GWM Cannon Alpha vs Rolls-Royce Spectre (bev)

What's the difference?

GWM got the jump on its rivals by being first to offer full-hybrid 4x4 ute technology. However, double-digit fuel consumption in the real-world will disappoint those conditioned to expect low single-digit economy from hybrid powertrains. And its relatively small payload rating could also be an issue for some, particularly tradies. Even so, for such a sharp price, its refined performance, lavish luxury, five-star safety, 3500kg towing and reassuring warranty represents compelling value for money.

Personally, I was very much taken with the looks, and the feels, of the new Rolls-Royce Spectre, which delivers everything you’d expect from this brand, and seems to have lost nothing by switching to electric propulsion. The trick, it seems, in turning your brand into an EV one is to have made your cars silent in the first place.

But the real verdict comes from the people hurling their Spectre orders at the company, which has received so many of them it’s being forced to ramp up production. And 40 per cent of pre-orders are from new customers. Honestly, it’s as if they were all just waiting for an EV to drop a million on.

Our test vehicle has a traditional body-on-frame chassis design and its suspension also follows convention with twin A-arms/coil-springs up front, a leaf-spring/live axle under the tail, four-wheel disc brakes and electric power-assisted steering.

It rides on a 3350mm wheelbase and is 5445mm long, 1991mm wide and 1924mm high, so it’s larger than its premium Cannon XSR sibling in key dimensions including wheelbase (120mm longer), length (6.0mm longer), width (33mm wider) and height (6.0mm taller). So, if you want a ute that's larger than the Alpha, the only alternative is a full-size US pick-up.

It has a 13.0-metre turning circle and off-road credentials include 224mm of ground clearance, 800mm of wading depth and 28.5 degrees approach/19 degrees ramp breakover/23 degrees departure angles.

Looks are subjective of course but we reckon it’s a handsome machine, with styling that appears to draw inspiration from US trucks with its bold and imposing grille design, nicely balanced proportions and generous servings of chrome, satin chrome and polished alloy highlights.

The spacious and opulent leather-accented interior might be a bit fancy for tradies carrying crews to and from worksites but there’s no denying its visual appeal, from bold woodgrain dash and door-trim inserts to a classy blend of satin chrome, piano black and full chrome highlights with tasteful shades of grey.

Making a vehicle as enormous as the Spectre look good is no mean feat, but Rolls has done a hell of a job, from most angles. The massive Pantheon Grille is something to behold in the metal, and because it doesn’t need to let air into an engine bay, it’s been designed for airflow, as has so much else. Rolls achieved a drag coefficient of 0.25, which is good for extending EV range, and they even spent more than 800 hours in a wind tunnel working on making the Spirt of Ecstasy hood ornament as aerodynamic as possible (she’s had her wings clipped, apparently).

The modern take on the classic grille combined with a chesty bonnet and very cool DRLs give the Spectre a look of classic modernity from the front, while the proportions over all give it a great side profile.

Apparently the design brief was based on some majestic cliffs, the Seven Sisters of Sussex, and the car definitely has that level of grandiosity.

The only weak point is the rear, which had to be sheer for aero reasons - and features the narrowest legally possible rear lights, which are supposed to look like “islands in a lake”, apparently. To me, driving behind one, the rear view is just a little dull.

The luscious interior is meant to be an example of “Automotive Haute Couture”, meaning hand made and stupidly expensive, and Rolls also humbly refers to it as a “cosseting art lounge”. It all sounds a bit over the top until you sit in it, and discover that it really does feel beyond special.

With its hefty 2575kg kerb weight and 3310kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 735kg payload rating which is modest compared to numerous turbo-diesel class rivals.

It’s also rated to tow up to the class-benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer, but with its 6555kg GCM rating (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would require a 255kg reduction in payload (from 735kg to 480kg) to avoid exceeding the GCM.

While it’s unlikely Alpha Hybrid owners would need to tow at the 3500kg maximum, it’s important to be aware of these numbers if the need arises, as that 480kg could be used up by a crew of five adults before you could load any luggage.

