2023 GWM Cannon X Review

Looking out into the carparks, driveways and roads of Australia, it’s hard not to notice a barrage of utes making their way around. Looking at sales data confirms Australia’s ute obsession. For the past seven years, the best selling vehicle in Australia has been a ute and last year, utes occupied four positions in the top 10 best selling vehicle chart. Sales aren’t the only area of increase for utes – increased popularity come alongside higher prices, larger dimensions and ever increasing levels of features and luxury for top of the line models. So how does the 2023 GWM Cannon X stack up? Let’s find out.

Prices for top trim levels of Australia’s most popular utes march further towards six digit pricing, pushing them out of reach for many. Enter the 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X – one of several highly specified utes on the market that promise plenty of features at a price that significantly undercuts market leaders such as the Hilux, Ranger and D-Max. We spent a week behind the wheel of the Cannon X to find out if it is a genuine alternative to these competitors – read on to find out our thoughts. 

Price & Equipment: 8.5/10

The 2023 GWM Ute Cannon range starts at a drive away price of about $35,990 (depending on location) and ranges up to $47,085 for the top-spec Cannon Vanta. Our test model was the Cannon X – which has all the same features of the Vanta, apart from various exterior visual upgrades. Our test car, a 2023 GWM Cannon X with premium paint, is priced around $46,085 drive away (depending on location). 

Standard equipment for the Cannon X includes 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic all-LED lighting, front and rear fog lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), electric-folding door mirrors, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, side steps, keyless entry and start, paddle shifters, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a leather wrapped steering wheel, leather seats, heated front seats with six ways of electric adjustment for the driver and four ways for the passenger, single-zone climate control with rear air vents, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, AM/FM radio and sound delivery by a six-speaker system, three USB charging points and an easy up/down tailgate. 

Receiving a five-star ANCAP rating in 2021, the 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X features seven airbags (dual front, dual front side, front centre and curtain airbags for both rows of seats), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist with departure alert, lane change assist, radar cruise control, traffic sign recognition, secondary collision mitigation, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and a 360-degree camera. 

Given the sharp pricing of the Cannon X, it’s hard to suggest it should have much more equipment, but we would like to see the safety package padded out bit with blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and intersection turn assistance. Other than that, perhaps auto folding side mirrors, a second zone for the climate control and a sunroof would be nice – but again, that is a bit of an ask at the price.

The dual cab ute segment is full of competitors, but we think the closest matches to the Cannon X would be the LDV T60 Max Luxe and the Ssangyong Musso Ultimate with Luxury Pack. The LDV T60 Max Luxe is priced around $47,884 drive-away and gains some equipment that’s missing in the Cannon X, including driver attention monitoring, auto-folding mirrors, an additional two ways of electric adjustment for the passenger seat, a larger infotainment screen and larger alloys. The Cannon X however, despite its lower price, hits back with a front centre airbag, front parking sensors, active cruise control, a USB charging port for the rear seats, AEB, lane keep assist, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and a larger digital instrument cluster. 

The Ssangyong Musso Ultimate with Luxury Pack undercuts the Cannon X at around $45,090 drive-away and brings dual zone climate control, nappa leather seats, a significantly larger fully digital instrument cluster, rear heated seats, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a sunroof, driver attention monitoring, leading vehicle departure alert and heated mirrors. The Cannon X counters with radar cruise control, a slightly larger infotainment touch screen, a centre airbag, secondary collision migration, lane keep assist, side steps and an additional USB charging port.  

Compared to the top selling vehicles of the segment, the Cannon X represents fantastic value, though the value equation is slightly dimmed by the existence of the aforementioned similarly priced competitors. The addition of a bit more kit would go a long way to further strengthen the value proposition of the Cannon X. 

Performance & Economy: 6.5/10

Providing power across the whole GWM Ute Cannon range is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that develops 120kW of power (at 3600rpm) and 400Nm of torque (between 1500-2600rpm), paired to an eight-speed torque converter transmission. In the 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X, power is sent to all four wheels by a “’Torque on demand” four-wheel drive system. These outputs are quite small for the class, however we rarely found the Cannon X to be unreasonably sluggish. That being said, extra power wouldn’t go astray. The intuitive and decisive shifting of the eight speed torque converter transmission was a highlight – it seemed to always be in the correct gear and  definitely helped to elevate the driving experience. 

Refinement of the setup is somewhat lacking – the Cannon X transmits a fair bit of engine noise and vibration into the cabin and it’s fairly difficult for the driver to forget they’re in a diesel vehicle. There is a short delay between pressing the start button and the engine actually starting while the glow plugs warm the engine – many modern diesel engines do this prior to the ignition even being turned on – the Cannon X, not so much. GWM claims the Cannon X will use 9.4L/100km on a combined cycle, though we weren’t able to match this at 11.2L/100km in mixed driving. Again based on the claimed fuel usage, the Cannon X Co2 emits 246 grams of carbon dioxide per km driven. 

Ride & Handling: 6/10

Many utes pile high end features and classy interiors on top of fairly basic underpinnings, resulting in a somewhat agricultural handling experience, and this is apparent behind the wheel of the 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X. Steering feel is a bit lacking with a somewhat vague feeling, but it is light enough to make manoeuvring the Cannon X relatively easy most of the time. The ride on the Cannon X is fairly stiff, which results in better-than-expected body control, though we wouldn’t suggest engaging in too much high speed cornering. We found ride quality to again be on the agricultural side, but we’ve definitely ridden in more expensive utes that are less comfortable. Smaller road perfections are dulled by the suspension, though larger and bumps and repeated can upset things, with the rear end not settling as well as we’d like, though we’re sure that our driving of the Cannon X unladen did contribute to this.

