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The GWM Cannon Alpha has become the first electrified dual-cab ute to be awarded a five-star ANCAP safety rating.
The GWM Cannon Alpha has become the first hybrid-powered dual-cab ute to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety result against the latest and most stringent test criteria.
The five-star crash test covers both diesel and hybrid engine options. ANCAP said the test vehicle displayed "similar levels of performance to other dual-cab utes tested against 2023-2025 rating criteria".
The GWM Cannon Alpha has been on sale in Australia since mid-2024 with a comprehensive of active and passive safety mechanisms. A total of seven airbags come as standard on every specification, including a centre airbag for protecting front-row occupants' heads.
Breaking down the crash-test performance, the Cannon Alpha achieved the equal-highest Child Occupant Protection score of 93 per cent, shared with GWM's own Tank 500 off-road SUV. It was also awarded 84 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection and 83 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection.
Full points were given for the GWM Cannon Alpha's protection of the driver in the side-impact test, and the front passenger in the frontal-offset crash test. Likewise, a perfect score was awarded for both child dummies in the second row for these tests.
A total of 81 per cent was awarded for Safety Assist systems, with a nod in particular to the GWM Cannon Alpha's direct child detection system that can provide the driver with audible and text-based notifications if a child is inadvertently left behind inside the vehicle.
The GWM Cannon Alpha's AEB system extends to pedestrian, cyclist, and junction awareness, and the car also features a fatigue-monitoring camera to detect driver drowsiness.
“This rating marks a significant step for the popular Utility segment with the GWM Cannon Alpha being the first hybrid ute to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating," said ANCAP CEO, Carla Hoorweg, in a media statement.
“GWM and its vehicle designs have improved markedly over the past decade, and this five-star result for the Cannon Alpha is evidence of this."
Although testing was completed with the 2.0-litre petrol-hybrid GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra, the maximum five-star result can be applied to 2.4-litre diesel variants.
ANCAP's testing criteria was last updated in 2023 in line with Euro NCAP standards and places greater emphasis on driver monitoring systems, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) performance, and motorcyclist crash safety.
Tom started out in the automotive industry by exploiting his photographic skills but quickly learned journalists got the better end of the deal. With tenures at CarAdvice, Wheels Media, and now Drive, Tom's breadth of experience and industry knowledge informs a strong opinion on all things automotive. At Drive, Tom covers automotive news, car reviews, advice, and holds a special interest in long-form feature stories.
