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2021 GWM Cannon ute from $33,990 to $40,990 drive-away, on sale this week

The pioneer of Chinese vehicles in Australia – Great Wall Motors – has delivered its biggest overhaul in more than 10 years, and is poised to shake-up the affordable end of the double-cab ute market.


The 2021 GWM Cannon is an all-new model with more technology than the segment leaders – and more equipment than the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 at a fraction of their price.

While Great Wall Motors will move away from its current bargain-basement $19,990 drive-way offers on its range of outdated vehicles, the new-generation GWM Cannon promises to undercut the competition by a significant margin.

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Three models in the GWM Cannon ute range – priced from $33,990 drive-away, $37,990 drive-away and $40,990 drive-away – are available for similar money as lower grades of the Mitsubishi Triton, but come with equipment found on $60,000-plus utes.

While the original Great Wall Motors utes got off to a bumpy start, with a two-star safety rating in 2009 – backed up by another “poor” two-star safety rating with an update released in 2016 – the GWM Cannon promises to make up for lost ground with a fully-loaded pick-up that will leave previous excuses behind.

The GWM Cannon is also likely to overshadow the LDV T60, the first ute out of China with a five-star safety rating (from 2017). However, the GWM Cannon has a longer list of standard equipment than even its closest Chinese rival.

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The GWM Cannon ute is yet to undergo a full round of crash safety assessment by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), however it has the technology needed to achieve a five-star result against the latest, more stringent criteria.

All three examples of the GWM Cannon ute will join the new-generation Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 with a centre airbag between the front seats, a requirement to be eligible for a five-star safety result in 2020 – and which prevents head injuries in severe side impact crashes.

If the GWM Cannon achieves a five-star safety score, it will have done something the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger utes are yet to achieve, as their five-star results were graded against older and less stringent criteria (in 2019 and 2015 respectively). 

As a result, the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger are missing much of the technology that will be standard in the new GWM Cannon.

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GWM Australia head of marketing, Steve Maciver, said: “We knew we had to come out with a strong offering, and that’s what we’ve done. But it’s a new nameplate and new brand to reflect a completely new model, so it will take some time to build awareness with potential buyers.”

Mr Maciver said the switch to the new GWM name from Great Wall Motors was not designed to disguise the vehicle’s origins.

“We are extremely confident in the quality of this vehicle and we believe the value will speak for itself. This is a new generation product, hence the new name,” said Mr Maciver.

For the detail-oriented, the steering wheel retains the Great Wall Motors logo, while the grille has a new symbol designed for the Cannon ute.

Drive understands GWM plans to almost double its Australian dealer network from 48 showrooms today, to 80 or so by this time next year – and the Cannon ute will play a crucial role in “kick-starting” the renamed brand.

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Although GWM is yet to outline where its new retail outlets will be located, the Cannon ute will be sold alongside an updated Haval H2 SUV and a new Haval H6 SUV next year.

The company says the GWM Cannon is targeting “value-conscious tradies and families who want a vehicle that’s built for work and play”, though it has not nominated which particular rival ute it wants to outsell.

“We don’t sit in a war room and target a particular brand or ute, but we are looking for significant growth next year and we believe this is the vehicle that will help deliver that,” said Mr Maciver.

“We’ve engineered the car to be as safe as possible, we’ve included every piece of safety technology available to us, but we need to wait for the assessment by ANCAP.”

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Drive understands testing has been scheduled for early next year. Until then, the vehicle will be listed by ANCAP as “unrated”.

GWM is also planning to introduce a range of factory-approved accessories including a bullbar, tow bar and protective equipment. However they will come on stream early next year.

A capped-price servicing program is yet to be established, and (after a first service at 5000km) the routine maintenance schedule is 10,000km or 12 months, whichever comes first. Most rival utes have 15,000km/12 month service intervals.

There will initially be three model grades in the 2021 GWM Cannon ute range, starting from $33,990 drive-away for the regular Cannon, climbing to $37,990 drive-away for the mid-grade Cannon-L, and $40,990 drive-away for the top-of-the-range Cannon X (pictured). 

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Unlike its rivals, all GWM Cannon models come standard with automatic transmission – normally a $2000 to $2500 option on other utes. 

Furthermore, the automatic gearbox is an eight-speed ZF transmission (in a class dominated by six- or seven-speed autos).

The GWM Cannon has a switchable four-wheel-drive system, as per most double-cab utes (which can only be used in 4WD in slippery conditions), and a rear differential lock. 

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All models come with four-wheel discs in a category where rear drums are the norm (the VW Amarok V6, LDV T60, Ssangyong Musso and Ford Ranger Raptor have four-wheel discs).

