GWM Ute 2022 review: Cannon-X off-road test

In terms of styling, the Cannon X has a pretty standard contemporary ute appearance. 

There are hints of the HiLux at the front end, nods to the Amarok around the Cannon X’s ‘shoulders’ and a wink to the Ranger along the side on the way to the rear end.

It’s 5410mm long (with a 3230mm wheelbase), 1886mm wide and 1934mm high, so it’s a big unit – about as big as a Ford Ranger – but it wears its bulk well.

The Cannon X has a pretty standard contemporary ute appearance. (image: Glen Sullivan)

The tray is 1560mm long (internal length), 1515mm wide (internal width; 1145mm between the wheel arches), 535-563mm (front-rear, internal depth), and load height is listed as 840-865mm. 

The tailgate is an assisted soft-drop/lift style version and there is a nifty pop-out rear step in the top of it, which is rated to cop up to a 150kg person using it as a step up into the tray. 

The tray load space has a spray-in tub liner, which looks suitably durable, and four sturdy-looking tie-down points.

The tray is 1560mm long, 1515mm wide, and load height is listed as 840-865mm. (image: Glen Sullivan)

The interior is quite impressive. It’s rather spacious and there’s a real premium feel to everything, with quilted leather on the seats and door trim, and there are plenty of storage spaces: the usual glovebox and centre console, as well as cupholders, door pockets and space here and there for you to dump your wallet and phone into.

The seats are comfortable and driver and front passenger seats are power-adjustable and heated. 

There are a few other nice touches for a forty grand ute: there's a brushed-metal effect here and there, and piano-black on the dash.

The media screen is big and bright, but we had more than a few problems with functionality – it’s a little bit counterintuitive, I reckon. 

The interior is quite impressive. (image: Glen Sullivan)

The driver's display is also bright and clear, but I had problems with its functionality, in terms of general day-to-day use of it. 

The Cannon X has a few other quirks, and a lot of them are related to the media unit and the interior, but they are more laugh-makers than deal-breakers, including misspelt words on the display screen, such as “scaning” (scanning) and “voiceassit” (voice assist), among others; the sunglasses case is located where I'd expect the driver’s grab handle to be; and the blind spot monitor lights look a lot like the kind of smoky night-lights you’d put in a baby’s room.

In the back seat, it’s very roomy – ample space for head, knees and toes – and you get a fold-down armrest (no cup holders in it though), air vents, a power socket and a USB point, as well as bottle holders in the doors.

Plenty of room in both the front and rear. (image: Glen Sullivan)

On-road, the Canon X does a decent job – well, there aren't any nasty surprises that you may well expect, and it’s not as ordinary as you might assume. 

It exhibits many of the positive qualities of more expensive utes and it ends up being rather quiet, refined, and nice to drive. 

Steering (reach and rake adjustable) is generally well balanced, but lane-keeping assist tends to be intrusive, abruptly correcting the steering wheel at the slightest sign of straying. It can be switched off, but it does re-engage again when you start the vehicle.

Kerb weight is 2100kg, and the four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine manages to keep the Cannon X trucking along at a fair clip. Acceleration is okay, and while 120kW and 400Nm are far from the best power and torque figures in the modern ute mob, the Cannon X’s engine-and-auto combination has a nice even-handed way of making the most of those figures, although it can be a touch agricultural in its delivery.

On-road, the Canon X does a decent job – and it’s not as ordinary as you might assume. (image: Glen Sullivan)

Drive modes are Eco (4x2 / rear-wheel drive), Normal and Sport (all four wheels), with the on-demand four-wheel drive system coming online via your choice of modes.

The suspension set-up – yes, double wishbones at the front, leaf springs at the rear – offers up a comfortable ride.

Turning circle is not T-Rex massive at 13.1m, but it does demand a bit of extra thought and care from the driver on busy city and suburban streets, and along some narrow, twisting bush tracks.

One of the positives in the Cannon X’s favour is the fact it has plenty of driver-assist tech onboard including AEB, for a cheaper ute.

Official fuel consumption is 9.4L/100km on a combined cycle. 

Our actual fuel consumption during this test was 10.2L/100km, which was reasonable because we did do a fair amount of time on the dirt, with some low-range 4WDing. 

So, if you drive like me – in other words like a risk-averse old codger – you should get an effective touring range of about 764km out of the Cannon X’s 78-litre fuel tank, when doing a mix of road and dirt tracks, and some low-range 4WDing. 

That range grows to 830km and up if you can get your fuel use closer to the official fuel-consumption figure.

Note: Drop 30km to 50km off any fuel-range figure for a better idea of your vehicle’s safe touring range. Also, remember that numerous other factors affect your fuel consumption and so impact your touring range, including how much extra weight you have onboard (passengers, camping gear etc), whether your vehicle is fitted with any aftermarket equipment (bullbar, spare-wheel carrier, etc), whether you are towing (a camper-trailer, caravan, or boat etc), your vehicle's tyre pressures, and the conditions.

The Cannon X has a seven year/unlimited warranty, which means it’s one of the best utes around in terms of warranty. It is, however, bettered by the Triton’s 10-year (conditional) coverage. 

GWM also offers five years of free roadside assistance, which is impressive.

Service intervals are scheduled for every 12 months/10,000km, after the first service is done at the six-month mark.

Capped price servicing does apply. Your first service will cost $260 and it’s $360 for each service after that up to number five.