Review: GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV
Well, this escalated quickly.
We just finished talking about how GWM listened to Australian buyers and put a diesel engine into the TANK 300.
Simple.
Traditional.
Exactly what you'd expect from a proper four-wheel drive.
Then you walk across the showroom and find this.
The GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV.
A plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute producing around 300kW and 750Nm.
Seven hundred and fifty.
In a GWM ute.
Remember when dual-cabs had approximately enough power to tow themselves?
Things have changed.
But the Cannon Alpha PHEV is interesting for reasons that go considerably deeper than the numbers.
Because electrification has created something of an identity crisis for the Australian ute.
Battery-electric models offer enormous torque but can suffer dramatically reduced range when towing.
Traditional diesels remain excellent at long-distance work but increasingly face emissions and refinement challenges.
So GWM has attempted something in the middle.
A petrol engine.
A sizeable battery.
A powerful electric motor.
Proper four-wheel drive.
And enough electric range to potentially complete the weekday commute without starting the engine at all.
Then, when Friday arrives?
Fill it with petrol, load the tray and disappear for the weekend.
On paper, that's a remarkably clever idea.
The question is whether it actually works.
Price and Key Specifications
The Cannon Alpha sits above the regular Cannon in GWM's Australian ute hierarchy, and the Ultra PHEV represents one of the most technically ambitious versions.
Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, working with GWM's plug-in hybrid system and four-wheel-drive hardware.
Combined output is approximately 300kW and 750Nm.
Those are not normal ute numbers.
That's more torque than plenty of V8s.
And unlike an old-school V8, a substantial portion of that torque is available almost immediately from the electric motor.
Energy is stored in a battery of roughly 37kWh, large enough to provide a meaningful electric-only driving range rather than the token few kilometres offered by traditional hybrids.
GWM claims more than 100km of electric driving under the relevant test cycle.
Think about that for a moment.
For many Australians, that's enough to complete an entire day of commuting.
Potentially two.
Without using petrol.
Yet when the battery becomes depleted, there's still an internal-combustion engine sitting up front.
No charging station?
Keep driving.
Long-distance road trip?
Keep driving.
Heading somewhere remote?
You already know how petrol stations work.
That's the fundamental appeal of a PHEV.
Design
The Cannon Alpha is a big unit.
Even by modern dual-cab standards.
There's an enormous grille.
A high bonnet.
Broad wheel arches.
And enough chrome in Ultra specification to ensure neighbouring satellites can locate you.
Subtle?
No.
But neither is the vehicle.
The Alpha looks more substantial than the regular Cannon because it is more substantial.
There's a broad, almost American-truck quality to the proportions, and it has considerably more road presence than its price might suggest.
Whether you love the enormous grille will be personal preference.
Personally?
I've seen worse.
Much worse.
At least it belongs on something this size.
The PHEV doesn't scream about its electrification either.
There are badges and the additional charging port, obviously, but GWM hasn't covered it in blue highlights or attached enormous ELECTRIFIED graphics to the doors.
Thank you, GWM.
We can work it out.
Interior and Practicality
Climb aboard and the Cannon Alpha continues doing something GWM has become remarkably good at.
Making you question the price.
This does not feel like the interior of a traditional work ute.
There's leather upholstery.
Large digital displays.
A substantial centre console.
Plenty of soft-touch materials.
And in Ultra specification, enough comfort equipment to make some luxury SUVs look rather stingy.
The front seats are electrically adjustable.
They're heated.
They're ventilated.
There's a large central infotainment display, digital instrumentation, wireless phone charging and the usual smartphone connectivity.
And there's space.
Lots of it.
The Alpha is wider and longer than many traditional dual-cabs, and rear-seat passengers benefit significantly.
Adults can actually sit behind adults.
Their knees don't immediately become part of the front seat.
There's enough width for three passengers.
And the rear bench feels considerably less like punishment than the back seats of dual-cab utes traditionally did.
That's important.
Because these vehicles aren't simply work tools anymore.
For plenty of Australian families, the ute is the family car.
School run Monday morning.
Worksite Tuesday.
Bunnings Saturday.
Camping Sunday.
The Alpha understands that.
Buttons!
And now, an important public service announcement.
GWM has retained physical controls for a number of important vehicle functions.
There are actual buttons.
In a modern plug-in hybrid.
Imagine that.
You don't need to swipe across an enormous touchscreen while bouncing down a dirt road just to change a fundamental vehicle setting.
Thank you, GWM.
We've said it before and apparently we're going to keep saying it until manufacturers collectively stop trying to turn every dashboard into an iPad attached to a shelf.
Screens are excellent for maps.
They're excellent for cameras.
They're excellent for displaying information.
They do not need to control absolutely everything.
The Cannon Alpha understands this better than some considerably more expensive vehicles.
Driving
Here's where things become interesting.
