GWM X Cannon fires shot at Ford F-150
Full-size Chinese pick-up with brawny 750Nm V6 turbo hybrid powertrain could be headed Down UnderIf you thought Chinese car-makers were only targeting the mid-size one-tonne ute market dominated by the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, think again.
The GWM X Cannon is a full-size pick-up designed to take on US-built vehicles such as the V8-powered RAM 1500.
And it’s understood GWM Australia is looking at a business case to potentially bring the big new truck Down Under.
Revealed in full at Auto Shanghai 2021 this week, the GWM X Cannon would also be a competitor for American automotive icons such as the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado, as well as the US-built Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan.
According to reports in China, the new model will be offered with the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 as the Tank 300, which is also currently under study for introduction in Australia.
Together with an electric motor and a nine-speed automatic transmission, the V6 hybrid powertrain is good for a claimed 380kW and 750Nm, which would certainly give the 291kW/556Nm 5.7-litre petrol V8 in the RAM 1500 a run for its money.
Like its direct rivals, the RAM 1500 can tow up to 4500kg – a tonne more than the smaller but more common dual-cab 4x4 utes favoured by Aussies, such as the Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton, Isuzu D-MAX and Nissan Navara.
Technical specifications of the big new GWM X Cannon dual-cab are not yet known, but it’s understood it shares its 4x4 ladder frame with the Tank 300.
However, reports suggest it will employ independent suspension all round – not load-friendly leaf springs at the rear, as seen in its rivals and all of Australia’s most popular utes except the Navara.
Perhaps negating that, it’s understood both adaptive damping and adjustable air suspension – as seen in the new breed of full-size US pick-up EVs coming from Tesla and Rivian – will be available for the X Cannon, allowing ride height to be altered to suit various loads and conditions.
And if the GWM X Cannon gets the same 4WD system as the Tank 300, it will offer high- and low-ratio 4x4 gearing, centre and rear differential locks, hill descent control and several other terrain modes.
Stay tuned for more details.
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