With the landing of its Cannon Alpha plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in Australia, Great Wall Motors has shot its big ute into a leading spot in the segment, the Chinese maker claiming the PHEV sets a new yardstick in performance, range, and capabilities for electrified vehicles in the segment.
GWM’s second model to enter the growing PHEV market in Australia, following the Haval H6GT PHEV, the Cannon Alpha PHEV comes in two variants, the Lux and Ultra on the market for $63,990 and $68,990 respectively, driveaway.
The maker claims the Ultra (on test) has an EV range of 110km (even off road and in 4WD) and a combined ICE and EV touring range of 880km, utilising the 75-litre petrol tank. Charging times from a DC fast charger are reckoned at 24 minutes from 30 to 80 per cent charge.
The Cannon Alpha PHEV is backed by GWM’s comprehensive customer-care program offering an eight-year unlimited kilometre battery pack warranty, seven-year unlimited kilometre new car warranty, seven-year roadside assistance with 24/7 support, and seven years capped price servicing.
STYLING
On first glance, the Cannon PHEV is instantly recognisable, if not for all the right reasons. The spare wheel sits up to the right of the tub (blame the battery pack), taking up precious load space, while the split tailgate, on test, was an open-and shut case – press the button once to drop the lot, or twice to split it. Sometimes it went to script, others not so.
Up in size compared to the ICE Cannon ute, just shy of five-and-a-half metres long (13.1m turning circle), with a tidy 3350mm wheelbase, the Cannon Alpha leaves Ranger, D-Max and HiLux in the shade. A panoramic sunroof, on the other hand, opens up the cabin to the great outdoors.
INTERIOR
The Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV is decidedly commercial vehicle plush, with quality features including leather accented seats, driver’s seat eight-way electric adjustment, front passenger seat six ways, heated/ventilated/massage front seats.
Heated/ventilated rear outer seats have a recline function and two-way electric adjustment. Surprisingly, leg room is not limited by the adjustments. Oh, and there’s a heated steering wheel and a twee analogue clock in the centre stack.
Up front, decor is de rigueur for a big ute with panelling across the dashboard, while piano black and satin metallic-looking section are suckers for smudges and spots. Cupholders take up positions down near the centre console, and a wireless charging pad under a sliding panel. Power outlets are easy to get at.
INFOTAINMENT
The Lux grade includes 360-degree view monitor, 12.3-inch full-colour driver instrument cluster and similar-size touch screen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, plus front and rear USB outlets
Ultra adds nice touches with a 14.6-inch full-colour touchscreen infotainment system in place of the Lux 12.3-inch display.
Also upgraded are premium Infinity audio system with 10 speakers and amplifier, wireless phone charger (front and rear) and head-up windscreen display. There are physical controls on the steering wheel, and volume controls on the swipe-down, but a volume knob wouldn’t go astray.
The Cannon Alpha plug-in hybrid’s infotainment system does allow for a lot of special controls around the powertrain – camping modes, power preservation, charging cycles and energy consumption.
ENGINES/TRANSMISSIONS
Powered by GWM’s Hi4-T Plug-in Hybrid EV technology and equipped with a 37.1kWh ternary lithium battery, the 2-litre turbo-petrol engine delivers a combined 300kW of power and 750Nm of torque.
The two ternary lithium batteries under the Cannon Alpha of 15.2kWh and 21.9kWh add up to total battery capacity of 37.11kWh.
Paired with GWM’s nine-speed automatic transmission, it offers up to 110km of pure EV driving range, with a combined range of 880km – 10 per cent more than its nearest rival.
GWM’s 9AT gearbox is no bigger than a conventional six-speed auto. Despite this, the unit achieves an impressive 97 per cent efficiency by utilising a lower viscosity gearbox oil and is engineered to handle a maximum of 750Nm.
SAFETY
The all-new Cannon Alpha PHEV has received the maximum five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program, following months of close collaboration between GWM and ANCAP.
Contributing to the top rating are seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, AEB junction assist, lane change assist and lane keeping assist, hill descent control and rear collision warning.
DRIVING
For a start (literally), setting off in the Cannon Alpha PHEV can be something of a mystery with acceleration – from pedestrian to spritely – out of proportion to the pressure on the pedal. Initial response was not without a deal of lag.
Open road fuel consumption on test was recorded at 26.8kWh per 100km and 0.7 litres per 100km. The multimedia screen displays charging status and time, as does the GWM app. Filling the fuel tank with petrol is per ICE vehicles.
The system has multiple modes to suit drive conditions such as EV priority, full EV and intelligent modes. The Hi4T technology allows the engine to remain in EV mode in 4×4 high range mode, in addition to supporting EV-only driving at highway speeds, a first for the segment.
Alpha PHEV in EV mode is primarily rear-wheel drive. Lock into 4×4 and the transfer case directs a 50:50 split front-to-rear. Off road, 4×4 is easily engaged via a centre-console push button.
The battery supports DC fast charging of up to 50kW, enabling a rapid 30 to 80 per cent charge in just 26 minutes. When using an AC home charger, the battery recharges from near empty to full in approximately 6.5 hours.
Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities of up to 3.3kW output is included and enables the Cannon Alpha to provide AC power to devices and some home appliances.
Class-leading 3500kg maximum braked towing capacity is carried over from ICE models, while an impressive 800mm water wading depth and 224mm of ground clearance ensure flexibility and versatility.
SUMMARY
For those wishing to take an each-way bet on electric vehicles taking over the automotive world and with public charging infrastructure lagging, the plug-in hybrid – external chargeable electric power with ICE back-up – is an early favourite and the GWM Alpha PHEV well handicapped.
RATINGS
Looks: 7
Performance: 6
Safety: 8
Thirst: 7
Practicality: 8
Comfort: 7
Tech: 8
Value: 8
