GWM Ute Review 2021

The Great Wall brand in Australia has a mixed reputation. But one thing has always remained the same - first of all, it plays on value and accessibility.

This new 2021 GWM Ute, which may also be known as the 2021 Great Wall Cannon, could change that. Because the new 4x4 double cab pickup truck is not only value oriented, it's also very good.

It takes the brand to the next level. Basically, it takes it to a different world compared to older models; the world of famous players. 

That's because you can easily see it as a close price competitor to the LDV T60 and SsangYong Musso, but you can also see it as a real budget alternative to the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-. 50. It even has some attributes that are prettier than most of these cliffs.

Read on as we tell you about the new 2021 GWM Ute.

GWM UTE 2021: Cannon-L (4X4)
Safety Rating
engine's type	2.0 L turbo
fuel type	Diesel
Fuel efficiency	9.4l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$26,500

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 9/10

Previously, you could buy a Great Wall for only twenty thousand - and go! However, that is no longer the case… well, not with the GWM Ute, which has seen a significant price increase but is still one of the most affordable double cab XNUMXxXNUMXs on the market.

The three-tier GWM Ute line starts with the entry-level Cannon variant, which is priced at $33,990.

That price gets you 18-inch alloy wheels, body-color bumpers, LED headlights with LED DRLs and active fog lights, side steps, power mirrors, keyless entry, push-button start, and a shark fin antenna.

All GWM models are equipped with LED headlights with LED DRLs. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

Inside, it features Eco-leather seats, manual air conditioning, carpeted flooring, and a polyurethane steering wheel with paddle shifters for the automatic transmission. Even in this class, you get a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a quad-speaker stereo and AM/FM radio. A second 3.5-inch screen is located in the driver's binnacle and includes a digital speedometer and trip computer. 

Inside is a 9.0-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The base Cannon model also has a dash cam USB outlet, three USB ports and a 12V outlet in the rear, as well as directional rear seat vents.

Step up to the $37,990 Cannon L and you'll get a few welcome additions for an extra charge. Cannon L is the machine you see in the video review.

The Cannon L is selectable on the outside thanks to its "premium" 18-inch alloy wheels (which it shares with the model above it), while at the rear you get an aerosol bath liner, a sports steering wheel and a light-weight up-and-down tailgate, retractable cargo ladder and roof rails on the roof. 

The Cannon L wears "premium" 18-inch alloy wheels. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

Inside, there are heated front seats, a power driver's seat, a leather steering wheel, and climate control air conditioning (single zone), an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, tinted rear windows, an audio system jumping to a six-speaker unit.

The top model GWM Ute Cannon X breaks the $40,990 psychological barrier with a starting price of $XNUMX.

However, the top-of-the-range model has some pretty upmarket trim: quilted leather seat trim, quilted leather door trim, power adjustment for both front seats, wireless phone charger, voice recognition, and a 7.0-inch digital driver screen. Up front, a redesigned center console layout is also visible, which is smarter than in lower grades.

Cannon X seats are upholstered in quilted genuine leather. (pictured is the Cannon X variant)

In addition, the rear seat folds in a ratio of 60:40, and also has a folding armrest. The cab additionally gets reach steering adjustment (which really should be standard across all classes - lower specs only have tilt adjustment instead), and the driver also has a choice of steering modes.

The rear seat folds 60:40. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

So what about standard security technologies? In the past, Great Wall models have largely dispensed with the protective gear found on regular models. This is no longer the case - see the safety section for breakage.

Colors available for the GWM Ute line include Pure White for free, while Crystal Black (as shown in our video), Blue Saphire, Scarlet Red, and Pittsburgh Silver add $595 to the price. 

Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10

The brand new GWM Ute is a big unit. It looks like a truck, thanks in part to the huge tall grille, and you should love that all GWM Ute models come with LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, and LED taillights, and the front lighting is also automatic. . 

In my opinion, it took inspiration from the Toyota Tacoma and Tundra models, and even resembles the current HiLux, with such a front design offering a bold appeal. And if you're wondering what that big symbol on the grille means, that's the Chinese model brand for this car - in its home market, Ute goes by the "Poer" model name, while in other markets it's called the "P Series."

