GWM Cannon-X
SEDUCES WITH BLING, BUT THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE IS FROM THE GHETTO
From $40,990 (driveaway)
In the land where the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger top the sales charts with boring repetition, you have to ask yourself: how rich is Australia when the two most popular vehicles can cost nearly $80,000?
Which brings us to another question: Can rivals with similar macho styling, equally opulent interiors and corresponding technologies for nearly half the price show up the Big Two?
To find out, we sought out the all-new Cannon 4x4 from Great Wall Motors – China’s biggest maker of pick-ups, and a brand on a roll with sales up nearly 40 percent in 2020 locally.
There’s the $34K opener, and a mid-spec Cannon-L for $4K extra, but it’s the $41K Cannon-X that fits our bill best. Does it frighten the $68K Ranger Wildtrak X Bi-Turbo?
First impressions are promising for the Great Wall, with a formidable road presence backed up by a toothy grille that would make a Ram owner proud, a fat road stance and Ranger Raptoresque 3D tail-light treatment. There’s the mandatory sports bar and roof rack, privacy glass, the tailgate has struts for light-touch opening and closing, like the big boys do, and there’s even an in-built tailgate ladder to step into the tub.
This thing looks like it should cost twice the price.
Inside, the Cannon-X seems almost Kardashian in its affluence, replete with pleated leather upholstery, squishy-soft seats front and rear (with a pleasingly angled backrest out back and rear air vents), lashings of leather trim, heated front seats, 7.0-inch digital instrumentation, powered seats, wireless charging, powered folding mirrors and the convenience of reach as well as tilt steering adjustment. Listening, Ford?
These come on top of a 9.0-inch LCD touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, keyless entry/start, climate control, paddle shifters, a dash-cam power outlet and a trio of USB ports.
On the safety front, the Cannon-X shines with seven airbags,
AEB with pedestrian and cyclist protection, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree view camera including kerbside vision, traffic-sign recognition, tyre pressure monitors, front and rear parking sensors, auto headlights, hill-start assist/descent control and cornering fog lights.
The good vibes continue the moment the starter button is pushed, due to the muted hum of a 120kW/400Nm 2.0-litre fourpot turbo-diesel, mated to a promising, ZF-supplied eight-speed torque-converter auto. Is it time to read the Ranger its last rites?
Er, no. Slot that solid lever into drive and suddenly you realise that behind all the glitz and wow factor, the Great Wall is nearly the price of a Toyota Camry Hybrid cheaper than the Ford for good reason.
Acceleration is tardy at best, held back by a laggy throttle response and then followed by a rush of thrust. Pass over a bucket and a neck brace for our agitated passenger. Ear muffs too, please.
It gets worse. If you’re expecting a semblance of the Wildtrak’s fluid steering, poised handling and absorbent ride quality, then you’ll be rudely awoken by the gooey steering, jittery suspension, loose body control and trigger-happy driver-assist safety alarms assaulting your ears like a whiney in-law.
Enough. The Cannon-X is miles behind the decade-old Ranger in dynamic finesse and refinement. Buyers coming out of a used D-Max or ropey old Holden Rodeo should see progress here, and the safety advances on offer are great, but the high-tech façade this truck projects in the showroom crumbles away out in the real world.
The Cannon-X is no bargain Wildtrak where it matters. The segment leaders can sleep easier – for now.
VERDICT: A knockout proposition on the dealer forecourt, and with commendable standard safety, but far behind the best dynamically.