BMW 5 Series vs GWM Cannon

What's the difference?

There’s no getting around the i5 being a rather expensive offering. More than $150,000 to get into an electric sedan that’s not much faster than a hot hatch is a big ask, but there’s plenty to enjoy about the 5 Series.

Things like its heated leather seats shouldn’t be the reason you’re willing to spend so much on a sedan when a $50,000 hybrid SUV will score you the same, instead it’s the fact the 5 Series is a delight to drive and hasn’t lost the feeling of prestige the badge has earned over the last half a century.

In terms of value - if speed isn’t your focus and you’re less of a gadget-type-operator when looking at cars like this - the 520i has the style and comfort you’d need and at $100K less than the M60.

And in terms of large electric sedans, the i5 eDrive40 is cheaper than a Porsche Taycan (by a little) or an Audi e-Tron (by a lot). The Genesis G80 Electrified is the closest cheaper rival, by about $10K, or the less powerful Mercedes EQE is similarly priced at $154,900.

Essentially, if you’re looking at a 5 Series, it might be worth considering if you really need it to be electric, but if so, there aren’t many alternatives in its category for the price.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

It combines big payload and towing capabilities with a standard tray and luxury appointments not usually offered as standard equipment in a single cab-chassis 4x2. And all at a price that matches more basic alternatives from the major players. So, for tradies, farmers or fleets wanting more bang-for-buck style than the usual entry-level workhorse, this could be just what they're looking for.

If you’ve watched other members of the BMW family go into a new generation within the last few years - the 3, 4 and 7 Series particularly, you won’t be too surprised by what you see here. Especially with the latter, having seen the petrol variants look roughly the same as the electric ones.

BMW specifically made the petrol 520i and the i5 variants look similar for egalitarian purposes - to not disenfranchise 520i buyers who are still spending a fair chunk of cash but might not be ready to go EV.

That means all three variants score a mix of new and old. The kidney grille remains and isn’t as large as on the M3 or 4 Series, while the bonnet line following it and the ‘character line’ down the car’s side also remain. And yes, the Hoffmeister kink where the C-pillar meets the passenger window’s lower corner is still there.

On that C-pillar though is a ‘5’ stamped into the bodywork, new to this generation, while the front grille as mentioned has a glowing light surround - the brand’s ‘Iconic Glow’ already seen on the 7 Series.

Overall, thanks to being slightly larger in every dimension, the new 5 is starting to look bigger than a 7 Series from a little while ago. And that’s because it is - its body is overall longer than an E65 7 Series from the mid-2000s.

It’s 5060mm long 1900mm wide, 1515mm tall (97mm longer, 32mm wider, and 36mm taller). Its wheelbase is 20mm longer too at 2995mm. 

Our test vehicle rides on a unique 3470mm wheelbase, which is 240mm longer than the 3230mm dimension shared by other Cannon utes.

This is designed to improve load distribution and therefore vehicle dynamics, given the 4x2’s sizeable payload is also unmatched by its siblings (see Practicality). The longer wheelbase results in a 13.9-metre turning circle, which is the largest of the Cannon fleet.

It features double-wishbone/coil-spring front suspension, a leaf-spring live rear axle, four-wheel disc brakes, electric power-assisted steering and under-carriage armour.

The cab’s exterior has an upmarket appearance that’s unusual in this space, matched by an interior which looks more like those found in SUVs and higher-grade dual cabs with faux-leather upholstery, soft-touch surfaces, exposed stitching, contrasting textures and satin chrome highlights throughout.

There’s even a neat line drawing on the passenger-side dash depicting the silhouette of a ute, which highlights its attention to detail.

A longer wheelbase means more space inside, where the 5 Series also still looks fairly familiar to those who have spent any significant time in a recent model BMW.

BMW has historically been pretty bang-on with ergonomics, and the new-gen 5 does a good job of sticking to that. Comfortable sports seats and quality feel for the materials on touch points mean the 5 Series feels nice to be in, and relatively restrained interior design for a somewhat luxurious car means it looks nice too.