The brand new GWM Ute is a big unit. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The profile is dominated by eye-catching 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Cooper tires – nice. And it's a pretty eye-catching side view - not too lush, not too busy, just the normal look of a pickup truck. 

The rear end has a neat and tidy look, although some may not like the crisp taillight treatment.

The gun is quite attractive. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

My favorite features are in the back, including the atomizer liner/tray, which is much better than a rubber or plastic liner - it provides more durability, protects the paint, and never looks too fitted like some plastic liners do.

In addition, the Cannon L and Cannon X models also have a great luggage compartment step that slides out from the top of the trunk with racks, which means you don't have to do yoga stretches before trying to stand on the trunk. 

The Cannon L and Cannon X models have a great tailgate step. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

Now it's big, this new ute. It is 5410mm long, has a wheelbase of 3230mm 1934mm and is 1886mm high and XNUMXmm wide, which means it’s about the same size as a Ford Ranger if you’re wondering. 

There is no off-road visibility for this early run-and-loan test, but if you want to know the important angles, here they are: approach angle - 27 degrees; departure angle - 25 degrees; tilt / camber angle - 21.1 degrees (without load); clearance mm - 194mm (with load). Want to know how it performs off-road? Stay tuned, we'll do an Adventure review soon.

The interior design is vastly superior to anything we've seen in Great Wall models of yesteryear. This is a modern interior design with a large 9.0-inch multimedia screen that dominates the design and much higher quality materials than before. Finishing isn't as eye-catching in low-to-mid-range models, but the top-of-the-line Cannon X quilted leather trim is perfect for those who want a bit of luxury for little money.

The interior design is vastly superior to anything we've seen in Great Wall models of yesteryear. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

Read the next section to see what the interior looks like from a practical standpoint and check out our interior images below.

How practical is the interior space? 7/10

Big outside, spacious inside. This is a good way to describe GWM Ute.

In fact, if we start from the back seat, it's fair to say that Cannon's new lineup is one of the most spacious in the class, with enough room for a person of my height - 182cm or 6ft 0in - plenty of room. With the driver's seat set up for me, I had ample room for my toes, knees and head in the back row, and there was good width in the cabin too - plus there's not a huge amount of penetration into the transmission tunnel, so three adults won't be a problem.

There is plenty of room in the back seat. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

If you intend to use the ute to transport children, there are double ISOFIX child seat anchorages and two top tether points. These are not fabric loops - this is a fixed steel anchor in the rear wall of the cabin. The Cannon X's clever 60:40 rear seat layout is something that may appeal to some buyers, especially those with kids.

There are two points of the upper cable. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

Nice touches for rear passengers include directional air vents, a USB charging port and a 220V outlet for charging devices, while there are card pockets and bottle holders in the doors, but no fold-down armrest in the lower two classes. and no rear cupholders in any configuration.

There are directional vents on the back. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

There's a decent amount of driver's seat adjustment up front, but again, the lack of reach steering wheel adjustment on the Cannon and Cannon L models seems like a drastic cost cut since it should be standard if you can get it. 

I found myself unable to get the perfect driving position due to the lack of reach adjustment on the Cannon L, and there are a few other ergonomic features as well. Things like buttons to display driver information - the "OK" button on the steering wheel requires a three-second press to display the menu - and the actual usability of it is a little off the mark, as it's apparently impossible to get digital speed. readings to stay on screen when you have an active lane.

The OK button on the wheel requires a three second press to display the menu. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

You also need to go through the screen to adjust these settings and Lane Keeping Assist will be enabled by default every time you start the car. Plus a digital display for the A/C temperature setpoint - rather than via a screen - would be nice, and seat heating is activated by a button on the console, but you need to adjust the level via the screen. Not great.

That said, the screen is mostly excellent - fast, crisp on display, and fairly easy to learn, but it's especially good if you plan on using it primarily as a mirror for your smartphone. I've had no problems connecting Apple CarPlay across multiple drives, which is more than I can say about some competing devices. The sound system is also ok.

