Owner
Hamish Roberts
Kilometres travelled
10,000 - 25,000 km
Did you buy this car new or used?
New
How much did you pay? (including all on-road costs)
$44,000
What were your needs when you bought this car? Has it fulfilled those needs?
I was considering purchasing a ute and wanted practicality, modern car features and most importantly not something underpowered. A sporty look was a must have. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak, Toyota Hilux SR5 were top of mind.
What were your initial thoughts about the car? Tell us why it appealed to you.
I saw the Cannon Ultra in Australia and had the opportunity to take a drive. I was impressed. It had a car like feel, surprisingly nice interior, practicality in terms of deck size and almost every modern feature. Then the price….. I couldn’t believe the value compared with the Ranger or Hilux equivalent. Way more ute for way less price. I came back home and they were priced even better here.
What have you discovered since owning the car?
I have owned it for 7 months now and travelled14000km. I still like the car like interior and all the modern car features. Too many to list but includes sunroof, heated/cooling seats, heated steering wheel, phone charger pad that actually works, full surround camera. The infotainment system is easy to use and not laggy. Interior is surprisingly good, not cheap or plasticky at all.
Power is very good. The 2.4l Diesel has enough towing capability and it is not underpowered. I was concerned about that but it is no issue. It drives like a ute not a car, suspension is ute like but not too bad and to be fair it is what you expect if you buy a ute, a bit of body role when cornering.
My Cannon, being the Forge edition, has been blacked out and looks quite sporty with off road tires. I don’t go off road much so I cannot really comment about 4wd performance.
What do you like/dislike about the car?
I definitely like the exterior look being blacked out, it sets it apart somewhat. I like the interior layout, driving almost feels like you are in a cockpit. Build quality and interior design for the most part is spot on. Fuel economy is surprisingly good, I am achieving 8.7l per 100km with a mix of city and open road driving. I have zero complaints about reliability or after market support. The not so goods are minor inconveniences. The indicator is just difficult to get to grips with. You do after a while but initially it is annoying. Basically you find it difficult to turn it off sometimes but once mastered it is no issue. The clock has a mind of its own and resets periodically - I have given up worrying about that but it does annoy some. The safety features like lane assist feel aggressive initially but you get use to it. I was going to turn that off but I decided not to and now I don’t notice. Based on my experience it is annoying for the passenger that the only volume control for radio etc is on the steering wheel but you just get so many other practical features that the inconveniences don’t really matter.
Any other comments on the car?
The GWM Cannon Ultra is unbelievable value for money compared to more renown brands.I was apprehensive buying a Chinese vehicle but I will say it here. In my view GWM Cannon has the feel of a Hyundai in the late 1990s. A brand that took on the Japanese based on a similar quality at way less cost. It did not take Hyundai long to make inroads and I very much suspect the same with GWM Cannon. This does give the Hilux or Ranger more than a run for their money. After all 7 years new car warranty is standard but my dealer gave me 10 years new car warranty. How do you beat it when the cost is just so much lower compared to its rivals?
Reliability
5
Features/technology
5
Performance/economy
5
Value for money
5
Overall rating
5
Lastly, would you buy this vehicle again?
Yes
Why would/wouldn't you buy it again?
Such great value for money. Every new car feature you want and way lower cost than the competitors. Get over any brand snobbery you have and I don’t think you will regret it.