It’s let down only by a couple of things - its multimedia screen and Operating System 8.5 is a little less simple to use now, and requires more touching the screen than previous iDrive systems, rendering the scroll wheel less useful.

The BMW Interaction Bar too is a little tricky to see controls on, as well as lacking physical feedback for using controls. Vent flow controls are digital sliders on the Bar, while vent direction is controlled by an unusual ‘joystick’ style control nearby.

The rear seat is plenty spacious, as you’d expect from a large sedan, with climate controls and ports for charging devices in the rear.

Our test vehicle’s relatively light 1900kg kerb weight includes the standard tray. So, its 3050kg GVM results in a substantial 1150kg payload rating that's in addition to the tray, rather than the tray's weight being part of the payload which is usually the case with cab-chassis models.

It’s also rated to tow up to 3200kg of braked trailer, which is 300kg less than the class-benchmark 3500kg its Ranger and D-Max 4x2 rivals can tow, but still ample for most trailering requirements in real-world use.

However, with its 5590kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time), towing its maximum trailer weight would require a substantial 660kg reduction in payload (from 1150kg to 490kg) to avoid exceeding the GCM limit.

The tray appears to have sturdy construction, complete with a tube-frame front bulkhead that includes a full-width welded mesh insert to protect the rear window from load damage.

According to our tape measure, the tray is internally 1845mm wide and 2580mm long, with hinged and removable drop-sides that stand 260mm tall and feature neat flush-fitting lock mechanisms.

However, there are no internal anchorage points, so all loads must be secured externally using the rope-rails positioned along each side beneath the tray.

Cabin storage includes a large bottle-holder and bin in each door and the driver gets two small nooks on the right side of the dash. There’s also a long and narrow bin provided in the upper left side of the dash, above a usefully sized glovebox.

The centre console has a pad that’s ideal for storing a phone, plus two USB-A ports and a 12v socket. There’s also buttons for controlling other 12v accessories, along with two cupholders and a lidded box at the rear that's usefully deep with an internal vent to control temps for drinks and food. The box lid is also nicely padded to serve as a driver’s elbow rest.

Our Pearl White test vehicle comes standard with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel and eight-speed automatic drivetrain carried over from the previous model, for a list price of $34,490.

That compares favourably with single cab-chassis diesel 4x2 rivals like the manual-only Toyota HiLux Workmate Hi-Rider 2.4L ($32,970), Isuzu D-Max SX High Ride 2.2L auto ($36,200) and Ford Ranger XL Hi-Rider 2.0L auto ($37,130), given the Cannon comes standard with an aluminium tray which rival buyers must pay extra for. Our example is also fitted with GWM’s genuine accessory towbar which adds $1449 to this price.

The tray is one of many items on the Premium’s generous standard equipment list that also includes 18-inch two-tone alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size steel spare, ‘Machine Grey’ grille with body-coloured front bumper/wheel-arch trims/mirror caps/doorhandles, auto LED headlights with DRLs/sequential indicators/follow-me-home lighting, front fog lights, LED tail-lights, side-steps, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and more.

Smart keyless entry provides access to a well-appointed cabin with carpet, synthetic leather bucket seats, single-zone climate control, electronic parking brake, push-button start, height/reach adjustable steering wheel with paddle-shifters and three comfort modes, adaptive cruise control, 7.0-inch driver’s instrument cluster, four-speaker audio system with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen and more.

Despite BMW calling it ‘electrified’, the base 520i is only a mild hybrid so most wouldn’t realise unless they were told.

Its turbocharged 2.0-litre four cylinder puts out a modest 153kW and 330Nm, with power and torque sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

BMW claims it’ll knock over the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.5 seconds, a few seconds too slow to blow anyone’s socks off.

The mid-spec eDrive40 has a little more kick to it, its rear-mounted electric motor capable of 250kW/430Nm and able to cut that time to 6.0 seconds.

It’s fitted with an 84kWh battery to draw its power from, the same as the 442kW/820Nm M60 with its all-wheel drive dual-motor setup.

The M-tuned i5 can hit 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds. Bye bye socks, perhaps.

