GWM Shanhai Cannon takes aim at Australia
Bigger, tougher ute with turbo-petrol V6, diesel and hybrid powertrains firms for Oz, but King Kong ute off the menuThe GWM Ute range appears set to be bolstered by the bigger, more powerful Shanhai Cannon with GWM Australia executives remaining buoyant about a local launch.
As the Chinese vehicle importer continues to expand its Australian model range with the GWM Tank SUV brand and the GWM Ora EV brand, it also seeks to land an uppercut on premium dual-cab 4x4 ute rivals such as V6-powered VW Amarok and Ford Ranger.
GWM Australia head of communications Steve Maciver said the brand’s current Toyota HiLux-sized ute, simply called GWM Ute, has been performing well in the local market but there was scope to expand the offering.
“That [the Shanhai Cannon] is the car that we think may have some potential because what it does is offer us is a larger ute. [It’s] slightly larger than the existing ute,” he said.
Revealed in China last August, the Shanhai Cannon is offered in its domestic market with bigger, more powerful engines than the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (120kW/400Nm) that’s solely available in the GWM Ute currently on sale in Australia.
The Shanhai Cannon’s headline powertrain is a thumping 260kW/500Nm 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6, which may not be quite as potent as the 292kW/583Nm engine of the same type in the latest Ford Ranger Raptor, but the flagship GWM ute probably won’t cost $85,000-plus either.
Other engine options for the Shanhai twin-cab in China include a bigger 2.4-litre turbo-diesel (135kW/480Nm) and both powertrains offer a braked towing capacity of 3300kg, which is 500kg more than the existing GWM Ute but 200kg less than most rivals. Payload is unknown at present.
Local GWM reps were also very keen to talk about a hybrid powertrain for the Aussie market, which would give it a unique selling point.
“There is potentially another hybrid option sitting somewhere in between as well. So hybrid options are potentially on the cards for that ute and of course that’s of great interest to us if we can have it,” said Maciver.
Priced from around $50,000 in China, the Shanhai Cannon ute comes with a GWM-developed nine-speed automatic paired to a BorgWarner 4x4 system with locking rear diff.
The Chinese pick-up also features a rugged look punctuated by a US-style front-end design and is somewhat larger than the regular GWM Ute presently sold in Australia, measuring 5440mm long (+30mm), 1991mm wide (+57mm), 1924mm tall (+38mm) and riding on a longer 3350mm wheelbase (+120mm).
Its wading depth is 800mm – up from the GWM Ute’s 500mm – and the interior gets plenty of bling, including a big 14.6-inch central touch-screen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, power-operated leather-clad seats and more.
GWM Australia was previously looking at another pick-up to introduce Down Under, specifically the King Kong, but this vehicle now appears to be on the back-burner as the focus shifts to the Shanhai.
“So there are two larger ute options on the table for us, including the King Kong, which we’ve talked about. As discussions have moved on it’s probably looking more unlikely for us at this stage than likely,” said Maciver.
“It's essentially an extended version of the existing ute that we’ve got. And we’re not sure that’s really required.”
Since launching here in 2020, the GWM Ute has become a popular budget-priced ute for Aussie buyers and last year it comfortably outsold the VW Amarok in the 4x4 ute segment, where it also came within striking distance of the Nissan Navara.
A fully electric version of the GWM Ute is also on the cards to rival the pioneering, circa-$100,000 LDV eT60 after being previewed alongside its world debut in Shanghai back in 2019.
But GWM appears to taking its time with its EV ute and we still don’t have a clear picture of when it will roll into local dealerships.
“We’ve talked about electrification of that ute for the best part of four years now and that development continues,” said Maciver, who refused to be drawn on timing.
“We’re not in a position to confirm anything more at this stage other than to say that continues.”
Related: 2023 GWM Shanhai Cannon ute detailed
Related: GWM King Kong ute trademarked for Australia
Related: Flagship GWM Ute set for turbo V6 power
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