2026 GWM Cannon Ultra review

GWM is a brand on the rise in Australia. Not only in terms of sales and the all-important market share, but also in the quality of the Chinese brand's offerings.

With a local ride and handling outfit currently busy fettling with existing and forthcoming models, GWM has thrown a recent update to one of its most important models: the Cannon ute.

It's another update in the value end of ute town, with plenty of competition to mull over. The 2026 GWM Cannon is hugely important for aspirations of the brand in Australia, and this most recent and significant update to compete against the likes of the LDV T60, KGM Musso, Nissan Navara and Mitsubishi Triton.

It picks up the bigger 2.4-litre turbocharged diesel engine in the higher trim levels, a redesigned and improved interior, plenty of gear, and a locking rear differential.

However, pricing stays relatively low. Even with this high specification level, you're looking at a price tag that sits below $50,000.

There is a blacked-out Vanta trim level to consider, as well as the XSR with two differential locks and extra off-road equipment as the hero of the range. However, Ultra is a relatively high-spec offering.

GWM has added to the Cannon range with a lower Premium trim level with a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine, but this 2.4-litre motor is the one to have. There's 135kW and 480Nm running through a nine-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive system with low-range.

Ultra has a sunroof, roof rails, heated and ventilated front seats, partial leather interior, a 12.3-inch infotainment display and 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster.

There's also keyless entry with push-button start, 360-degree camera, automatic windscreen wipers and LED headlights, 18-inch wheels and tyre pressure monitoring.

This is mostly similar to the Cannon Vanta, but swap out the exterior chromework for black, and you'll be there.

When you measure this kit up against the price, you can see why the GWM Cannon is such a compelling offering at this end of the ute segment.

So, let's clear up some confusion first. The mainstream ute from GWM used to be called the GWM Ute Cannon, but has since been streamlined to just GWM Cannon.

At the same time, though, GWM also has the Cannon Alpha ute, which is similar but bigger and available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. It competes with the likes of a BYD Shark and MG U9 for size, while this Cannon is more regular-sized.

In this case, though, you do get an upgraded interior for the 2026 GWM Cannon that improves the experience for the driver and passengers alike. There are plenty of niceties for the asking price, including things like a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable front seats, a 12.3-inch infotainment display and 7.0-inch display in front of the driver.

Features aside, I do like the integrated shelf within the dashboard, which is handy for putting stuff in everyday. Credit to GWM for continuing that shelf onto the other side of the steering wheel as well.

In terms of power outlets, you've got a wireless charging pad, USB-A and -C power, along with a 12V plug. While everything feels quite sturdy and well made, it's frustrating to find a lot of important controls hidden within the infotainment display rather than with physical buttons. This is made even worse when they are buried deeper behind your smartphone mirroring setup (either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto).

I don't know about you, but an array of physical buttons still has its place in a car like this one.

The cupholders are hiding below a little sliding tray in the centre console, and your central storage bin is of a good and usable size.

Aside from having all of the tricks, the seats in this Cannon Ultra are comfortable and broad. There is good adjustment available through the seat itself and the tilt-and-reach adjustment setup.

In the second row of the Cannon, you're greeted by ample space to get comfortable as an adult. The sunroof setup does eat into the available head room, but there is a bit of a nook for taller heads to go into further back.

Seating comfort is decent, but not excellent in comparison to others out there, in terms of the backrest angle and length of the cushion. But amenities are good with air vents, two USB-A power outlets, map pockets, a storage nook and room for bottles in the doors.

There is a drop-down armrest in the middle as well, but no cupholders.

The tub is regular-sized for the ute segment, and is finished off with a tub liner to save the paint. However, we do note that the tailgate does have a bit of play and wiggle when closed, which could turn into an annoying rattle after some time.

Otherwise, you've got no lights or power outlets, but there are four tie-down points and a cute little pop-out step that is built into the tailgate. It allows you to step up and into the tray a bit easier, and feels quite sturdy.

The 12.3-inch infotainment display is well stacked in terms of equipment and features. There's wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio and Bluetooth connection, but there is no native navigation system here.

But for those who want to run a dashcam, they will appreciate the USB point mounted up near the rear-view mirror.

Running Apple CarPlay and Android Auto does effectively bury a lot of functions, however, which can be frustrating. Climate controls and volume (beyond the steering wheel controls) are not straightforward to find.

The quality of the screen is otherwise pretty good, though, in terms of brightness, responsiveness and colours.

The 2025 GWM Cannon ute has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, which dates back to a rating created in 2021.

That means this exact car hasn't been crash-tested, but rather, the pre-facelifted model was. Backed up by some technical data, the result has been transferred across to this newer model.

This score includes an 86 per cent protection rating for adult occupants, and an 87 per cent rating for child occupants. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) get a 67 per cent score, while the safety assistance feature in the Cannon scored at 70 per cent.

There's plenty of active safety equipment included in the GWM Cannon, including some more high-functioning bits of assistance.

