The biggest news about this new Chinese-built ute – the GWM Cannon Alpha – is that there’s a petrol-hybrid version available – check out Byron Mathioudakis' review of it.
The other big news about the Alpha is that our test vehicle has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, which is new for the GWM ute line-up.
Last bit of big news: this new ute is big – bigger than a standard GWM ute, and bigger than a Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max… but it’s still smaller than a full-sized US pick-up.
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So, does the Alpha offer enough in terms of features and performance to warrant your consideration?
Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 7/10
7 / 10
The Cannon Alpha is available as a Lux or Ultra variant with a diesel engine – or you can get a petrol-hybrid Ultra.
Our test vehicle is a Lux and has drive-away pricing of $51,990. The diesel Ultra costs $57,990 drive-away and the hybrid Ultra costs $64,990 drive-away. (All prices were correct at time of writing.)
Standard features in the Lux include a 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto), a six-speaker sound system, six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, dual-zone climate control, 360-degree view monitor and clear chassis view, All-Terrain driving modes, 18-inch alloy wheels, and an electronic rear diff lock.
Marble White paint is standard. Metallic paint – including Crystal Black, Storm Grey, Lunar Red, and Onyx Silver – costs an extra $595.
Design – Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10
7 / 10
Everything is big on the Alpha: it has a big grille, big headlights, big wheel-arch flares, big fixed side steps, and a stack of chrome has been thrown at this ute.
So, just how big is it? Well, at 5445mm long (with a 3350mm wheelbase), 1991mm wide and 1924mm high, it’s 35mm longer (with a 120mm longer wheelbase), 57mm wider and 38mm taller than its standard stablemate, the Cannon, and it’s bigger than most of the current mainstream ute market offerings, and it’s also longer (in body and wheelbase) than the top-selling Ford Ranger and even taller than most Ranger variants, except the Raptor.
The business end of the ute – the tub – is 1500mm long, 1520mm wide (1100mm between the wheel arches), and 500mm deep – so not as big as a Ford Ranger dual-cab’s tub.
The tub liner seems robust, and the tub itself has four sturdy-looking tie-down points, but no power point.
There are a couple of examples of left-over ‘Poer’ branding on the Alpha’s exterior - in China, the Cannon is sold as the Poer, which stands for 'Powerful, Off-road, Enjoyable and Reliable' - but otherwise, this ute’s appearance carries over the conventional looks of the Cannon range, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside? 7/10
7 / 10
The interior is spacious and set out in a functional way.
The Lux is the entry-spec ute in the Alpha line-up, but it has a premium feel about it: there are nice soft-touch surfaces, a wood-grain strip across the dash and while the seats are synthetic leather, they are comfortable and it's the same story in the back: comfortable, plenty of room.
Rear passengers also get grab handles, air vents, map pockets and a centre armrest with pop-out cupholders.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen media system (with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto) is easy enough to use if a little clunky in some of its functioning and you sometimes have to work through a maze of menus to reach the controls you want.
Also, some controls, such as volume, temperature control etc, are on-screen only, which is on the wrong side of annoying. I was recently in another GWM vehicle – the Tank 500 Ultra – and the start-up screen stayed frozen for an hour-long trip so we were unable to adjust the temperature or to operate some other controls – minor problem, sure, but far from ideal.
There are plenty of storage spaces around the cabin – including a deep centre console with a lid and sliding tray, cup-holders and the like – and charge points for your phone and/or other devices as well as wireless charging for your smartphone.
Our test Alpha Lux did not have floor mats so, if you’re getting an Alpha as an adventure vehicle or even just as a daily driver, invest in a set of rubber mats for everyone because you don’t want to mess up the cabin.
Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission? 7/10
7 / 10
This Cannon Alpha has a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder diesel engine, which produces 135kW at 3600rpm and 480Nm at 1500-2500rpm.
As mentioned earlier, this engine is a new addition to the Cannon line-up.
