GWM – Firing Up A Better Cannon

GWM wants a bigger slice of the 4×4 ute market and says considerable effort has gone into improving the updated 2025 Cannon.

The key change for the MY25 Cannon is a more robust 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine mated to a nine-speed automatic. This, along with suspension and cooling modifications, has given the new truck a market-competitive braked towing capacity of 3500kg and a payload capacity of 995kg.

GWM ANZ PR manager, Steve McIver, says the brand has invested much time and money on testing and development in Australia for the Cannon, particularly in the towing capability and calibration of the ADAS features.

It is the first of seven products launching in 2025 under the GWM Masterbrand heading. As more PHEV and diesel powertrains join the SUV and 4×4 models on offer, new models from the Haval and Tank sub-brands will follow.

Read more GWM Updates Safety Tech on Tank 500 and Cannon Alpha

In addition to targeting its China competitors, the LDV T60 and the JAC T9, GWM wants the newly updated high-spec Cannon to conquer buyers considering a Mitsubishi Triton or a Nissan Navara.

New Zealand receives one model, the mid-spec Cannon Lux, which lacks the sunroof and built-in tailgate step of the top-spec Cannon Ultra pictured.

GWM MY25 Cannon NZ pricing

The Cannon Lux will retail from $43,490 plus on-road costs. In comparison, the JAC T9 retails for $49,990 plus on-road costs, and the LDV T60 Max Plus is $55,990.

McIver says if New Zealand has an appetite for an Ultra spec Cannon, GWM ANZ will make it available to the local dealership network.

So confident is the brand of its new Cannon, GWM ANZ held the media launch at the Lang Lang proving ground, 90 minutes south of Melbourne airport. This facility was formerly the testing facility operated by GM Holden.

Although we couldn’t drive the new Cannon around the high-speed bowl (boo), we were let loose on Lang Lang’s dirt roads and the four-wheel-drive test tracks to see how the latest iteration fares in an off-road environment.

MY25 Cannon specification

The MY25 Cannon has much less chrome on the outside than its predecessor. Inside, the cabin features a fully redesigned dashboard, new faux leather upholstery, and heated front pews for the driver and passenger.

The newly redesigned cabin looks far less cluttered and is significantly improved by the 12.3-inch central touchscreen. Although there are fewer buttons, the controls are very intuitive. The latest wireless QI phone charger, in addition to both USB-A and USB-C ports, is also a nice touch.

It has all the key spec a buyer could want, including Climate Air, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, adaptive cruise control and a multifunction steering wheel.

Other differences to its predecessor include body-coloured door handles, central locking for the tailgate and wider wheel arches. Up front, the radiator grille has fewer horizontal lines and a honeycomb background, as do the new circular fog lamps mounted in the bottom of the front fascia.

MY25 Cannon performance

The new 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine provides another 15kW and 80 Newton metres of torque for 135kW and 480Nm. It’s much stronger through the midrange and provides brisk acceleration via the nine-speed automatic.

The engine’s added low-down torque was more noticeable during the off-road drive at the Lang Lang proving ground. The Cannon offers a torque-on-demand 4×4 system with a low ratio transfer case. That enables the ute to ford deep water and easily climb some pretty steep ascents.

MY25 Cannon first drive

Following the off-road section at Lang Lang, GWM permitted a convoy of media to drive a road loop in the MY25 Cannon. That took in the local countryside in a mixture of highway and rural roads to give some real-world experience of the vehicle.

On the highway, the new Cannon is a surprisingly refined drive for an old-school 4×4 one-tonne double-cab ute. There’s not much tyre roar intruding into the cabin or wind rustle from around the windscreen pillars at highway speeds.

We were also impressed that the driver assistance systems were not as intrusive as we found in other vehicles; the lane-keeping assistance function was remarkably subtle, and the Cannon doesn’t include a driver monitoring system.

Front seats include a heating function and are easy to get comfortable in. The cabin’s ergonomics are excellent, and everything you need to access is within easy reach.

In front of the driver is a customisable seven-inch display screen, which can be set up to show preferred data and functions.

Another helpful function for off-roading is the Cannon’s front camera, which will switch on at crawling speed and show the road ahead. This is a handy safety feature when ascending a blind brow. In addition, the screen will indicate the angle of the front wheels, so the driver is fully informed of steering angle.

While the aviation-inspired gear selector looks a bit gimmicky, it works well with selected modes that appear in the digital cluster.

Overall, first impressions show the MY25 Cannon is a much-improved beast thanks to the more powerful drive train and simplified dashboard. We look forward to spending a bit more time with it on Kiwi roads to see how it performs here.