GWM Ute 2024 review: Cannon Vanta

There are seven models in the Cannon line-up and the Vanta sits second from the top, with a price tag of $46,490 drive-away (NSW pricing).

That positions it as one of the more affordable options compared to its rivals with the LDV T60 Max Luxe sliding in just above it at $47,884 and the Mazda BT-50 XT beating them all at $54,763. 

The Vanta comes loaded with some decent goodies, especially for a ute, so it feels well worth your hard earned.

The following features come standard in this model: six-way electric driver's seat, four-way electric front passenger seat, heated front seats and quilted synthetic-leather trim throughout.

The Vanta wears a price tag of $46,490 drive-away (NSW pricing). (Image: Glen Sullivan)

 The tray gets an assisted tailgate, which lessens the chance of a sprained wrist when opening it, as well as an extendable step-ladder.

The latter is perfect for people like me and my average 168cm height, so they can access the tray without doing any undignified climbing (or grunting).

You also get a full-size spare wheel and a maximum payload capacity of 1050kg plus a braked towing capacity of 3000kg. So, most weekend hobbies should be able to be pursued.

You do have to fork out a bit extra ($595) for all but one paint colour but otherwise, you get a lot for your cash here.

The Vanta has a maximum payload capacity of 1050kg. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The cabin is downright roomy and feels a lot larger than I expected it to be. Taller individuals will appreciate how much head- and legroom there is in both rows, plus the generous width means you’re not fighting for elbow room. I love the use of space!

The front seats are well-padded and both are electric with heating function but there’s no additional lumbar support and you will notice that on a longer trip.

A quick note on that heating function, though. You access it via the touchscreen and it’s a bit fiddly to do on the move. I'd prefer individual buttons.

The individual storage options are pretty good with a middle console that features a sliding tray, a glove box, plus a couple of drink bottle holders in the doors and two cupholders.

The Vanta's front seats are well-padded and both are electric with heating function. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

However, the cupholders don’t handle a small takeaway coffee cup well. They’re too close together and the lids can pop off. I'd like to see cupholders in the back seat, as well.

The charging options are good up front and you can choose between two USB-A ports, a 12-volt outlet or the wireless charging pad.

And I like the way a little reminder to not forget your phone pops up on the instrument panel when you're using the charging pad and turn off the car.

The back seat comfort is the most surprising thing about the cabin for me. It doesn’t feel like the usual ‘slab-like’ bench seat you can find in other utes.

The seats are super comfy and supportive. Practical as well, they feature a 60/40 split-fold and can be stored in an upright position if you need extra internal storage space.

The amenities in this row are good for this class. It has directional air vents, plus a USB-A port and 220-volt socket. Meaning you can hook up bigger items to charge, which is great for families using this for camping. 

You can only fit two child seats because of the two top-tethers but you also have ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats. I had the easiest time fitting my child seat, which is usually a bother in a ute.

My six-year old had a great time climbing in and out but he absolutely needed the side steps and grab handles to do so.

The Vanta's 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks good but isn’t intuitive to use. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

All doors need to be slammed to latch properly but are otherwise easy to operate for all family members.

Let’s talk tech now because this is where the Vanta is let down. The 9.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks good but isn’t intuitive to use.

It is laggy and I found it difficult to maintain a Bluetooth connection and couldn’t get the wired Apple CarPlay going either despite a lot of trouble-shooting and using different phones/cables. I use this feature a lot, so that was disappointing.

That sense of things running a bit slowly or being glitchy seems to be a theme with this car. Even turning it on, there can be up to five-second delay before the engine turns over. Which may just be a quirk of this particular car and not reflective of the model in general but it didn’t inspire a stack of confidence on a cold winter’s morning.

All Cannon’s share the same engine, a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel with a maximum power output of 120kW and 400Nm of torque.

It’s got enough grunt to cope with a 3000kg (braked) towing capacity, so weekend pursuits should be good to go.

This is a four-wheel drive and has an eight-speed auto transmission which, surprisingly, produces clunky gear changing.

You can choose between four driving modes – 'Eco', 'Standard', 'Sport' and '4L' (4WDriver’s can rest easy) but I wouldn’t bother putting it into Sport mode because it’s an unpleasant ‘bunny-hopping’ experience.

Under the Vanta's bonnet is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

It looks like a brute but doesn’t drink like one. The official combined fuel cycle is 9.4L/100km and my real-world usage came to 10.3L.

That’s pretty decent given how big this is but I did mostly open-road driving this week. Expect it to be higher in the city.

Based on the combined cycle fuel figure and 78L fuel tank, you should be able to get a driving range of around 830km.

The Vanta's official combined fuel cycle is 9.4L/100km. (Image: Glen Sullivan)

The safety features are pretty good on the Cannon. I reckon the camera system is one of the clearest I’ve sampled but I also like the fact there's a USB port ready to go for a dash cam, should you want to fit one.

Other standard safety features include daytime-running lights, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping aid, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, intelligent seatbelt reminders, traffic sign recognition, 360-degree camera view as well as front and rear parking sensors.

The Cannon was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2021. There are seven airbags, which is great for a ute, including the newer front centre airbag.

It has autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 6.0-82km/h (up to 135km/h for car detection).

The Vanta features a rear cross-traffic alert. (Image: Glen Sullivan)