The Alpha has a nine-speed automatic transmission, a torque-on-demand 4WD system, high- and low-range 4WD gearing, as well as a rear diff lock.
Driving – What's it like to drive? 7/10
7 / 10
The Alpha is a pleasant surprise on-road. Its long wheelbase helps to give it a settled driving feel on sealed surfaces.
Steering is light and mostly precise but some floatiness drifts into its action from time to time.
The Alpha has double-wishbone independent coil springs at the front and leaf springs and a live axle at the rear and with that set-up this body-on-frame 4WD rides and handles a tad stiffly and firmly, but if you’ve spent any time in a ute recently you’ll be right.
It’s also satisfactorily refined.
And the same goes for when it's on dirt tracks and gravel roads – with that long wheelbase yielding a controlled and composed driving experience.
But during low-range technical four-wheel driving, however, the Alpha is somewhat compromised because of its size, especially that long wheelbase impacting the ute’s ramp over angle which is a pretty ordinary 19 degrees. Not an insurmountable problem, but you do have to drive with more consideration than you would in a vehicle that has a shorter wheelbase.
Otherwise off-road angles are okay – approach 28.5 degrees and departure 23 – with just a little bit of driver-attitude adjustment needed to negate the impediment of that stretched wheelbase.
The Alpha has a listed ground clearance of 224mm – it does feel a bit low at times – and a wading depth of 800mm.
But the Alpha does suffer from some of the same driver-assist tech problems as its GWM stablemate, the Tank 500 Hybrid Lux, which I recently tested. However, where the Tank 500’s intrusive and over-reactive driver-assist tech was the source of much frustration on the road but less so off the road, it’s the Alpha’s off-road driver-assist tech, such as its traction control system, which was the worst offender, rather than the on-road driver-assist tech.
The off-road traction control here just seems too intrusive and preemptive. It does work, but it kicks in when it really shouldn’t: either activating in an abrupt, ill-timed fashion when you don't need it or robbing the ute of precious momentum by backing off or cutting out when you actually need it. The system needs to be better calibrated and more precise in its activation.
Otherwise, all the mechanicals are sound and the combination of everything works in a low-key effective manner.
Low-range gearing and engine braking are decent and the Alpha has a rear diff lock if needed.
The tyres – Giti Xross (Cross) HT71 (265/60R18) SUV tyres – aren’t great for 4WDing; they became quickly gummed up with sticky clay mud and so lost most of their valuable traction-grabbing abilities on slippery rock steps. The good news: you can easily swap those SUV tyres out for a set of decent all-terrains.
Apart from that, everything else pretty much checks out in a low key but not spectacular way.
Payload is listed as 878kg and the Alpha is rated to tow 750kg unbraked, and 3500kg braked.
Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? 7/10
7 / 10
Official fuel consumption is 8.9L/100km on a combined cycle.
On this test, I recorded 10.2L/100km.
The Alpha has a 78-litre fuel tank so, going by that fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 765km out of a full tank.
Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating? 7/10
7 / 10
The Cannon Alpha doesn’t have an ANCAP rating yet because, at time of writing, it hasn’t been tested yet.
As standard, it has seven airbags and a comprehensive suite of driver-assist tech including AEB, adaptive cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring system, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360 degree around-view camera and clear chassis view.
Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 7/10
7 / 10
The Cannon Alpha is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, seven years roadside assist and seven years of capped price servicing.
After the first service at six months, TD intervals at around every 12 months or 10,000km.
Service pricing varies. For up-to-date pricing and more, check the news section on carsguide.com.au and contact your local dealership.
Verdict
The Cannon Alpha is a big ute with a big job ahead of it – taking on the top utes in Australia and the plethora of full-size US pick-ups that seem to be multiplying by the dozen every day on our roads.
But this new ute offers enough equipment, comfort and capability to appeal to those whose budgets may not stretch to a HiLux or Ranger – and it slots in nicely as a bang-for-your-buck value grab between established mainstream utes and full-size US pick-ups.
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