GWM Ute 2021 review: Cannon-L GVM test

Our test vehicle is the Cannon-L which is the mid-range model in a three-tiered range that includes entry-level Cannon and premium-grade Cannon-X. They all share one engine and transmission combination comprising a 2.0 litre turbo-diesel and ZF eight-speed automatic.

The Cannon-L adds premium 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres.

The Cannon-L is priced from only $37,990 driveaway (plus $595 for the Blue Saphire prestige paint on our example), which is outstanding value for money compared with established marques. For example, $38K will only get you into a base-grade 4x4 Mitsubishi Triton GLX extra cab-chassis and you can forget about Toyota or Ford; the cheapest 4x4 HiLux (single cab-chassis WorkMate) starts at $39,520 while the cheapest 4x4 Ranger (single cab-chassis XL) kicks in at $43,090.

So, on price alone, the Cannon-L makes similar-priced mainstream rivals look bare-boned. Highlights include body-coloured bumpers, keyless entry and push-button start, eco-friendly leather seats, LED headlights and DRLs, side steps, paddle-shifters, infotainment system with 9.0-inch touchscreen and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, 12-volt power socket and three USB ports, rear diff lock, reversing and kerbside cameras, rear parking sensors, fog lamps with auto steering function and tyre pressure monitoring to name a few.

There's an easy up/down tailgate with pull-out cargo step.

However, those items are shared with the entry-level model. The Cannon-L adds premium 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size spare, chrome grille/door handles/mirrors, roof rails, privacy glass, polished stainless-steel sports bar, spray-in tubliner, easy up/down tailgate with pull-out cargo step and front parking sensors.

Inside the Cannon-L adds heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, six-way power adjustable driver’s seat, auto climate control with rear a/c vents, 360-degree camera, electric anti-glare rear-view mirror and a 220-volt power outlet. You’d be up for $50K-plus to come close to matching this level of standard equipment in more established brands.

The Steed’s Euro 5-compliant 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel has been substantially revised, boosting the Steed’s 110kW/310Nm to 120kW/400Nm in the Cannon. Power output peaks at 3600rpm while torque is at full strength across a broad 1100rpm band from 1500-2600rpm.

The German-designed ZF torque converter automatic, built under license by GWM, offers all-but seamless automated shifting between eight closely-spaced ratios, or manual shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles. The unusual T-bar design is a bit fiddly to operate until you get used to it.

Power output peaks at 3600rpm while torque is at full strength across a broad 1100rpm band from 1500-2600rpm.

Dual range on-demand 4x4 automatically engages and disengages all-wheel drive in response to changing traction conditions. There’s also manual selection of low-ratio 4x4, three drive modes (Economy, Normal and Sport) plus a rear diff lock.

GWM claims a combined consumption of 9.4L/100km and the dash display was showing 9.6 at the end of our 360km test, which included about one third of that distance at near-maximum payload and mostly in the ‘Normal’ drive mode. Our figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, came in at 9.8L/100km which is excellent economy for a two-tonne-plus ute in real-world driving. You could expect a driving range of around 750-800km from its 78-litre tank.

The Cannon-L’s 2100kg kerb weight and 3150kg GVM results in a genuine one-tonne-plus payload rating of 1050kg. It’s also rated to tow up to 3000kg of braked trailer but the payload would have to be reduced by a substantial 595kg to avoid exceeding the 5555kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time). That would also leave only 455kg of vehicle payload, which could easily be used up by four big blokes without luggage, so do your sums if you need to tow this heavy.

The square load tub is 1520mm long and wide with a tough spray-in tubliner and four load anchorage points.

The square load tub is 1520mm long and wide with a tough spray-in tubliner and four load anchorage points. However, the front ones are located less than ideally near the top edges of the tub sides and would be more useful if located closer to the floor. There’s also not enough space between the wheel housings to carry a standard pallet, but the Cannon is not alone there.

The tailgate is equipped with struts that assist in easy opening and closing and concealed within the tailgate is a handy step similar to those seen on some US pick-ups, which can be pulled out and locked in place when the tailgate is open to provide easy walk-in access to the load area.

The rear seat base cushion can also swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is required.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and slender storage bin in each front door plus two dashboard storage cubbies to the right of the driver, a shallow storage tray in the centre dash-pad and a glovebox. The centre console has another storage cubby at the front, two small-bottle/cup holders in the centre and a lidded box at the back with an adjustable padded lid for driver’s elbow support.

Rear seat passengers get a large-bottle holder and smaller storage bin in each door and there are flexible storage pouches on the front seat backrests. However, the lack of a fold-down centre armrest with dual cup holders is a surprising omission in such a well-equipped vehicle, leaving passengers to hold their own cups.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and slender storage bin in each front door.

The rear seat base cushion can also swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is required. This also reveals a large storage area beneath that spans the full width of the seat base and can hold a multitude of small items conveniently hidden from view. This is good use of space.

We forklifted 890kg into the load tub which with driver was a snip under 1000kg and within 50kg of its peak payload rating. The rear leaf springs compressed 70mm which left only 10-15mm of static bump-stop clearance. As a result, we expected the rear suspension to be maxed-out on bumpy roads, but it coped well with no signs of bottoming-out while maintaining good all-round stability.

The engine’s 120kW/400Nm is not class-leading but it performed well on our 13 per cent gradient 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, easily hauling this load to the summit in fourth gear at 2500rpm. Engine-braking on the way down, in a manual-selected second gear, was also effective in restraining its payload on overrun. That was until it reached 4250rpm and automatically shifted up to third, to avoid potential engine damage if rpm continued to climb. These protocols are increasingly common in LCVs we've tested.

We forklifted 890kg into the load tub which with driver was a snip under 1000kg and within 50kg of its peak payload rating.

A compelling seven years/unlimited km warranty and five years/100,000km roadside assist but there’s no capped-price deal offered for scheduled servicing, which is 12 months/10,000km whichever occurs first.