GWM Cannon Ultra 2025 Review

Priced at $43,490 drive away, the 2025 GWM Cannon Ultra is the second most affordable model in the revised, revamped and renamed 4x4 dual-cab ute line-up.

Where there were seven models priced from $31,990 to $46,990 drive away according to the final price list issued by GWM for the old Cannon Ute (yes, Ute was formerly part of the name), there are now four priced from $40,490 to $49,990 drive away.

There are no longer two 4x2s propping up the range and the Cab Chassis is temporarily missing.

Cannon Ute-L has become Lux, Ute-X has become Ultra, while Vanta and XSR badges drop the Ute bit and carry on. Prices are up by as much as $5000 for the Ultra and Vanta, $4000 for the Lux and $3000 for the XSR.

It sounds like a lot, but those were pretty low run-out prices and GWM argues – with plenty of merit – there’s been a big equipment boost.

Consider also Cannon pricing has topped out before you even get to the cheapest Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux or Isuzu D-Max 4x4 ladder-frame dual-cab 4x4.

Sure, the Cannon’s pricing is in line with fellow Chinese disruptors, the JAC T9 and LDV T60, as well as the Korean SsangYong Musso. But GWM is definitely pushing to get these utes on quality and performance as well as price. Or Mazda BT-50, Mitsubishi Triton or Nissan Navara for that matter, once you add on-road costs.

So what are the big ticket items coming with the new GWM Cannon? At the top of the list is a new 2.4-litre turbo-diesel engine and nine-speed auto – already seen in the Cannon Alpha and about to launch in the Tank 300 - replacing the old 2.0/eight-speed combo. More power, torque and a reduced fuel consumption claim are the result. The BorgWarner permanent 4x4 system continues on in all models bar the XSR, which has a part-time set-up and adds a front diff lock.

There’s also been a 300kg bump in braked towing capacity to 3500kg – bringing the Cannon in line with Ranger et al.

Externally, there’s a new nose, bonnet and tailgate. The fascia has been dechromed and a GWM logo embossed on the tailgate. Inside there’s a new 12.3-inch infotainment touch-screen, 7.0-inch digital instrument panel and a cooled wireless phone charger, while the rear seat now split folds and flips and there are three pre-wired 12V accessory switches – an initiative campaigned for by GWM Australia.

Key Ultra exterior features shared with the $40,490 Lux include 18-inch alloys (the Ultra has a different design) fitted with highway rubber, a full-size spare, tyre pressure and temperature monitoring, a chrome sports bar, LED headlights with auto high beam, side steps, roof rails and a spray-in bedliner.

Inside they share a new multi-function steering wheel, single-zone climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (which was hesitant to connect in our test car) and an AM/FM and digital radio.

Shared safety gear includes seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, driver monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, rear collision warning and braking and rear parking sensors.

There are two child seat top tethers and ISOFIX mounts in the rear seat. A 2021 five-star ANCAP rating is expected to roll over.

Key standard features Ultra adds over Lux include leather-accented seats, front seat power, heating and cooling, steering wheel heating, ambient lighting, a sunroof (a ute rarity), tailgate step, rear privacy glass, an auto-dimming rear mirror, a 360-degree camera and front parking sensors.

Features Ultra misses out on compared to the $45,490 Vanta are black pack cosmetics – wheels, sports bar, side steps etc.

The flagship of the range, the $49,990 XSR, is off in its own orbit. It is much more off-road focussed than the rest of the line-up, but it also deducts some driver assist features including emergency lane keeping and rear cross-traffic alert.

So, what’s missing across the line-up? Embedded satellite-navigation is the obvious one, so bring your smartphone.

There are six paint options, five of which cost $595 extra.

GWM is backing up the Cannon’s low pricing with comprehensive ownership support … there’s a seven-year warranty, five years of roadside assist and five years of capped-price servicing. Pre-facelift MY25 Cannons cost just over $2000 over five years for servicing and the next vehicle is expected to hold at that number or creep up slightly.

That’s very competitive in this segment.

The drivetrain is undoubtedly the most important and positive change made to the 2025 GWM Cannon Ultra. There is absolutely no doubting how much harder and cleaner it pulls courtesy of its extra 15kW and 80Nm. Like the 2.0 it’s also not that noisy. In fact, wind noise off the bluff body and big mirrors and a bit of tyre noise is the more obvious factor at higher speeds and lower revs.

It’s not in the class of the Ford Ranger V6, but no other ute engine is either.

We chucked a 650kg load in the back of the Ultra to assess what impact that would have and the new engine stood up to the test well. Where the 2.0 would struggle under such a weight, the 2.4 still felt capable and pretty eager.

The claimed fuel economy improvement was also verified on test, over more than 400km including freeway, highway, country roads, off-road and when load hauling. We also flipped through stodgy Eco, default Normal and moderately aggressive Sport driving modes where appropriate.

The overall average came out at 8.8L/100km. Back in 2021, the 2.0 averaged 11L/100km on test (although it should be said, not on an identical route or with a load).

So let’s break that fuel consumption down for you:
• Freeway: 6.6L/100km
• Rising and falling country roads driven enthusiastically: 11.5L/100km
• Country road cruising: 8.3L/100km
• Off-road/gravel road and then low-range serious stuff: 20.2L/100km
• Country road/freeway: 7.4L/100km
• Load hauling: 11.1L/100km

What really stood out was the efficiency of the Ultra when cruising and locked into ninth gear, ambling along at 1600rpm at 100km/h. The trip computer average dropped like a stone.

