For the second time in three months, GWM Australia has bumped up the pricing of the GWM Ute by $1000 across the range as the budget Chinese brand battles against what it describes as increasing “supply chain cost pressures”.
Mirroring price hikes applied to GWM Australia’s Haval SUV line-up, namely the Haval Jolion and Haval H6, the GWM Ute copped a $1000 increase back in October 2021 and, with this latest move, the dual-cab now starts at $34,990 drive-away for the 2022 GWM Ute Canon 4x2.
The Canon 4x4 version adds $2000, while the mid-range Canon-L 4x4 is up to $40,490 drive-away and the range tops out with the Canon-X 4x4 at $43,490 drive-away.
That means the GWM Ute now costs $3000 more than when it launched late in 2020, and while it remains competitive on price with the rest of the ‘challenger’ utes on the market, it no longer has a distinct advantage against all of its major rivals.
For example, the 4x4 version of the GWM Ute Canon is now up to the same mark as the soon-to-be-updated SsangYong Musso ELX ($36,990 drive-away).
The 4x4 Canon still manages to undercut the new LDV T60 Max Pro ($37,884 drive-away), however it should be noted the LDV offers significantly more power and torque – 120kW/400Nm versus 160kW/500Nm.
The GWM Ute also still significantly undercuts the most affordable 4x4 automatic-equipped dual-cab alternatives from the segment heavyweights, including the Mitsubishi Triton GLX that starts at $42,140 plus on-road costs.
GWM’s low drive-away pricing, attractive seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and significant improvements in vehicle specification and quality were reflected in its sales performance in the 4x4 ute segment last year, where it recorded 6742 sales compared to 6705 for the LDV T60 and 1883 for the SsangYong Musso.
How much does the 2022 GWM Ute cost?
Canon 4x2 – $34,990
Canon 4x4 – $36,990
Canon-L 4x4 – $40,490
Canon-X 4x4 – $43,490
* All prices are drive-away (including on-road costs)