The GWM Cannon comes standard with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and five years roadside assistance.

With the exception of the Ssangyong Musso, which also has a seven-year warranty, the GWM Cannon ute has a longer factory warranty than the Isuzu D-Max (six years) and the rest of the ute field (Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok), all of which have five-year coverage.

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Under the bonnet of all versions of the GWM Cannon ute is a 2.0-litre diesel (120kW/400Nm) with a variable geometry turbocharger, and an upgraded air intake throttle and camshaft. 

Despite the upgrades, this output puts the GWM Cannon towards the back of the pack versus its rivals.

GWM Cannon 2.0T 120kW/400Nm

Toyota HiLux 2.8T 150kW/500Nm

Ford Ranger 2.0TT 157kW/500Nm

Isuzu D-Max 3.0T 140kW/450Nm

Mazda BT-50 3.0T 140kW/450Nm

Nissan Navara 2.3TT 140kW/450Nm

Mitsubishi Triton 2.4T 133kW/430Nm

VW Amarok 2.0TT 132kW/420Nm

VW Amarok 3.0TDV6 165kW/550Nm

VW Amarok 3.0TDV6 190kW/580Nm

LDV T60 2.8T 110kW/360Nm

LDV T60 2.0T 120kW/375Nm

Ssangyong Musso 2.2T 133kW/420Nm

The GWM Cannon is intended to have a towing capacity of 3000kg (with a tow ball down weight of 300kg). However, as this article was published, GWM had only provided documentation to Australian authorities for a 2250kg towing capacity.

The fuel economy rating label average is listed as 9.4L/100km, which is thirsty compared to most rivals.

The suspension set-up comprises a double wishbone design up front and leaf springs for the rear. Payload and gross combination mass were yet to be disclosed as they were still being assessed.

In addition to four-wheel disc brakes, the GWM Cannon is unique in the heavy duty segment with an electric park brake.

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Standard safety technology on all models includes:

Seven airbags, including a centre airbag between the front seats;

Forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection;

Lane departure warning;

Lane keeping assistance;

Lane change assistance;

Rear cross-traffic alert;

Adaptive cruise control (camera or radar based)

Traffic sign recognition and speed alert;

Stability control and anti-lock brakes;

Individual tyre pressure monitors;

Rear-view camera and sensors;

Nearside camera;

Collision automatic unlock;

Collision automatic fuel cut;

Hill start assist;

Hill descent control

Standard exterior equipment on all models includes:

18 inch alloy wheels (steel spare);

Body-coloured bumpers, wheel arches and mirror scalps;

Power adjustable door mirrors;

Dusk-sensing LED headlights;

Daytime running lights;

Fog lights;

Cornering lights;

Side steps;

‘Shark fin’ radio antenna

Standard interior equipment on all models includes:

Keyless entry;

Push button start;

Leather-like seats;

Air-conditioning;

Steering wheel audio controls;

Paddle shifters for the automatic transmission;

9-inch LCD infotainment touchscreen;

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto;

3.5-inch colour instrument cluster;

Power outlet in mirror housing for dash-cam;

12V power socket;

2 front USB ports and 1 rear USB port;

Driver’s sunglasses storage

GWM Cannon-L gains:

Sports bar;

Premium 18-inch alloy wheels;

Spray-on tubliner;

Spring-loaded tailgate;

Cargo ladder;

Leather-wrapped steering wheel;

Heated front seats;

Six-way power adjustable driver’s seat;

Digital air-conditioning control and rear air vents;

Front parking sensors;

360-degree view camera;

Chrome grille, door handles, and mirror scalps;

Electric folding door mirrors;

Roof rails;

Rear privacy glass;

Auto-dimming rear-view mirror;

220V power outlet

GWM Cannon-X gains:

Leather seats;

Tilt and reach adjustable steering;

7-inch colour instrument cluster;

Wireless phone charging;

Four-way power adjustable passenger seat;

Power assisted steering modes;

Door open warning;

Back seat splits 60/40;

Voice Recognition

Dimensions: 

Length: 5410mm

Height: 1934mm

Width: 1886mm

Wheelbase: 3230mm

Ground clearance: 194mm

Wading depth: 500mm

Approach angle: 27 degrees

Departure angle: 25 degrees

Rampover angle: 21.1 degrees

Payload: 953kg (model yet to be specified)

Towing capacity: 2250kg (aiming for 3000kg)

2021 GWM Ute Australian pricing

GWM Ute Cannon automatic – $33,990 drive-away

GWM Ute Cannon-L automatic – $37,990 drive-away

GWM Ute Cannon-X automatic – $40,990 drive-away

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Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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