However, the lived experience does leave a little bit to be desired. Lane-keep assistance in particular is frustrating and saw me swiping through the infotainment system to turn it off very early on. There is a shortcut at least these days, but it would be better if the system just worked better.

Once again, you lose that swipe-down function if you have smartphone mirroring running.

Tyre pressure monitoring is nice, and we've got seven airbags located throughout the cabin in case of an accident. This includes a front centre airbag between the two front occupants, which is there to reduce head clashes in accidents.

Perhaps a more minor quibble here concerns the indicators, which is something I've also noticed on the Tank 300. It's difficult to balance a temporary flick of the blinkers against a permanent one, and can lead you to an embarrassing flick in the other direction as you try to cancel. It's just not very intuitive.

Servicing intervals for the GWM Cannon with the 2.4-litre diesel engine are set at every 15,000km or 12 months, except for the first visit due after 10,000km.

Servicing over three years and 40,000km comes in at $1330, which averages out at $443.33 per visit. Going out to five years (where capped-price servicing culminates) averages out at $506 per year. This is roughly on average with most key competitors.

Insurance costs are set at $3232.52 for 12 months, which is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Opting for the bigger and more powerful 2.4-litre engine increases claimed fuel consumption to 8.4 litres per 100 kilometres instead of 7.6L/100km for the 2.0-litre engine.

In our testing, though, which was a mix of town and highway driving (with a few hours of off-roading), we saw an indicated figure of 9.8L/100km during our testing, which is pretty good and on par with a lot of competitors.

The 2.4-litre engine is the big news here for the Cannon, with 480Nm being a really solid number for a ute at any price point. In this budget end of the ute world, though, it does feel like one of the better engines on offer.

The torque feels good from a driving point of view, coming on strong for mid-range acceleration and responsiveness. Its 135kW is perhaps a little less impressive, but the peak torque between 1500 and 2500rpm is where the party’s at.

The nine-speed automatic transmission is a little more hit-and-miss, though. For most parts, it’s fine, but you do get the occasional shudder or slur as it goes about its business.

Beyond that, you’ve got an on-demand four-wheel-drive system that is a little different to the regular part-time setup, which pushes drive to the front wheels when the car senses a bit of wheel slip.

This can be handy for taking on some slippery conditions like boat ramps and wet grass, but it might have something to do with the less-than-impressive turning circle at 13.1m.

The suspension comprised of leaf springs at the back and independent suspension up front is typical for utes. There is a stiffness and jiggle to the ride quality of the Cannon when driving around the suburbs unladen, but throwing a bit of weight into the tub will sort that out.

Its steering, which uses electric power assistance, is lightweight in the hand and allows you to run around the suburbs and through the country corners with confidence.

Emergency lane-keep assistance is quite frustrating to live with, which does threaten to spoil what is otherwise a pleasant driving experience. It’s prone to interrupting and getting confused, and GWM has made it a little easier to turn this system off through the infotainment display.

That’s good, but it would be better if the underlying technology was better tuned to suit Australian roads. I haven’t driven this car in China, so maybe it performs better over there.

Off-road, the four-wheel-drive system can initially throw you off. That’s because instead of the regular 2H, 4H and 4L setup, the Cannon presents itself a little differently. You can sometimes wait for the four-wheel-drive system to kick in, while opting for 4L makes things better.

It's worth noting that the off-road-focussed Cannon XSR goes to a part-time four-wheel-drive system, along with things like front and rear locking differentials.

After that, you’ve got a good off-road traction-control system and locking rear differential – along with good ground clearance – to make for a quality factory off-roader.

Although, throttle control can be a little tricky to manage in low-range. It’s a little too jerky at times.

Along with the extra grunt under the bonnet, the 2.4-litre GWM Cannon benefits from an increased braked towing capacity to 3500kg. The GVM has also been increased up to 3225kg for this model, which gives a 995kg payload. In terms of kerb mass, the 2.4-litre Cannon Ultra is 90kg heavier than the more basic 2.0-litre Premium.

A 6200kg gross combined mass means those who want to hitch up a heavy trailer should really crunch the numbers and visit their local weighbridge before getting too carried away.

Taking the full 3500kg from this figure leaves you with 2700kg left over for the total weight of the vehicle, which is only 470kg off the maximum permissible payload.

And don't forget, you'll need to account for the towball weight of the trailer within the available payload of the vehicle as well.

The GWM has really come of age in 2025, and now feels like a much more rounded, competent and capable offering overall. And while we have often seen the KGM Musso as the darling ute in this price bracket, it's starting to feel like the Cannon is stealing its sandwiches.

While some of the safety technology is frustrating, its overall crash credentials are very good. The 2.4-litre engine is a big part of the appeal, and the driving decorum is decent, and would be even better if you threw a bit of weight into the back.

Finally, the price. This Cannon sits comfortably lower than offerings from Mitsubishi, Nissan and others, but offers a high level of equipment at the same time.

While it might not be right amongst the top pecking order in terms of overall quality, the gap has really closed up with this new update to the Cannon. And when you balance the value-for-money equation here, there is little to really drag you away from the 2025 GWM Cannon.

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

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