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A low purchase price will always be the most important factor for a solid core of bargain-hunting ute buyers, which no doubt includes some hard-working tradies. And if that brings a generous amount of standard equipment, then that vehicle will be even more appealing.
The GWM Cannon ute has clearly offered both since its local release in 2020, but its low pricing also came with inferior tow ratings and compromises in powertrain, ride/handling and refinement.
However, in 2025 GWM has released an upgraded version designed with Australian customer-led feedback in mind, featuring a larger engine and towing capacity plus enhanced technology, styling and, yes, refinement.
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We recently spent a week in one of the new models to assess its performance and practicality from a tradie’s perspective.
GWM Cannon 2025: Ultra (4X4)
| Engine Type | Diesel Turbo 4, 2.4L |
|---|---|
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Fuel Efficiency | 8.4L/100km (combined) |
| Seating | 5 |
| Price From | $41,990 |
Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with? 9/10
9 / 10
Our test vehicle is the Ultra model grade, which sits above the entry-level Lux and below the Vanta and top-shelf XSR in the four-model Cannon range.
Like its siblings, the Ultra comes standard with a bigger 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine sourced from its larger Alpha stablemate and new nine-speed automatic for $41,990 plus on-road costs ($43,490 drive-away).
Even with its optional 'Pittsburgh Silver' premium paint, which adds $595, that pricing represents compelling value given you need at least $50K just to get into a relatively spartan base-model Ford Ranger XL or Toyota HiLux Workmate 4x4 dual cab ute equivalent.
The Ultra has heaps of standard equipment, given that the entry-level Lux on which it’s based includes 18-inch two-tone chrome alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size steel spare, chrome sports bar, LED lighting including DRLs, side-steps, roof rails, spray-in tub-liner, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, tyre pressure monitoring, driver’s 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster and six-speaker audio with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen offering digital radio, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and more.
To this list the Ultra adds an electric sunroof, tailgate step and rear privacy glass, plus leather-accented seats with power-adjustable front buckets equipped with heating and cooling.
The steering wheel is also heated plus there’s a USB port for a dashcam, ambient lighting, auto-dimming rear view mirror, 360-degree camera view and front parking sensors.
Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10
8 / 10
The upgraded Cannon brings refreshed exterior styling, with the front fascia featuring a new grille and bumper design, larger fog lights and more subtle use of chrome highlights.
At the rear there’s more prominent (and permanent) brand identification with bold ‘GWM’ lettering embossed on the tailgate panel, which is a welcome blast from our pick-up past.
The spacious interior design has also been enhanced with use of what GWM calls ‘premium materials’ including soft-touch surfaces on the dash and door panels along with subtle chrome accents.
There’s also a new steering wheel and the centre console has been redesigned with less buttons and dials (not always a good thing) topped by the new multimedia touchscreen.
How practical is its space and tech inside? 8/10
8 / 10
With its 2230kg kerb weight and 3225kg GVM, the Cannon Ultra has a 995kg payload rating (that’s close enough to a ‘one-tonner’ by our measure) and the latest upgrades include an increase in braked tow rating from the previous 3000kg to the class-benchmark 3500kg.
However, with its 6200kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) our test vehicle would require a substantial payload reduction of more than half a tonne (525kg) to tow its maximum trailer weight (but it’s not alone there).
And that would leave 470kg of payload capacity, most of which could be used up by the weight of a hefty five-member working crew before you could think about loading any of their tools and other equipment.
Fact is, few (if any) owners would need to tow 3500kg, but it’s important to be aware of these numbers if you do plan to tow that heavy and want to stay on the right side of the law.
The square load tub is 1520mm long and wide and 540mm deep, but with 1146mm between the rear wheel-housings it won’t fit a standard Aussie pallet. However, it will accommodate Euro pallets, if hauling such payloads is important.
The tub’s internal surfaces are protected by a spray-in liner and there are load-anchorage points front and back, with the rears close to floor level (ideal for all loads) and the fronts near the tops of the sidewalls (not ideal for low loads). The tailgate is equipped with hydraulic dampers to assist opening/closing and the handy fold-out step allows easy entry to the load tub.
Cabin storage includes a bottle holder and bin in each front door, a small lower dash compartment on the driver’s right and a slender bin above the glove box on the passenger side.
The centre console has a wireless phone-charging pad, 12V socket and two USB ports up front, plus cup/small-bottle holders and a lidded box at the back with an internal air conditioning cooling vent and sliding upper storage tray.
The rear seat has adequate legroom even for tall people, given I’m 186cm and have about 60mm of knee clearance when seated behind the driver’s seat in my position.
Headroom is adequate though not as generous and the deep contour in the roof lining to allow for the sunroof can make tall rear passengers feel a bit closed-in.
Shoulder room can also be squeezy for three large Aussies, so like all dual cab utes short of a full-size US pick-up it’s okay for short trips but ideal for two on longer drives.
There’s a bin and bottle-holder in each rear door and pockets on both front seat backrests. The 60/40-split seat bases can also fold up and by stored vertically for more internal load space, or to access wheel-changing equipment.
