The all-new GWM Canon Alpha is distinguished from the existing Cannon ute by being bigger. And newer. But mainly bigger.
It's not actually American full-size, rather it is somewhere in between the likes of the Ford Ranger and the Ford F150 - not utterly massive, but still very big - the Cannon Alpha has a wheelbase of 3350mm and is 5445mm long, 1991mm wide and 1924mm high, meaning it is 75mm longer, 73mm wider and 38mm taller than a Ford Ranger.
The other thing that distinguishes the Cannon Alpha from its smaller sibling - and, indeed, every other ute currently on the market - is the fact that it is available with a full hybrid powertrain (rather than a 48-volt mild hybrid like the Hilux), the first ute to land in the local market to do so.
The hybrid Cannon Alpha uses the same electrified powertrain as the GWM Tank 500 (and the smaller Tank 300), as well as using the luxury SUV’s underpinnings, and even most of the sheetmetal from the C-pillar forward, save a different grille with the Canon logo instead of the Tank one.
This means it pumps out 255kW and 648Nm, which is fairly impressive. But the big ute packs an alternative powerplant that the Tank doesn’t - a 135kw/480Nm 2.4-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine.
At the recent launch of the Tank 500 in Melbourne we got the chance to sample the Cannon Alpha, so after spending the morning in a hybrid Tank 500, we jumped at the chance to try the diesel Cannon Alpha.
Being based on the Tank 500, the Cannon Alpha actually has an impressively high quality interior, with excellent fit and finish. Regardless of whether the entry level or high-spec models, interior comfort is impressive, with the extra size providing ample interior space.
The rear seats are particularly good, being fully adjustable and including a recline function, something most utes don’t offer and enabling the Cannon Alpha to offer more SUV-like rear seat comfort.
It's not actually American full-size, rather it is somewhere in between the likes of the Ford Ranger and the Ford F150 - not utterly massive, but still very big.
This does come at the expense of tray size though, with the Cannon Alpha actually having a slightly smaller tray than its smaller opposition.
It does, however, feature a particularly clever rear tailgate that can either drop in a single piece, like a traditional ute tailgate, or open up barn door style with a 60/40 split.
Standard specification inside the Cannon Alpha includes a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a 12.3-inch digital cluster behind the steering wheel. LED headlights with automatic high beams are also standard across the range, as is a 360 degree camera.
The two Ultra models also get a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, a premium Infinity audio system, heated and ventilated powered rear seats, an additional wireless charger for rear passengers, as well as self parking and a memory reverse function that will retrace the last 50 metres before you parked in reverse.
All models have a towing capacity of 3500kg, while the diesel Lux will carry 821kg in its tray. The higher-spec (and obviously more highly equipped) Ultra models see this figure drop, with the diesel capable of a 760kg load in the rear tray and the hybrid (which also packs a small battery, adding a bit more weight) a 735kg load.
The hybrid Cannon Alpha uses the same electrified powertrain as the GWM Tank 500, as well as using the luxury SUV’s underpinnings.
While the interior of the Cannon Alpha is impressively comfortable - not that surprising given it is based on a luxury SUV - it is, however, let down by its ride quality. Where the Tank 500 uses multi-link rear suspension, the Cannon Alpha chases load hauling capability by using leaf springs and a rigid rear axle.
This unfortunately introduces a harsh, brittle nature to the Cannon Alpha’s ride, something that is particularly sensitive to smaller imperfections. While larger obstacles are okay, smaller things, like corrugation on a gravel road, are particularly intrusive, which is hardly ideal in a ute. A load in the tray would undoubtedly settle it down a bit, but such is the harsh nature of the suspension that it would be unlikely to eradicate it entirely.
The diesel engine, on the other hand, is truly impressively. While you might expect a diesel that is more than 100kW and 150Nm down on the petrol hybrid might be a tad underwhelming, the Cannon Alpha’s diesel is anything but.
Pushing the big ute along at an impressive rate, the four-cylinder diesel is also nicely smooth and refined, with nicely chunky mid-range torque that is well placed for both open road driving and off-roading, while the nine-speed automatic transmission is equally slick and smooth.
The Cannon Alpha also shares the Tank 500's somewhat over-enthusiastic driver assists, which are a tad intrusive, but not awful and a far cry from being as annoying as the Tank 300's.
While you might expect a diesel that is more than 100kW and 150Nm down on the petrol hybrid might be a tad underwhelming, the Cannon Alpha’s diesel is anything but.
Heading off the road, the Cannon Alpha is as brutally capable as the Tank 500 is, with 224mm of ground clearance. The Lux entry model gets a locking rear differential, while up-spec Ultra models get a front locking diff as well. A Borg Warner 4x4 transfer case is standard in all models, as is a new All-Terrain drive mode system.
While the Alpha is extremely mechanically capable, there was an electronic gremlin that reared their head during our time off the seal. Putting the Cannon Alpha into one of its off-road modes should, in theory, deactivate the traction control.
While our Alpha insisted this was indeed the case, it still struggled to get up a relatively steep gravel slope, with the system killing power whenever wheelspin started, suggesting quite strongly that this in fact wasn’t the case.
While this was disappointing (and slightly disconcerting on a steep gravel slope), we managed to eventually make it up the hill with a combination of small, gentle throttle applications and occasional stops to let everything regain its composure when it started panicking.
Both issues we experienced with the Cannon Alpha are relatively easy fixes, with the traction control issue either being a glitch (we were driving early production cars) or could be fixed by a simple software update, while a bit more refining of suspension settings for local conditions would do wonders for the ride. Let’s hope that happens before it goes on sale here.
But even if the ride quality remains less than perfect, the Cannon Alpha remains a compelling option in the ute segment due to the fact that not only is it larger than a Ranger, it is also cheaper, with the entry Lux diesel model costing $54,990, the Ultra diesel model $59,990 and the Ultra hybrid $68,990.
ENGINE: 2.4-litre turbo diesel four or 2.0-litre turbo petrol hybrid POWER: 135kW/480Nm (diesel) or 255kW/648Nm (hybrid) GEARBOX: 9-speed automatic, part-time 4WD with low-range CONSUMPTION: 8.9l/100km (diesel) or 9.8l/100km (hybrid) PRICE: $54,990 to $68,990
