GWM is chucking more models into its Australian product line to offer customers more choices regarding the uncertainty of the NVES.
It sells four hybrids and one battery electric vehicle and intends to add four plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) by the fourth quarter of 2025.
GWM Australia and New Zealand head of marketing and communications Steve McIver says the company is democratising technology and offering customers a choice of powertrain that suits their needs while recognising the impact of the NVES on the automotive market.
“We do see PHEV as a future powertrain,” McIver says.
GWM revealed its future product lineup and growth intentions during the media launch of the MY2025 Cannon. This vehicle now offers a new 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine and a market-competitive 3500kg braked towing capacity.
It is the first of seven product launches for GWM in 2025 and expects to launch at a similar number in 2026.
Following a record 2024 with 42,782 sales, the Master brand wants to exceed 50,000 in 2025 and grow its dealer network to 125 sites nationwide.
McIver says the newly updated Cannon is a volume pillar for GWM.
He says there will also be more marketing investment focusing on the GWM Master brand and more investment in local engineering and tuning development for future products.
You can expect more localised marketing communications around the GWM sub-brands, Cannon, Haval, Tank, and Ora.
Following the MY2025 Cannon, GWM is launching the new Haval H6 GT PHEV in March.
A new Tank 300 diesel will launch in the first quarter of 2025.
A new Cannon Alpha PHEV and a new Haval H6 will launch in the third quarter of 2025.
The new Haval H7 will be launched in the third quarter of 2025, and the Tank 500 PHEV will be launched in the fourth quarter.
GWM is celebrating the launch of the updated Cannon 4×4 one-tonne double cab with a tongue-in-cheek marketing campaign, “Chuck it in the ute”.
GWM: Making a Better Cannon
GWM wants a bigger slice of the 4×4 ute market and says considerable effort has gone into improving the updated 2025 Cannon.
The key change for the MY25 Cannon is a more robust 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine mated to a nine-speed automatic. This, along with suspension and cooling modifications, has given the new truck a market-competitive braked towing capacity of 3500kg and a payload capacity of 995kg.
McIver says the brand has invested much time and money in local testing and development for the Cannon in Australia, particularly in the towing capability and calibration of the ADAS features.
In addition to targeting its China competitors, the LDV T60 and the JAC T9, GWM wants the newly updated Cannon to conquer buyers considering a Mitsubishi Triton or a Nissan Navara.
Currently, the Cannon Ultra and Cannon Vanta are the most popular sellers, and McIver does not expect this to change for the MY25 range.
So confident is the brand of its new Cannon, GWM ANZ held the media launch at the Lang Lang proving ground, 90 minutes south of Melbourne airport. This facility was formerly the testing facility operated by GM Holden.
Although we couldn’t drive the new Cannon around the high-speed bowl, we were let loose on Lang Lang’s dirt roads and the four-wheel-drive test tracks to see how the latest iteration fares in an off-road environment.
MY25 Cannon specification
The MY25 Cannon has much less chrome on the outside than its predecessor. Inside, the cabin features a fully redesigned dashboard, new faux leather upholstery, and heated front pews for the driver and passenger.
The newly redesigned cabin looks far less cluttered and is significantly improved by the 12.3-inch central touchscreen. Although there are fewer buttons, the controls are very intuitive. The latest wireless QI phone charger, in addition to USB-A and USB-C ports, is also a nice touch.
It has all the bells and whistles a buyer could want, including Climate Air, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, automated cruise control, and a multifunction steering wheel.
Other differences to the predecessor model include body-coloured door handles, central locking for the tailgate, wider wheel arches, and upfront, the radiator grille has fewer horizontal lines and a honeycomb background, as do the new circular fog lamps mounted in the bottom of the front fascia.
MY25 Cannon performance
The new 2.4L turbodiesel engine provides another 15kW and 80 Newton metres of torque for 135kW and 480Nm. Still, it’s much stronger through the mid-range and provides stronger acceleration through the nine-speed automatic.
The engine’s more substantial low-down torque was much more noticeable during the off-road drive at the Lang Lang proving ground. The Cannon offers a torque-on-demand 4×4 system with a low ratio transfer case, enabling the ute to ford deep water and easily climb some pretty steep ascents.
MY25 Cannon first drive
Following the off-road section at Lang Lang, GWM permitted a convoy of media to drive a road loop in the MY25 Cannon around the local countryside in a mixture of highway and rural roads to give some real-world experience of the vehicle.
On the highway, the new Cannon is a surprisingly refined drive for an old-school 4×4 one-tonne double-cab ute because there is not much tyre roar intruding into the cabin or bustling from around the windscreen pillars when pressing on.
We were also impressed that the driver assistance systems were not as intrusive as we found in other vehicles; the lane-keeping assistance function was remarkably subtle, and the Cannon doesn’t offer a driver monitoring system.
The front seats offer a heating function and are easy to get comfortable in. The cabin’s ergonomics are excellent, and everything you need to access is within easy reach.
In front of the driver is a customisable 7-inch display screen, which can be set up to show their preferred data and functions.
Another helpful function for off-roading is the Cannon’s front camera, which will switch on at crawling speed and show the road ahead, a great safety feature when ascending a blind brow. In addition, the screen will indicate the angle of the front wheels, so the driver is fully informed of their position.
While the aviation-inspired gear selector may look a bit gimmicky, it works very well with selected modes, as shown clearly on the instrument cluster screen.
Overall, first impressions show the MY25 Cannon is a much-improved beast thanks to the more powerful drive train and simplified dashboard.
MY25 Cannon drive away prices (Private Buyers)
- Cannon Lux $40,490
- Cannon Ultra $43,490
- Cannon Vanta $45,490
- Cannon XSR $49,990
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