Because the Cannon Alpha PHEV doesn't drive like you'd expect a large dual-cab ute to drive.
Pull away gently and it can move using electric power alone.
Silently.
In a ute.
It's initially quite strange.
No diesel clatter.
No vibration through the steering wheel.
No engine note bouncing off the walls of an underground car park.
You select Drive.
Press the accelerator.
And this enormous dual-cab simply glides away.
For urban driving, it's fantastic.
Then you ask for more.
And 750Nm enters the conversation.
Acceleration is seriously strong.
Not “quick for a ute.”
Quick.
The electric motor delivers immediate response while the turbocharged petrol engine joins proceedings as required.
There's no waiting for boost to build.
No gearbox desperately hunting for the correct ratio before an overtake.
You put your foot down.
The Alpha goes.
And there's something deeply amusing about watching a vehicle this large accelerate with that much enthusiasm.
Is 750Nm necessary?
No.
Obviously not.
Do I want GWM to remove some?
Also no.
Carry on.
The PHEV Bit
But outright performance isn't why this drivetrain is clever.
The real appeal becomes obvious when you think about how most dual-cab utes actually spend their lives.
A huge number travel relatively short distances during the week.
Home.
School.
Work.
Shops.
Home again.
If you can charge overnight and your normal daily driving falls within the Alpha's electric range, there's a realistic possibility of completing most weekday travel without regularly starting the petrol engine.
That's significant.
Because traditional dual-cab diesels aren't particularly efficient in short-distance urban driving.
Then Friday arrives.
You've got a camping trip planned several hundred kilometres away.
No problem.
The petrol engine is there.
You aren't staring at a charging map wondering whether the only DC charger in a regional town is working.
You simply keep driving.
This is where PHEVs make an enormous amount of sense for Australia.
Electric where electricity works best.
Combustion where combustion remains convenient.
It's not ideologically pure.
It's practical.
I prefer practical.
But You Have to Charge It
There is, however, an enormous asterisk attached to every plug-in hybrid.
You need to plug it in.
Sounds obvious.
Apparently it isn't.
If you buy a PHEV, never charge it and simply drive around carrying hundreds of kilograms of battery everywhere, you've missed the point rather spectacularly.
It's like buying a dishwasher and washing everything by hand while storing the dirty plates inside it.
Technically possible.
But why?
The Cannon Alpha PHEV makes the most sense for someone with home charging.
Come home.
Plug it in.
Go inside.
Wake up with useful electric range.
Repeat.
Do that consistently and the powertrain begins making an enormous amount of sense.
Don't?
I'd probably buy the diesel.
Off Road
Now for the important bit.
Because none of this matters if electrification has turned the Cannon Alpha into a large road-going lifestyle accessory.
Fortunately, it hasn't.
The Alpha retains proper four-wheel-drive capability and low-range functionality, with multiple terrain modes and substantial ground clearance.
And electric assistance actually has some interesting advantages off road.
Electric motors can deliver torque extremely precisely.
There's no need to build engine revs.
No waiting for turbo boost.
You can request a small amount of torque and receive exactly that.
When you're crawling over difficult terrain, that's useful.
Very useful.
Then there's the battery.
Some people instinctively worry about putting high-voltage hardware underneath an off-road vehicle.
Fair question.
But these systems are engineered around water resistance, impact protection and the sort of environmental conditions expected of the vehicle.
Will we know exactly how they cope after fifteen years of Australian corrugations?
No.
Time has to answer that.
But there's nothing inherently incompatible about electrification and off-road driving.
In some ways, the technology actually suits it beautifully.
Towing
And now we arrive at perhaps the most interesting PHEV-ute question.
Towing.
Electric motors are brilliant for towing because they produce enormous torque immediately.
Batteries are less brilliant because heavy towing dramatically increases energy consumption.
The Cannon Alpha attempts to solve that equation by having both battery-electric assistance and a petrol engine.
That means you can use the electric motors' torque without becoming entirely dependent on battery range.
Clever.
The Alpha is rated to tow serious loads, putting it firmly into the territory expected of modern Australian dual-cabs.
But, as always, don't simply look at the maximum braked towing number.
Payload.
Tow-ball mass.
GVM.
GCM.
Passengers.
Accessories.
Everything counts.
A 3.5-tonne sticker doesn't magically override mathematics.
And that's true whether the badge says GWM, Ford, Toyota or anything else.
Ride and Handling
The Cannon Alpha is fundamentally a large ute.
Physics remains involved.
There's substantial weight.
There's significant height.
And depending on what you're doing with the tray, the rear suspension still has a difficult job balancing load-carrying ability with passenger comfort.
But the Alpha feels noticeably more sophisticated than old-school dual-cabs.
Around town, the electric drivetrain improves refinement enormously.
The steering is light.
Visibility is good.