What are the key stats for its engine and transmission? 8/10
8 / 10
The Cannon's engine capacity has increased 20 per cent by adopting the Alpha's 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel. It produces 135kW of power at 3600rpm and 480Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm, which represents a 12.5 per cent power increase and 20 per cent more torque.
This is paired with GWM’s new homegrown nine-speed torque converter automatic (previously eight-speed) which has overdrive on the top three ratios and there are steering wheel paddle-shifters for sequential manual-shifting.
The 4x4 system is a ‘torque on demand’ design that transmits power to the rear axle under normal driving conditions to optimise fuel economy, but automatically sends power to the front axle if a loss of rear axle traction is detected.
It also offers a choice of selectable drive modes comprising 'Normal' (default), 'Sport' and 'Eco', plus 4H (4x4 High Range) and 4L (4x4 Low Range). The latter is only for the rough stuff, where the selectable electronic rear diff-lock could also come in handy.
What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range? 8/10
8 / 10
GWM claims official combined consumption of 8.4L/100km and the dash display was showing 9.6 at the completion of our 321km test, which comprised the usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving, of which about one third of that distance was hauling its maximum payload. The engine auto start/stop function was switched off for the duration.
Our own figure of 9.7L/100km, crunched from actual fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was line-ball with the Cannon’s onboard calculation, which proved its accuracy. It also validated our test vehicle’s real-world sub-10L/100km consumption, which is excellent for a two-tonne-plus ute and gets a big thumbs-up from us.
Therefore, based on our test figure, you could expect a real-world driving range of around 800km from its 78-litre diesel tank.
What’s it like to drive? 8/10
8 / 10
Even though there’s no adjustment for base-cushion rake or lumber support on the driver’s seat, we didn’t suffer any discomfort during our test. There are also three steering wheel assist modes to choose from comprising 'Light', 'Comfort' (default) and 'Sport'.
The new 2.4-litre engine effectively fills the gap that existed with the previous 2.0-litre, which felt underdone given this vehicle's size and weight. The big 20 per cent increase in torque is a noticeable improvement, as it pulls strongly from low rpm with gearing that keeps it within its peak zone most of the time.
It’s also relatively smooth and quiet and the three drive modes optimise performance in each setting. The Sport mode provides a noticeable increase in response, which in combination with the same setting for the steering is the most engaging drive experience.
The refined nine-speed auto is a sweet-shifting transmission in either auto or manual mode.
We were also pleasantly surprised by a big improvement in ride and handling, as this latest version of the Cannon feels like it finally has the beefier spring rates and damper settings this ute has been crying out for.
It’s also an effortless highway cruiser, with the overdriven top gear ensuring the engine requires less than 1800rpm to maintain 110km/h. However, although wind and engine noise is pleasantly low at these speeds, we did notice tyre noise emanating from the rear tyres into the cabin.
To test its GVM rating, we maxed out the payload to 990kg. This compressed the rear leaf-springs about 60mm, leaving around 40mm of static bump-stop clearance which ensured no bottoming-out on our test route.
It felt stable and sure-footed and the new drivetrain made light work of our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, displaying ample pulling power in fourth gear to easily haul this load to the summit.
Engine-braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, was arguably the best we’ve experienced in a sub-3.0-litre turbo-diesel with almost a tonne on its back.
Our only gripe is the emergency lane-keeping assist function, which needs more refinement as it creates weird fluctuations in steering weight and aggressively tugs at the wheel when you get anywhere near a white line.
Fortunately, this can be disabled in the vehicle settings menu, but unfortunately must be switched off before each drive.
Warranty & Safety Rating
What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating? 8/10
8 / 10
The Cannon has a five-star ANCAP rating awarded in 2021 (expires 2027) and comes with seven airbags (including full-length side-curtain and centre-front), AEB including junction assist, front collision warning (pedestrian and cyclist), rear collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert with brake, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping, traffic sign recognition, trailer sway control, adaptive cruise control and lots more.
Junior tradies get ISOFIX child-restraint anchorages and top-tethers on the two outer rear seating positions.
What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs? 9/10
9 / 10
Like all GWM Cannons, our test vehicle comes with a generous seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which includes five years of roadside assist. Apart from the first service at 12 months or 10,000km, scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km, whichever occurs first.
GWM offers capped-pricing for the first five scheduled services (60 months or 70,000km), which totals $2530, or an average of $506 per service.
Verdict
The latest version of the Cannon ute displays commendable improvement in key areas like drivetrain and chassis tuning, along with a benchmark 3500kg tow rating, heaps of standard equipment and a generous warranty for a list price well under $50K. For a tradie on a budget, it represents value that's hard to ignore.
Pricing Guides
Range and Specs
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* |
|---|---|---|
| LUX (4X4) | 2.4L, Diesel, 9 SPEED AUTOMATIC | $38,990 |
| Premium (4X4) | 2.0L, Diesel, 8 SPEED AUTOMATIC | $37,490 |
| Ultra (4X4) | 2.4L, Diesel, 9 SPEED AUTOMATIC | $41,990 |
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