The name Great Wall immediately identifies the origins of the range of utilities that first went on sale here in 2009. They were the first serious attempt by Chinese automakers to gain a foothold into the Australian market.
That original Great Wall dual cab 4×4 ute initially made a name for itself with a sub-$30,000 drive-away price. The later model, named the Steed, continued the trend, just, at $29,990.
While plenty of tradies took the opportunity to cut their costs, they did so with an element of risk, given the vehicle’s two-star ANCAP rating, based mainly on structural weaknesses.
The latest GWM comes in three variants: Cannon, Cannon-L and Cannon-X. All are dual cabs powered by an upgraded 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine driving through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. The entry-level Cannon comes with the choice of two- or four-wheel drive. The L and X variants are 4WD only.
Our test vehicle was the top-of-the-range Cannon-X
STYLING
First impression with the GWM Cannon is its size. Its longer and taller than its big-selling competitors such as the HiLux, Ranger, BT-50, Triton and D-Max. Only the current RAM 1500 and the upcoming Ford F-150 are bigger.
It’s also a big step forward in styling compared with the bland looks of the Steed. The giant three-bar chrome radiator grille dominates the front of the Cannon. The large circular logo in the centre is a stylised letter ‘P’ for Poer, the ute’s name in China.
All models get 18-inch alloy wheels with a luxury rim in the L and X. The two high spec models also add a stainless-steel sports bar, hydraulic tail gate and a clever cargo ladder that comes out from the back of the tailgate. Very handy, given the vehicle’s size.
There are five external colours to choose from, only white is standard the other four are costed options.
INFOTAINMENT
Display is through a 9.0-inch LCD touchscreen in the centre of the dashboard with the most used features such as sound volume and air con. There’s wired smartphone mirroring for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM radio but no digital. Only the Cannon-X has voice recognition.
There’s no embedded satellite navigation although it can be accessed through Google maps and the like.
At the base of the dashboard there’s a 12-volt outlet, two USB ports and, in the X only, a wireless smartphone charging pad. There’s a third USB port and a second 12V socket in the rear as well as another USB slot at the top of the windscreen for dash cameras.
ENGINES / TRANSMISSIONS
The 2.0-litre turbo-diesel engine is new for the Cannon and provides 120 kW of power and torque up to 400 Nm. It’s also more fuel efficient than the Steed with a listed 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres km from the 2WD Cannon and 9.4 L/100km from 4WDs.
Transmission is supplied by an eight-speed German-designed ZF automatic transmission is augmented, in the 4WD models, with its torque on demand Borg Warner transfer case and rear differential lock.
SAFETY
The good news is that all previous problems have been addressed and the GWM Cannon now gets a five-star ANCAP rating.
It has seven airbags; stability and traction control; adaptive cruise control; forward collision warning; autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection; automatic door unlock and fuel cut on collision; lane departure warning; lane keep assist; lane change assist; rear cross traffic alert; reverse and passenger kerb-side cameras; rear parking sensors; traffic sign recognition and over-speed alert; hill-start assist and hill-descent control.
The Cannon-L and X add front parking sensors and a 360-degree around view camera.
DRIVING
Around town the big ute is a bit of a handful not helped by its 13.1-metre turning circle. It takes up a fair bit of space in parking bays but fortunately, in the Cannon-X that we tested, the 360-degree camera plus front and rear parking sensors combined to keep us out of trouble. Although engine outputs have been increased over those from the previous Steed it’s still only a 2.0-litre engine powering a big vehicle so performance doesn’t match its better-credentialed competitors. Having said that the ZF eight-speed transmission does get the best out of it. It’s fairly sluggish of the mark with a fair bit of turbo lag. It can be overcome to a large extent by using the steering wheel mounted shift paddles.
SUMMING UP
If anyone asks us about the GWM Cannon our first piece of advice would be to forget about everything that’s come before it from Great Wall.
This is a well-equipped and capable vehicle with a long list of safety features contributing to its maximum ANCAP rating.
Dual cab ute sales have been booming for the past three or four years, largely because of their versatility with most doubling up as family transport, albeit with a tray in the rear instead of a boot.
With prices that seriously undercut those of its mainstream competitors and its seven-year unlimited distance warranty to overcome quality fears the GWM Cannon is certainly worth consideration.
