By Paul Gover.
Three tonnes of towing seals the deal for a lot of ute buyers.
So, too, can a giant suite of safety systems and plenty of the latest in-car knick-knacks.
But when the starting price is below $35,000 – on the road – its easy to see why the GWM Ute is drawing plenty of attention.
The newest arrival from China is not going to rival the top-selling Toyota HiLux or Ford Ranger – either on class or ability – but it tips the balance with a price-tag that is around 60 per cent of the equivalent showroom leaders.
GWM is China’s largest SUV and ute maker and Great Wall has been in Australia for more than five years, even if its original Steed was little more than a stab in the dark.
Now the GWM Ute is available as a dual-cab workhorse in three Cannon models, all with a 2-litre turbodiesel engine, eight-speed auto and part-time four-wheel drive.
It’s typically tough in the styling but things change in the cabin, which is well equipped with everything from a 9-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to 18-inch alloy wheels and fake leather trim in the base model. Jump to the Cannon-X, from an impressive $49,990 drive-away, and the leather is real.
There are some niggles in the way the infotainment system works, but it compensates with a safety package that includes auto safety braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, (intrusive) lane-keep assisted, radar cruise control and traffic sign recognition. It should amount to a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but it has yet to be tested.
The Ute drives well enough, but not with any great finesse or refinement. In that way it reminds me of early efforts from South Korea, both Hyundai and Kia – but particularly Daewoo – before they invested in proper local testing and engineering work.
The engine can feel under-powered, and the shift settings mean the automatic can hunt around for the right gear, while the fuel economy is not great.
The cabin is big enough for family work but, surprisingly, the ute tray is not wide enough to take a standard wooden pallet between the wheels.
Another niggle is there is no satnav, not even on the top model, although Apple can do the job.
It compensates with everything from impressive headlights to the long list of standard equipment and a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assist.
So the deal is super sharp and, like the MG models also now emerging from China, the GWM is un-bad and worth a look for bargain buyers.
GWM UTE CANNON
Position: dual-cab ute
Price: from $33,990 drive-away
Engine: 2-litre turbodiesel
Power: 120kW/400Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto, 4-wheel drive
Safety: not tested
Plus: re-defines value in utes
Minus: drives like an old-school ute
THE TICK: will win on price
Score: 7/10