Visibility for the driver is good with large side mirrors, large windows all around and a 360 degree panoramic view monitor for additional assistance. We were impressed by GWM putting rear disc brakes into the Cannon X – plenty of other pricier utes make do with sub-par drum brakes in the rear, which in our opinion is borderline highway robbery and stinginess – unacceptable skimping on an important safety issue. Kudos to GWM for prioritising safety in this instance. Less impressive however, were the standard tyres on the Cannon X – our week with the ute was wet and rainy, and even with judicious application of the accelerator, there was too much slip and slide.

Interior & Practicality: 7/10

Looking into the cabin of the 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X reveals a space which is modern and interesting, even if it’s not ground-breaking. Everything is where you’d expect it to be and fairly well laid out. The panel across the dash adds some interest, though feels a little cheap. We did like the material that is on the centre console – a textured faux metal, which feels quite satisfying under the touch. 

Most important touch points such as door armrests, the dashboard top, the centre armrest and the steering wheel are covered with soft touch material – leather in the case of the wheel. Some surfaces including the sides of the centre console are made of scratchy plastics, but there is less than in far more expensive utes such as the HiLux. The fit and finish on our test car was good, everything felt well put together and sturdy.

The diamond-quilted real leather trim that covers the seats looks sleek and feels great to the touch. The front seats are fairly comfortable, though a little flat – we would like to have seen more bolstering, under-thigh angle and lumbar adjustment. We’re sure the heated seats will come in handy on cold mornings, but having to delve into the infotainment system to switch them on is frustrating – a physical switch would be appreciated. 

The Cannon X features a 9.0-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto covering phone mirroring and AM/FM radio – no digital radio or satellite navigation here. Sound is delivered to occupants over a six speaker sound system, which we found to be underwhelming – clarity was poor, the bass was non existent and everything sounded tinny. Overall the system was okay – the screen is sharp and is nice to look at, but the software powering it was at times glitchy, the user interface design wasn’t fantastic and menus were generally poorly laid out. A software update could make a world of difference in improving the usability of the screen. A highlight was the reversing camera and panoramic view monitor display, which were crisp and of great quality. The cabin features three USB charging points – one doubles as input for the infotainment system. 

The number of buyers who use their ute as a family or weekend car makes the second row quite important. The Cannon X features quite spacious rear seats. The two outbound seats have plenty of head- and leg-room and the centre seat, while not as big, is more than acceptable. The rear row and door cards are finished in the same diamond stitched leather as the front row, giving the space a premium feel. The cushioning for the seats isn’t the best with very flat seat backs and a lack of bolstering or lumbar support, however it’s still a comfortable enough space to sit. Rear seat amenities include air vents, a single USB charging point, a 220V three-pin socket, a centre armrest and map pockets. The rear seat bases helpfully fold up up into the back of the cabin allowing for transport of odd shaped items. 

The tray of the Cannon X features a plastic lining, and very impressively: a soft opening tailgate – after testing so many utes (many more expensive than the Cannon X) with heavy and difficult to lower gates, it was a welcome surprise, making ease of access to the rear a breeze. The tray also features a handy 220 volt household socket.

Service & Warranty: 8.5/10

GWM gives the Cannon X a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which compares well to the seven year, but 200,000km capped warranty that the LDV T60 has and is identical to Ssangyong’s warranty package for the Musso. The Cannon X comes with five years/100,000km of roadside assistance, which is bested by Ssangyong who include seven years of roadside assistance with unlimited kilometres with the Musso. LDV also does better, offering the same five years of roadside assistance with the T60, without a cap on kilometres. 

The Cannon X has caped price servicing for the first four and a half years, as the first service interval is after six months/5000kms, then subsequent services are at 12-month/10,000km intervals. Over the first five years/45,000km, servicing costs $1,700 ($340 per service). Ssangyong offers a superior seven years of capped price servicing for the Musso with longer intervals at 12 months/15,000kms, but costs a slightly higher $1,875 over the first five years. The LDV T60 doesn’t have a capped price servicing program at all, but does have longer 12 month/15,000km service intervals. 

2023 GWM Ute Cannon X DiscoverAuto Rating: 7.2/10

Amongst the sea of high specced utes which are out of reach for many, the 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X presents an enticing proposition. It represents good value with plenty of equipment and a good warranty/service package. Comparing the Cannon X to top-specced utes in the Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton and Nissan Navara ranges really drives home the GWM’s value. The comparable HiLux SR5 with Premium Interior, for example is $24,000 more than the Cannon X – and despite the large price jump, isn’t as well equipped. Even a base dual cab 4×4 HiLux is $54,886, a full $8k more than the Cannon X! 

However, there are other value leading utes, such as the Ssangyong Musso Ultimate with Luxury Pack, which is a better ute than the Cannon X in almost every single way. There’s also the problem that the Cannon X only stands out in comparison to other utes such as the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50 and Isuzu D-Max in the area of value. In most other areas the Cannon X is well behind its competition, with engine and economy as well as handling being just passable. The 2023 GWM Ute Cannon X is worth a look for buyers who are value conscious, but we think that buyers would be better paying more or sacrificing features to get a vehicle which is much better to drive and live with.