The new GWM-designed auto is a fraction less busy at low speeds while accelerating than the 10-speed in the Ford Ranger, but the changes are felt and there’s a bit of meshing and clonking occasionally. Manual mode is exercised by paddle shifters that have a tiny operating range but blur through the changes efficiently enough.

Chucking a load onboard also helped verify the Ultra’s suspension is pretty well tuned. There has been some shock absorber work done for this update but other aspects of the Cannon’s classic ladder-frame ute layout – double wishbones up-front and leaf springs and a live axle at the rear – are untouched.

Unladen behaviour was fundamentally good, although some ute frame shake and some jigginess on ruts was apparent.

The extra load definitely settled it down. It was smoother, stuck better to the road and its nose stayed low enough despite the weight balance shift to the rear – and the steering still felt well and truly connected. The Cannon is a natural understeerer anyway, so the load just accentuated that trait a bit.

You’ll notice we listed some off-road fuel numbers above. Yep, the Cannon Ultra visited the legendary carsales mogul test to see how it fared.

It was no good in high-range 4x4, where wheels quickly started spinning even with traction control still in-place. Switch to low range and a locked rear diff (which means traction control off) and the Ultra motored up calmly – highway tyres and all. Ground clearance, especially the side skirts, was the most obvious issue.

The locked diff is very tight and therefore painfully graunchy in even a loose turn. First gear low range is very low, almost negating the need for downhill assist.

For under $45,000 the interior of the Ultra is positively pampering with its leather bits and bobs, nice trim and even some softness to the touch points.

Legroom and headroom is good front and rear for taller people, even with the sunroof lowering much of the roof height. There is decent storage front and rear – in the latter there are air-conditioning vents and USB-A outlets that add that extra bit of comfort. Flipping and folding rears seats are a very good flexibility feature.

Up front the steering column adjusts for reach and rake – if somewhat begrudgingly – and there is enough adjustment for most people to get themselves comfortable, while the seat height adjust also brings you closer to the wheel. One shallow and one deep cupholder between the seats is a nice touch.

The driver is also assisted by a vast array of clear-resolution camera angles including a see-through view. The Ultra is more than 5.4m long so they do help greatly when manoeuvring.

The rise in braked towing capacity to 3500kg doesn’t come at the total loss of useable payload (note Toyota!). By our calculation there is still 470kg to work with if you are towing at the max rating. Whether you actually should do that with any one-tonne ute is another question.

And speaking of one tonne, maximum payload actually dips to 995kg for the Ultra. GWM says that’s intentional to make it eligible for novated leasing. The tailgate is now lockable, retains the handy pop-out step and is supported by struts (as is the bonnet). All good features.

For all the benefits the new engine delivers, it retains one unhappy trait from the old 2.0: tip-in throttle lag. It really is a bit unpredictable if you are going to get full-throated response, no response or – most likely – a mild response. That makes the commitment to a busy intersection a bit nerve-wracking.

On the chassis side it’s the massive 13m turning circle which really isn’t much of a help. It just makes it such hard work in tight spaces. Thankfully the steering can be adjusted through three modes – Light please! The other two just weighted things up, not that the steering was ever unpleasant.

And while it’s not a make-or-break issue, once you get into the tray it’s pretty basic with only four hooks and no lighting. The gap between the wheel arches remains too narrow to fit an Aussie pallet.

Inside the cabin there is too much focus on controlling items through the screen. The audio volume is adjusted by a slider in a drop-down menu or a pad on the steering wheel. Thankfully there are still physical buttons for the air-con.

The rest of our Cannon Ultra negatives are really all about detail calibration. But really, it’s so much better in this regard than the old version; it’s night and day.

The lane keeping remains too intrusive. But at least now there is a shortcut in the touchscreen to easily turn it off – sadly each time the vehicle is started. Other intrusions like speed and driver monitoring can be switched off once and stay off.

The auto braking is uncouth, graunching obviously when pulling up autonomously. Haven’t heard that kind of noise out of a new car in years.

The indicators. OMG! It might just be me, but I just seem to spend endless amounts of time driving in a straight line trying to get them to turn off. It’s either not enough pressure on the stalk or too much.

It would also be nice if the cruise control stalk wasn’t hidden behind the left-hand steering wheel spoke. I prefer to see the buttons I’m pressing. Happily though, its cornering speed adjustment function can be switched off permanently.

And can a hood be added to the new digital instrument panel? Direct sunlight on the screen exposes all the warning lights, blinker arrows and the fuel gauge increments. Disconcerting and potentially misleading.

While most of the funky and oddball messaging has been dispensed with (back in 2021 Chinese writing popped up on the infotainment screen), there is still some weirdness. Can anyone tell me what Flameout Unlocking, Doubling Assist and Wisdom Dodge are? Chinglish at its best.

The 2025 GWM Cannon Ultra makes a pretty darn good argument for abandoning the expensive utes that lead the segment. It is a fantastic offer to buyers and a bit terrifying for the established Kings.

Consider this. In 2021 the GWM Cannon was a decent first effort at a seriously good price. Being able to afford it helped buyers forgive its foibles.

Just four years on there’s little need for apologies or forgiveness. The Cannon has been substantially improved, yet the pricing, even before adjustment for inflation or the added equipment, remains razor sharp.

These guys are serious, quick learners and out to win you over. To be honest, it’s impossible to come up with a substantive reason why you shouldn’t have the GWM Cannon high on your dual-cab shopping list ahead of many much more expensive rivals.

2024 GWM Cannon Ultra at a glance:
Price: $43,490 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 135kW/480Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 221g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)

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