The load tub is 500mm deep and almost square given its 1500mm length and 1520mm width. With 1100mm between the rear wheel-housings, it won’t fit a standard 1165mm-square Aussie pallet but will take Euro pallets.

It’s protected by a spray-on tub-liner and there are four fixed load-anchorage points. However, the front two are located near the top of the side-walls and the rears are mounted at mid-height, both of which are not ideal for securing low-profile loads (anchorage points just above floor level are ideal).

The load tub is accessed through a two-way tailgate, which with the push of a button can open as either a conventional one-piece tailgate to a horizontal position, or can split 60/40 into a pair of doors that swing open from each side to allow closer access to the load floor. Only time will tell if this two-way design is robust enough for regular workhorse duties.

There are assist handles on the A and B pillars and ample room for front seat occupants, along with generous rear seat headroom despite the presence of a large sunroof which can often compromise this space.

The cabin's rear floor is predominantly flat with the welcome absence of a large transmission tunnel, allowing centre passengers the luxury of being able to put their feet together behind the centre console. However, shoulder-room is tight for three large adults, so two would be preferable for long trips.

Given I’m 186cm tall, there’s also sufficient kneeroom when sitting behind the driver’s seat in my position. And unusual rear seat luxury in a ute is the powered backrest recline for the two outer seating positions, although kneeroom is reduced as the base cushions must slide forward to enable this function.

Storage for the driver and front passenger includes a large-bottle holder and bin in the base of each door. There’s also a large glove box and overhead glasses holder, plus a handy pull-out compartment in the lower dash to the right of the steering column for the driver.

The centre console has a wireless phone-charging pad up front and a large storage box at the rear with a padded lid that doubles as a comfy elbow rest. A flap inside the box can be opened to access climate control airflow to keep food/drinks cool or warm and there’s also a sliding tray on top which in its rearward position reveals two small-bottle/cupholders.

Another small storage nook resides in the lower right-side of the centre console, which contains two USB ports, a 12-volt socket and enough space for a phone. However, it can be awkward to access given its proximity to the driver’s left knee.

Rear passengers also get a large-bottle holder and small bin in each door, plus pockets on the rear of both front seat backrests and small pull-out drawers under each outer seat for small items.

The fold-down centre armrest is equipped with a wireless phone-charging pad, pop-out twin cupholders at the front and a hinged padded lid that opens to reveal a shallow hidden compartment for storage of phones or other slimline items.

Another interesting storage idea is the slender vertical compartments located in each of the cabin’s rear roof pillars (see images). They’re hidden by the doors when closed and accessed through slide-up covers. We reckon these could store collapsible umbrellas in a most convenient location.

If you’re looking for the modern EV style interior, you can forget it, because Rolls says it didn’t want “any of that funky stuff” in the Spectre, so no giant screens in here. Indeed, I switched into a Rolls-Royce Ghost at one stage to be driven somewhere and the interior was almost exactly the same, although the new car gets a more modern fully digital dash. 

There’s plenty of room for water bottles and oddment storage and the sense of space for the driver and front passenger is suitably grand, but the rear seats are really for spoilt teenagers rather than Rolls owners. They’re not uncomfortable, at all, but they just feel a bit squeezed, you wouldn’t ask to be chauffeured in a Spectre, clearly it’s a Rolls you’d choose to drive yourself. 

The boot is wide, deep and long with a volume of 380 litres.

Australian pricing for the Rolls-Royce Spectre starts from $770,000 before on-road costs, and on the point of whether that represents value, well not to me, but certainly the huge number of orders Rolls claims to have been hit by suggests otherwise.

You do get a lot of car for your money, because the Spectre is vast and weighs almost three tonnes, and there’s no doubt that the interior is nicer than most people’s houses, or even the nicest hotel you’ve ever seen, and that the top-notch umbrellas hidden in each door are a nice touch.

