED headlights and DRLs, roof rails, side steps, polished stainless-steel sports bar, spray-in tub-liner, easy-lift tailgate with pull-out cargo step, rear diff lock, reversing and kerbside cameras, front and rear parking sensors, fog lamps with auto steering function, rear privacy glass and more.
Inside, the Cannon X adds keyless entry and push-button start, leather-trimmed upholstery with the front seats power-adjustable and heated. There’s also a leather-wrapped steering wheel equipped with paddle shifters for manual operation, the choice of three power-assist modes that adjust steering feel, plus tyre pressure monitoring and more.
Dual-zone climate control includes rear passenger vents and there’s a 360-degree camera, electric anti-glare rear-view mirror, wireless phone-charging, 12-volt/220-volt power outlets and multimedia system with 9.0-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and three USB ports. Yep, she’s fully loaded.
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Design – is there anything interesting about its design?
The Cannon’s body-on-ladder-frame construction and lengthy 3230mm wheelbase results in a large and imposing vehicle that’s similar in key dimensions to a Ford Ranger 4x4 dual cab ute. It rides on twin-wishbone coil-spring front suspension and a leaf-spring live rear axle, with four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering. Unladen off-road credentials include 232mm of ground clearance and 27 degrees approach, 21.1 degrees ramp breakover and 25 degrees departure angles.
The interior exudes luxury with the high-quality look and feel of leather upholstery, with the seat facings and upper door trims finished in a classy diamond-quilted pattern. There’s also a tasteful mix of different surface treatments throughout the cabin including chrome, satin chrome and faux carbon fibre.
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Generous overall dimensions ensure a roomy interior, with passenger-assist handles on the A and B pillars. Rear seating is also unusually spacious for a dual cab, with wide entry pathways and ample knee and headroom when seated, even for tall adults with the driver’s seat in a tall adult’s position.
The only negative for adult-sized rear passengers is the central seating position which requires a two-stage, two-buckle process to fasten the lap-sash seatbelt. When both buckles are clicked in, the central passenger’s backside is skewered on either side by these buckles, which is very uncomfortable and a design oversight that should be fixed.
Engine and transmission – What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?
GWM’s 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel complies with Euro 5 emission standards. It produces 120kW at 3600rpm and 400Nm of peak torque is available across an 1100rpm-wide band from 1500-2600rpm, which showcases its good flexibility.
The German-designed ZF eight-speed torque converter automatic is built under license by GWM, offering smooth automated shifting, the choice of three drive modes (Economy, Normal and Sport) plus sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles.
The Torque-on-Demand all-wheel drive system automatically engages and disengages 4x4 in response to changing traction conditions. There’s also manual selection of low-range 4x4 and a rear diff lock.
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Fuel consumption – How much fuel does it consume?
GWM claims a combined consumption of 9.4L/100km and the dash display was showing 9.7 at the end of our 265km test, which was cut short due to a technical problem (see Driving section). Even so, that dash readout was consistent with our previous Cannon test, which covered 360km with about one third of that distance at near-maximum payload and mostly in the ‘Normal’ drive mode. On that occasion the dash display was showing 9.6 compared to our figure calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings of 9.8L/100km, which is excellent single-digit economy for a vehicle of this size and weight. So, based on our figure, you could expect a driving range of around 750-800km from its 78-litre tank.
Practicality – How practical is the space inside?
Deducting the Cannon X’s 1965kg kerb weight from its 3070kg GVM results in a robust one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1105kg. It’s also rated to tow up to 3000kg of braked trailer, which is 500kg short of the category benchmark and would also require a 515kg reduction in payload to avoid exceeding the Cannon’s 5555kg GCM (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time).
Or you could reduce the trailer weight by the same amount (3000kg down to 2485kg) and keep your full payload. Either way, do your sums if you need to tow this heavy.
The load tub, with spray-in tub-liner and four load anchorage points, is 1520mm long and wide but there’s not enough distance between the wheel housings to carry a standard Aussie pallet. The tailgate is equipped with gas struts that assist in easy opening/closing and concealed inside the tailgate is a handy step which with the tailgate open can be pulled out and locked in place to provide easy walk-in access to the load area.
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Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and slender storage bin in each front door. There’s also a single glovebox plus the centre console has another storage cubby/wireless phone-charge platform at the front, two small-bottle/cup-holders and sliding storage tray in the centre, plus a box at the back with a padded lid for driver’s elbow support.
Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and smaller storage bin in each door plus flexible pouches on the front seat backrests, but the fold-down centre armrest does not include cup-holders which is a surprising omission at this model grade. There’s also no storage compartments hidden beneath the rear seat’s split-fold base cushions, but they can be stored vertically if more internal load space is required.
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What’s it like as a daily driver?
There’s ample six-way power adjustment in the driver’s seat which when combined with the height-and-reach adjustable steering wheel and big left footrest makes for a comfortable driving position.
However, the steering still has a rather heavy and lifeless feel either side of centre and small but noticeable fluctuations in steering weight when using the lane-keeping function. The unladen ride quality when unladen is reasonably supple, but it does exhibit noticeable bouncing over large bumps and through dips that could be cured with firmer shock absorber settings.
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When the turbo spools up the engine offers spirited response, but it suffers some turbo lag from standing starts or when accelerating from low speeds. Further refinement would provide a more seamless power delivery. By comparison, the eight-speed automatic is hard to fault.
Engine, wind and tyre noise are pleasingly low at highway speeds and conversations can take place without raised voices. In top gear the engine requires only 1700rpm to maintain 100km/h and 1800rpm at 110km/h, which is also comfortably within its peak torque band.
What’s it like for tradie use?
Unfortunately, we could not do our usual payload testing due to an engine fault that developed during the automatic DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) regeneration process. When two engine warning lights came on, we had to abandon our test and return the vehicle to GWM.
However, we have previously load-tested a Cannon L, which is relevant in this context. We strapped 890kg into the load tub which with driver was a snip under 1000kg or one tonne. The rear leaf springs compressed 70mm which left only 10-15mm of static bump-stop clearance. As a result, we expected the rear suspension to be maxed-out on bumpy roads, but it coped well with no signs of bottoming-out while maintaining good straight-line stability.
It also performed well on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, easily hauling this load to the summit in fourth gear at 2500rpm. Engine-braking on the way down, in a manual-selected second gear, was also effective in restraining our payload, provided it didn’t exceed 4250rpm when it automatically shifted up to third. So, we know it’s a competent load carrier.
Warranty & Safety Rating
Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?
The Ute was awarded a five-star ANCAP rating in 2021. It has seven airbags including a front centre airbag to avoid front seat occupants clashing in a T-bone collision. Active safety is headlined by AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection plus lane-keeping assist, 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring and lots more. There’s also ISOFIX/top-tether child seat restraints on the two outer rear seat positions.
Ownership – What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?
The Ute is covered by GWM's seven years/unlimited km warranty with five years/100,000km roadside assist. Scheduled servicing every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first. Capped-price servicing covering the first five scheduled services up to 54 months/45,000km totals $1700, or an average of $340 per service.
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Verdict
There’s no denying the Cannon X offers a lot of vehicle for not a lot of money. It’s loaded with five-star luxury and safety features and, although needing further refinement in areas like steering and engine response, is a capable all-rounder backed by a generous warranty. The engine problem was disappointing, given that the Cannon X had performed well up to that point. However, DPF faults can affect the best of them - just ask Toyota.
Pricing Guides
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