With the rest of the Cannon fleet recently upgrading to a larger 2.4-litre turbo-diesel, its 2.0-litre predecessor is now exclusive to the Premium model grade, producing 120kW of power at 3600rpm and 400Nm of torque between 1500-2500rpm.

It also retains the previous eight-speed torque converter automatic (2.4-litre has a nine-speed unit) offering the choice of sequential manual-shifting using the steering wheel-mounted paddles. And there are three selectable drive modes comprising ‘Normal’ (default), ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco’.

BMW claims the petrol 520i sips 6.7 litres per 100km from its 60-litre fuel tank, though we were unable to independently test any of the claimed figures on the launch day.

The base car has a theoretical range of 896km if it was possible to achieve the claimed fuel consumption figure for the duration of the whole tank - but it isn’t and realistically you could knock about 20-30 per cent off that, depending on how enthusiastically you drive.

In the i5 variants, the same 84kWh battery provides slightly different ranges due to the eDrive40 using 16.56kWh per 100km, and the M60 using 18kWh.

The eDrive40 has a claimed 550km maximum range, while the M60 has a 506km figure thanks to its extra motor and weight.

GWM claims official combined average consumption of 7.6L/100km but the dash display was showing 9.5 when we stopped to refuel at the completion of our 290km test, which included the usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving of which about one third was hauling its maximum payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was almost identical at 9.7L/100km. That was within the usual 2-3L/100km discrepancy between official claims and real-world consumption and thrifty sub-10L/100km economy for a light commercial in daily urban use.

So, based on our test figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 770km from its 78-litre tank.

For some cars, the list of features is what really separates the variants, but that’s not the case for the 5 Series. As is a bit of a BMW tradition, the drivetrains dictate the different trim levels and prices, and there are three fairly distinct flavours of 5 Series.

Starting at ground level, the 520i might at first seem like a bit of boring vanilla. Except it’s actually quite smooth and light vanilla.

There’s not a lot to write about when it comes to its drivetrain, but the lightness of its engine and petrol tank combo when compared to EV batteries and motors is refreshing, and makes for a quite dynamic rear-drive sedan.

Its 153kW and 330Nm is delivered smoothly enough with the mild hybrid assistance doing a little in helping responsiveness, but without intervening in the gearshifts it doesn’t feel particularly keen.

It lacks the ride comfort of the i5’s adaptive suspension, but it’s able to be driven in a spirited manner that belies its size and even, to some extent its 1725kg kerb weight. Chocolate sprinkles on the vanilla, if you like.

It’s not fast, but it feels nimble compared to its electric siblings and can carry a fair bit more speed through corners, after which there’s room to notice its rear-drive characteristics.

It’s especially noticeable after getting out of the 2130kg eDrive40, though the extra power from its 250kW/430Nm motor makes for some more spirited acceleration and a little more excitement when exiting a corner, especially if you’re aiming to double-check if it really is rear-wheel drive. There’s a little more than choc-topped vanilla going on here.

The steering is, like in the 520i, direct and responsive, though in most cases is probably best set to ‘comfort’ rather than ‘sport’ in its settings. 

The eDrive40 is rather comfortable and capable when barrelling through twisty backroads, and doesn’t feel out of hand for a five-metre-long sedan. It holds its weight well, and telegraphs when you might be approaching the limit quite sensibly.

When considering that, then, it’s impressive how brutally capable the 2305kg M60 is.

Here, we’re looking at a double-choc fudge with extra choc, and maybe some cookie dough in there for good measure. There’s a lot to like, but boy is it heavy.

It’s 580kg (or exactly half a Peugeot 208 GTi) heavier than the 520i, but it feels quick on its feet and its anti-roll seems to do a lot in terms of dynamics, the limiting factor really seems to be its tyres (which can and will squeal quite quickly to let you know when approaching said limit).

While you’ll need to take caution with how much speed you approach a corner with, you’re not going to lack acceleration on the other side, its all-wheel drive being less ‘fun’ but more efficient at getting you away from the bend than in the rear-drive eDrive40.

That adaptive suspension does also translate to a comfortable ride on relatively rough roads - only particularly bad bumps will reveal how much weight and pressure is being placed on each corner of the big sedan.

