GWM King Kong Cannon unleashed

The GWM King Kong Cannon has broken loose in China, exposing an extended tray and a new front-end design compared to its GWM Ute 4x4 dual-cab cousins in Australia.

Revealed ahead of its global debut that’s set to take place at the Guangzhou motor show later this month, the 2022 GWM King Kong Cannon is not quite a RAM 1500 or Chevrolet Silverado rival, like the bigger GWM X Cannon.

But like that model, the King Kong Cannon is under consideration for the Aussie market.

While details are scarce, automotive media in China is reporting the stretched ute will measure up to 5635mm long with the extended tub and will be powered by fairly modest 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines – a 120kW turbo-diesel and 140kW turbo-petrol.

The payload is reportedly only 500kg.

However, the new-look King Kong Cannon comes with high-tech matrix LED headlights, LED tail-lights, a rear sports bar and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with rugged Cooper Discoverer AT3 tyres.

While it’s early days for the new King Kong ute – a name that would likely be changed if it received the green light for sale in Australia – GWM Australia has made no secret of its desire to expand its dual-cab ute offering here.

“There’s a huge amount of models produced there [in China] … and you’re going to see quite a few new additions to the ute range and the line-up over the next 12 to 18 months,” said a source close to the importer.

carsales understands that a stretched version of the GWM Ute is on the agenda to rival the likes of the long-wheelbase SsangYong Musso XLV, however a tough truck such as the GWM Baja Snake is believed to be top priority.

The bigger RAM 1500-sized X Cannon dual-cab ute, with its powerful turbo-petrol V6 (260kW/500Nm), is also on the agenda and a hybrid V6 with a show-stopping 380kW/750Nm is in the mix as well.

The GWM King Kong Cannon joins other models with animal-themed nameplates as candidates for sale in Australia, including the Haval Big Dog and GWM ORA Cat.