One of the nifty and unexpected features the Spectre offers is a “Rolls-Royce Sound”, which you can toggle on and off. With the fake noise off, the car is freakishly quiet - apparently during testing they achieved a level of EV silence so incredible that people found it “disturbing” and had to engineer some sound back in - but with it on you get just the most subtle of guttural sounds. Every other company so far has gotten fake noise wrong, but Rolls has nailed it with the Spectre; it’s just loud enough, but suitably restrained as well.

You also get the wondrous Starlight Headliner, which uses optic fibre cables to paint the night sky on the roof, complete with shooting stars, and in the Spectre you can now have the stars fitted to the inside of its massive coach doors as well.

The hybrid drivetrain comprises a Euro 5-compliant 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine that produces up to 180kW of power and 380Nm of torque.

Paired with this engine is an electric motor that produces up to 78kW and 380Nm. Combined they produce peak outputs of 255kW and 648Nm, which exceeds any turbo-diesel rival in its class.

The Borg Warner-designed 'on-demand' 4x4 transmission with front and rear diff locks includes a nine-speed automatic offering a choice of five drive modes comprising 'Standard' (default), 'Sport' and 'Eco', plus '4H' (4x4 High Range) and '4L' (4x4 Low Range). Drivers can also switch to sequential manual-shifting using steering wheel-mounted paddles.

For the first time ever, this Rolls-Royce has no magnificent engine, no throbbing 12 cylinders, no, it has two separately excited synchronous motors, one on each axle for seamless all-wheel drive. The front motor makes 190kW and 365Nm while they’ve sensibly sent more grunt to the rear, which gets 360kW and 710Nm. Either motor on its own would be enough to power a normal car. The total figures are 430kW and 900Nm, which is supercar like.

The battery is made up 804 cells, weighs 700kg and has a net capacity of 102kWh, and the designers used it as a sound-deadening agent for road noise, because it’s so massive. 

The Spectre can hit 100km/h in 4.5 seconds, which feels very fast indeed when you’re piloting something that weighs 2890kg and is 5.5m long.

GWM claims on official combined average consumption of 9.8L/100km and the dash readout was showing a higher 11.1 at the completion of our 484km test, which included a mix of city, suburban and highway driving of which about 100km was hauling its maximum payload.

Our own figure, calculated from actual fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was higher again at 12.6L/100km. Although hybrids are renowned for substantial fuel savings compared to conventional combustion engine drivetrains, the priority here is clearly ‘big engine’ performance over economy.

Therefore, based on our figure, you could expect a reasonable real-world driving range of around 630km from its 80-litre tank.

The Spectre is rated at 520km on the WLTP scale, but Rolls claims it can do a lot better (like 600km). Efficiency is claimed to be 21.5kWh per 100km.

We drove 210km and had 300km of indicated range left at the end, which is pretty close to the claim.

The Spectre can be charged at up to 200kW on a DC fast charger, on which it will take 35 minutes to go from 10 to 80 per cent charge.

On an 11kWh home system it will take 10 hours and 45 minutes to go from zero to 90 per cent charge.

The Alpha’s steering feel (with the annoying lane-keeping assist switched off) and unladen ride quality are vast improvements on GWM Cannon utes we’ve tested and worthy of praise.

It’s an unusual driving experience at first, given there’s not the traditional combination of a turbo-diesel and permanent tachometer to show when the engine is operating in its peak torque zone to help drivers optimise drivetrain performance, particularly when hauling heavy loads.

In this case, you just push the accelerator and rely on the petrol engine, electric motor and hybrid battery to seamlessly manage this complex task. The nine-speed auto offers sequential manual-shifting, but performance in auto 'Normal' mode is a good compromise between the more energetic 'Sport' and more subdued 'Eco' modes.

Floor the accelerator and more than 2.5 tonnes of Chinese ute surges forward with weight-defying ease, like it’s been picked up by a powerful wave. Keep the pedal pressed and it will quickly reach triple-digit speeds, even though the petrol engine emits a rather dull and uninspiring soundtrack along the way.