The GWM Cannon has generous external dimensions which translate to a spacious and airy cabin. In this case, the usually restrictive single cab can easily accommodate taller drivers, given I’m 186cm and found a comfortable driving position.

The door mirrors provide good rearward vision along both sides, but there's no blind-spot monitoring or rear cross-traffic alert. Even so, when carrying a load that blocks the central mirror, the rear camera and parking sensors assist when reversing.

Given our test vehicle’s kerb weight is less than two tonnes, the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel is a better fit in terms of power-to-weight ratio, as it can feel underdone in heavier Cannon ute variants.

As a result, it has livelier response, particularly when operating in its peak torque band between 1500-2500rpm which it does most of the time. We trialled the different drive modes but found the ‘Normal’ default setting an ideal compromise between ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco’ modes.

It has very firm rear suspension, as you’d expect given its big payload rating. This results in a harsh ride over bumps when unladen, as the relatively light weight of the aluminium tray can’t match a heavier steel tray or custom work body in providing the sprung weight needed for a smoother ride. So, ideally it should be carrying a decent load most (if not all) of the time for optimum comfort.

On the highway it only requires about 1800rpm to maintain 110km/h, which is bang in the middle of its peak torque band. At those speeds there is noticeable rear tyre noise along with wind-buffeting from the tray’s bulkhead, but they’re not intrusive enough to require raised voices.

To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the tray, which combined with the weight of the towbar and driver equalled a total payload within 50kg of its 1150kg limit.

The rear leaf-springs compressed 60mm under this weight, which still left about 40mm of static bump-stop clearance that ensured no bottoming-out on our test route.

As expected, the ride quality greatly improved with such a big increase in sprung weight, which is what it’s primarily designed for. And thanks to the extended wheelbase, most of the tray’s load was positioned ahead of the rear axle, which provided ideal weight distribution and good handling stability.

The 2.0-litre drivetrain also performed well on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, easily hauling this load to the summit without downshifting lower than fourth gear.

In a manually selected second gear, it also displayed strong retardation when testing engine-braking on the way down, easily staying beneath the posted 60km/h limit until the engine reached 4400rpm on overrun (no redline is displayed) and automatically shifted up a gear.

These engine-protecting calibrations are becoming common in utes and vans, so keeping the revs below that threshold with regular applications of the brake pedal is the best way to share engine and wheel-braking on steep descents with heavy loads.

Our only gripes are, firstly, the intrusive engine clatter between 1000-2000rpm which detracts from its otherwise good performance.

And secondly the emergency lane-keeping assist, with its weird fluctuations in steering weight and aggressive tugs at the wheel when making corrections which are often not justified. Fortunately, this annoying function can be switched off. Unfortunately, you must do it before every drive, which requires accessing the touchscreen each time.

The GWM Cannon has a five-star ANCAP rating (awarded 2021) which includes seven airbags and a suite of active safety features including auto emergency braking (AEB) with junction assist, front collision warning, trailer sway mitigation, tyre pressure monitoring, traffic sign recognition, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and more. However, we wish it also shared the ‘rear cross-traffic alert with brake’ function that’s standard on the higher Lux-grade dual-cab-chassis 4x4 variant.

BMW has a fairly industry-standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty on its new cars, while its electric car batteries are covered by an eight year/160,000km warranty.

For servicing, BMW offers numerous discounted packs and deals based on your preferences and desire to pay upfront.

For the 5 Series, a five-year/80,000km basic service package is $2400, though the i5 will have different needs and lower servicing costs not yet listed by the brand.

It comes with a seven years/unlimited km warranty, plus five years of roadside assistance. Scheduled servicing starts at six months/5000km whichever occurs first, then every 12 months/10,000km. Capped pricing applies to the first five scheduled services up to 54 months/45,000km, which totals $2065 or an average of $413 per service.

GWM currently has a network of 121 dealerships throughout Australia, with expectations of 135 by 2026. They are located in metropolitan and regional areas in every state and territory. And every dealership provides accredited vehicle servicing.