And cameras help disguise the fact you're manoeuvring something roughly the dimensions of a studio apartment.
On the highway, it settles nicely.
There's some wind noise.
Obviously.
Look at it.
Aerodynamics can only do so much when the vehicle approaching the air has the frontal area of a garage door.
But overall refinement is impressive.
And the ability to cruise silently under electric power changes the character completely.
Technology
The Alpha is loaded with it.
Large displays.
Surround-view cameras.
Adaptive cruise control.
Lane assistance.
Blind-spot monitoring.
Connected infotainment.
Multiple powertrain modes.
Multiple off-road modes.
There's a lot happening.
Sometimes perhaps too much.
As we've found with other GWM products, some of the driver-assistance systems can be rather enthusiastic.
The vehicle occasionally behaves like a nervous passenger who's just received their learner licence.
Beep.
Warning.
Another beep.
Yes, GWM.
I saw the lane marking.
We're okay.
Relax.
Software calibration continues to be one of the areas where some Chinese manufacturers could learn from the restraint they've increasingly demonstrated in their physical vehicle design.
Not everything requires an alert.
Safety
Unsurprisingly, there's an extensive collection of active-safety technology.
Autonomous emergency braking.
Adaptive cruise control.
Lane-keeping assistance.
Blind-spot monitoring.
Rear cross-traffic alert.
Surround-view cameras.
And multiple airbags.
Given that plenty of Cannon Alphas will spend their lives carrying families rather than concrete mixers, that's important.
Modern utes are no longer exempt from passenger-car safety expectations simply because they have a tray.
Nor should they be.
Ownership
GWM backs its Australian vehicles with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, alongside roadside assistance and capped-price servicing provisions.
The high-voltage battery also receives dedicated warranty coverage.
But PHEV ownership introduces another consideration.
Complexity.
You've got a petrol engine.
A high-voltage battery.
Electric motors.
Power electronics.
And a sophisticated transmission tying everything together.
That's more complicated than a traditional diesel ute.
There's no getting around that.
The counterargument is that much of the urban driving can potentially occur without regularly running the combustion engine, while regenerative braking reduces reliance on conventional brakes.
Which approach proves cheaper over fifteen years?
Ask me in fifteen years.
Anyone claiming certainty today is guessing.
The Competition
This is where things are moving incredibly quickly.
The BYD Shark 6 immediately comes to mind because it has demonstrated that Australians are very interested in plug-in hybrid utes.
Then there are traditional diesel heavyweights like the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-MAX and Mitsubishi Triton.
And that's what makes the Cannon Alpha fascinating.
It doesn't neatly fit into either camp.
Against a diesel ute, it's smoother, quieter and potentially dramatically cheaper to run during short urban journeys if regularly charged.
Against a fully electric vehicle, it removes most of the long-distance range anxiety.
Against another PHEV?
Then we start comparing electric range, towing, off-road hardware, payload, price and equipment.
That's where this segment is going to become extremely interesting.
Fast.
The Bigger Question
Do Australian ute buyers actually want electrification?
Judging by how quickly the market is changing, apparently plenty do.
But I don't think most buyers care whether something is electrified simply because electrification is fashionable.
They care whether it makes the vehicle better.
Does it cost less to run?
Does it tow well?
Does it have enough range?
Can I take it camping?
Can I drive interstate?
Can I charge it at home?
Will it survive what I use a ute for?
Those are the questions that matter.
And that's why the Cannon Alpha PHEV is interesting.
It isn't asking Australian ute buyers to completely change the way they live.
It's trying to slot electrification into the life they already have.
That's a much smarter strategy.
Verdict
The GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV sounds ridiculous when you first read the specifications.
A plug-in hybrid Chinese dual-cab ute.
Around 300kW.
750Nm.
More than 100km of electric driving.
Proper four-wheel-drive capability.
Luxury-SUV levels of equipment.
There are a lot of ideas happening at once.
But spend some time thinking about how Australians actually use these vehicles and the concept starts making considerably more sense.
Drive to work on electricity.
Charge at home.
Use almost no petrol during the week.
Then load the tray on Friday.
Hook up something behind it.
And drive several hundred kilometres without needing to plan your life around charging infrastructure.
That's compelling.
The technology isn't perfect.
The vehicle is heavy.
Some driver-assistance systems need to calm down.
And long-term durability of increasingly complicated plug-in hybrid utes remains something only time can properly establish.
But GWM deserves credit for trying something different.
It hasn't electrified the ute simply to make an environmental statement.
It has used electrification to give it more torque, more refinement and potentially far lower everyday fuel consumption without removing the long-distance flexibility Australian buyers expect.
That's the important bit.
Maybe the future of the Australian ute isn't petrol or electricity.
Maybe, for a while at least, it's both.
And if you're going to give us both...
750Nm seems like a pretty good place to start.
Thank you, GWM.