There's reasonable storage space, with a pair of cup holders between the seats, bottle holders and recesses in the doors, as well as a small storage compartment in front of the gear lever and a closed center console with an armrest cover. This armrest is annoying in the Cannon and Cannon L models as it moves forward too easily, meaning the slightest tilt can push it forward. In Cannon X, the console is better and stronger. 

Between the front seats there are a pair of cup holders. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The glovebox is reasonable, there's a sunglasses holder for the driver, and overall it's good for interior practicality, but doesn't set any new benchmarks. 

Materials are where things seem a little cheaper, especially in the Cannon and Cannon L. The faux leather seat trim isn't very convincing, while the leather trim on the steering wheel (Cannon L up) isn't impressive either. Although I like the design of the steering wheel - it looks like an old Jeep or even a PT Cruiser. Not sure if this was intentional or not.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 7/10

Under the hood of the GWM Ute is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine. We know that sounds small, and the power output isn't huge either. 

GWM reports that the diesel mill delivers 120 kW of power (at 3600 rpm) and 400 Nm of torque (from 1500 to 2500 rpm). These numbers are lower than most competitors in the mainstream ute scene, but in practice the ute has a pretty strong response.

The four-cylinder turbodiesel develops 120 kW/400 Nm of power. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The GWM Ute is only equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all models have paddle shifters. It has an on-demand all-wheel drive system (4WD or 4×4), with the drive mode selector essentially dictating the action. In eco mode, the ute will run in 4x2/RWD, while in standard/normal and sport modes it drives all four wheels. All trims also have a lowering transfer case and a rear differential lock.

GWM Ute has Eco, Std/Normal and Sport modes. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The curb weight of the GWM Ute is 2100 kg, which is a lot. But it has a towing capacity of 750kg for unbraked loads and 3000kg for braked trailers, which is below the standard in the 3500kg segment.

The Gross Vehicle Weight (GVM) for ute is 3150kg and the Gross Train Weight (GCM) is 5555kg, depending on the brand.

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How much fuel does it consume? 7/10

The official combined fuel consumption figure for the Great Wall Cannon lineup is 9.4 liters per 100 kilometers, which is not bad, considering that this is a truck weighing more than two tons.

In our tests, which included city, highway, country road and country driving, we saw a real fuel economy figure of 9.9 l / 100 km at a gas station. 

The official fuel consumption in the combined cycle is 9.4 liters per 100 kilometers. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The fuel tank capacity of the GWM Ute is 78 liters. There's no extended range fuel tank, and the engine doesn't have the fuel-saving start-stop technology of some of its competitors.

GWM Ute operates in accordance with Euro 5 emission standards with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) installed. Its emissions are claimed at 246 g/km CO2.

What is it like to drive? 7/10

The engine here is a huge highlight. In the old Great Wall Steed, the engine and transmission were the biggest drawback. Now, however, the GWM Ute drivetrain is a really strong offering.

It's not the most advanced engine in the world, but it's more powerful than its output suggests. Traction is strong across a wide rev range, and when rolling hard, it has enough torque to push you back into the seat.

It's just that when you start from a standstill, you have to contend with a lot of turbo lag. It's hard to get away from a traffic light or a stop sign without thinking ahead of the delay you'll encounter, so it could be better - most popular models have less turbo lag when starting from a standstill.

The engine pairs well with an eight-speed automatic transmission that is pretty smart and basically does what you would expect it to do. There is some tendency to rely on engine torque and working gears, to the point where excessive vibration is noticeable (you can even see the rearview mirror shaking), but I would prefer this to an overactive transmission that didn't rely on the grunt available to keep things in motion.

Cannon driving experience is good. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

There are paddle shifters if you want to take matters into your own hands, although I wish the actual gear selector had a manual mode which would make it easier to manipulate gear ratios when cornering, as cornering is quite labor intensive and you can get caught in the middle of a corner. wanting to upshift or downshift.  

Attention - Our driving cycle for this launch test was mostly on paved roads and we did not run a load test as part of this early preview. Stay tuned to see how GWM Ute performs in the Tradie test, where we take it to the GVM limit, and how it handles the challenge as we do the Adventure review. 