Urban driving is energetic and the low NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) levels ensure luxurious highway travel using the adaptive cruise control, which must be operated by feel given the control stalk is hidden by the steering wheel arm in the straight-ahead position.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 650kg into the load tub, which with driver was line-ball with the 735kg payload limit. The leaf-spring rear suspension only compressed 17mm, so there was no chance of it bottoming-out on our test route.  

It excelled with this relatively modest payload, which included making light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h. Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear assisted by regenerative braking, was not as robust and required application of the disc brakes.

Although you can dial up a digital rev-counter for the petrol engine in the driver’s screen menu, it does not show a ‘redline’ as such but GWM advises it will just shift up a gear if required to avoid damage. This is an engine protection protocol found in numerous turbo-diesel drivetrains we’ve tested.

The short answer to this question is that the Spectre drives just like a Rolls-Royce, but that answer is deceptively simple, because, for an electric vehicle, that’s actually a hell of an achievement.

Most EVs do not feel like cars to drive - the electric Hyundai Kona is not much like a petrol one at all - but what Rolls set out to do with its first EV was to make a vehicle that feels, handles and accelerates just like one of its famous and fabulously over-powered combustion-engined Ghosts, Phantoms or Wraiths.

This meant it had to be “Silent”, which it nails with ease - and the important thing to remember here is that even its V12 cars were always incredibly quiet, unless you really misbehaved. And it had to be “Effortless”, another brand pillar. Again, nailed it, because a Roller has never bothered with things like shift paddles, Sports modes or even the option to do anything but stick it in D for Drive and go. 

The sensation Rolls owners demand is endless, otiose acceleration, particularly off the line, and the Spectre delivers this in a typical EV fashion, but also one that’s very familiar to anyone who’s driven a Ghost, for example. It’s just a sense of overwhelming, prole-crushing progress, and it’s magnificent. 

The third and final brand pillar is “Waftability” and despite all the weight that it’s carrying (imagine how far over three tonnes this thing would have gone if they didn’t build their cars out of aluminium), the Spectre rides with a kind of hovercraft air of being just above, or barely in touch with, the ground. Bumps are no longer your concern, sir.

As mentioned, Rolls could have chosen a limousine-style vehicle as its first EV, but it has made a driver’s car instead - no CEO will sit in the back of a coupe like the Spectre. So it had to deliver when it comes to being fun, or at least a little frisky at times, when driven. 

Again, quite incredibly, despite its mass and weight, it does reward enthusiastic driving and can carve up even relatively narrow winding roads with aplomb, displaying very little body roll or pitching. The steering is almost absurdly light - because it must be “effortless” - but there’s still enough feedback to keep you interested. 

Most of the time, of course, the essentially laid back aura of being in a Rolls-Royce will seep into your body and brain and you will simply cruise along, patting yourself on the back for being so rich and clever.

And now, with an EV option finally available, you can tell yourself you’re saving the planet as well (as long as you don’t think about the 28 other cars in your garage).

The Spectre has not been crash tested for ANCAP. Its safety offerings include adaptive cruise control, lane-change assist, lane departure with active steer, a reversing assistant - "to support with parking and long reverses, eg country lanes or driveways, Spectre will reverse the previous 200m driven" - and collision warning with active braking.

Rolls tell us the Spectre has "Four airbags (does not need more)". So that's good news.

GWM covers the vehicle with a seven year/unlimited km warranty, eight year/unlimited km hybrid battery warranty and seven years of roadside assist.

Scheduled servicing starts at 12 months/10,000km followed by 12 months/15,000km intervals. GWM offers seven years of capped-price servicing totalling $4975, which is an average of $710 annually.

Now, I would assume you'd get a lifetime warranty at Rolls prices, but apparently you get only four years, but it is unlimited mileage.

The Spectre's battery is covered by a 10-year warranty.

An extended service and warranty package is "TBC".

Rolls also offers 24/7 roadside assistance, and if your battery goes flat the company will take your Spectre to the nearest charging station.

A "regional flying doctor" is on standby 24/7 in extreme cases if Spectre “fails to proceed”.