However, I drove some pristine gravel roads and was pretty much impressed with the handling, control and comfort on offer, aside from the overactive stability and traction control system that tends to chew up your power as you accelerate. a slippery corner that makes it feel a bit bogged down at times.

But on the other hand, the GWM Ute was great on the road, with a comfortable and mostly quiet ride, especially at high speeds. It can still feel like a ladder frame chassis with leaf spring suspension and big wheels when you hit bumps and bumps at low speeds, but in this situation it definitely felt better and more comfortable than the HiLux without the weight. board.

The cannon was impressive on unsealed gravel roads. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The steering is heavy and pleasant to steer, with a pleasantly light weight at low speeds, and when the lane keeping assist is off, there is a decent feel and weight at higher speeds. But otherwise, this lane keeping system can be overly assertive, and I found myself wanting to disable the system every time I drive (which you have to do by pressing a button and then finding the right section in the menu on the media screen). , then toggling the "switch"). I hope GWM can find a way to make this easier and smarter.

Indeed, that was another criticism - the lane keeping assist system apparently overrides the possibility of a digital speed readout on the 3.5-inch cluster. I know I prefer to keep my speed in the first place.

Overall the driving experience is good considering the ute price. Sure, a five-year-old Ranger or Amarok will still feel more refined, but you won't get that "new car" feeling and you can buy someone else's problems...for almost the same money as you. brand new Great Wall Cannon. 

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

7 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 9/10

Security has long been a key consideration for those looking for budget devices. It used to be that if you buy a cheap car, you decide to forgo advanced safety technology.

However, this is currently not the case as the new GWM Ute offers a wide range of security technologies that are at the reference level for well-known ute brands.

This range comes standard with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) that operates at speeds from 10 to 130 km/h to detect vehicles, and can also detect and brake pedestrians and cyclists at speeds from 5 to 80 km/h.

The Ute is also equipped with Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist, the latter of which operates between 60 and 140 km/h and can help you stay in your lane with active steering. 

There's also blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, as well as speed sign recognition and the usual array of braking and stabilization assistance systems. Also of note are the standard four-wheel disc brakes (as opposed to the rear drum brakes that most bikes still have) and an electronic parking brake with an auto-hold system. There's also hill descent assist and hill hold assist.

The GWM Ute Cannon is equipped with a rear view camera and rear parking sensors as well as front curbside cameras to help you see ahead. The Cannon L and Cannon X models have a surround view camera system that is one of the best this tester has used, plus front parking sensors are added to those classes as well.

The Cannon L and Cannon X models have a surround view camera system. (pictured is the Cannon L variant)

The GWM Ute range has seven airbags: dual front, front side, full-length curtain and front center airbag, the latter of which is designed to prevent head impacts in side impacts.

However, it has yet to receive an ANCAP crash test rating. We'll have to see if it can run at maximum like the D-Max and BT-50, which is almost entirely safe.

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 8/10

The Great Wall brand - now GWM - has extended the warranty period to seven years/unlimited mileage, making it one of the best warranties in its class. Better than Ford, Nissan, Mazda or Isuzu, equal to SsangYong, but not as good as Triton (10 years old).

The brand also offers free roadside assistance for five years, which should reassure some potential customers about potential reliability issues.

However, there is no fixed price service plan. The first service visit is due six months later, before the regular maintenance schedule at intervals set every 12 months/10,000 km, which can be a little annoying for those who drive many miles.

Have questions about reliability, quality, problems, malfunctions or recalls of Great Wall products? Go to the Great Wall issues page.

Verdict

The all-new GWM Ute, or Great Wall Cannon, is a very big improvement over any Great Wall ute that came before it.

It's good enough to worry about the LDV T60 and SsangYong Musso, and with a long warranty backing it up, might also make some customers considering popular, well-known models take a look at the revived and rebranded Great Wall Cannon. Talk about bang for your dollar! Geddit? A gun? Clap?

Anyway. Depending on your intended use, you probably don't "need" anything more than an entry-level Cannon model, although if I wanted a more enjoyable experience - not just a work truck - I'd be tempted by the Cannon X, whose interior is a notable step forward in terms of desirability.