Another affordable plug-in hybrid ute is circling the popular BYD Shark 6.
GWM has confirmed its new Cannon PHEV (plug-in hybrid) ute will arrive in Australia soon.
It will join the pack hunting down BYD’s leading Shark 6, which includes the Ford Ranger Hybrid, GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV and the coming Chery Stockman.
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What’s underneath the GWM Cannon PHEV?
Slightly smaller than the Cannon Alpha, the Cannon ute is the latest vehicle to bring the Chinese brand’s Hi4-T plug-in hybrid four-wheel drive tech Down under.
It pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor to make 310kW and 750Nm.
This is matched with a 33.1kWh battery that delivers a claimed driving range of 115km, which is calculated via the more lenient NEDC testing.
GWM claims it drinks just 2.4-litres per 100km, but as with all plug-in hybrids drivers will need to be disciplined with charging the battery to get close to that figure.
GWM claims it can be driven more than 1000km (NEDC) before the battery is depleted and the fuel tank emptied.
The Cannon PHEV is ready to rock off-road, with the Hi4-T system using a mechanical four-wheel drive set-up, which is in contrast to some rivals.
GWM is also working on a diesel plug-in hybrid Cannon, which is expected to join the line-up at a later date.
What is the price of the GWM Cannon PHEV?
GWM hasn’t confirmed prices yet, but has said the Cannon PHEV will be one of the most affordable plug-in hybrid utes in the nation.
The company hasn’t revealed the line-up either. If it mimics the standard diesel version it will be available in Lux, Ultra and Vanta grades as well as pick-up or cab chassis body styles.
We can look to the larger Cannon Alpha for some price guidance. It costs about $10,000 to upgrade from a diesel to plug-in hybrid Cannon Alpha. So that means a plug-in hybrid Cannon could start at about $52,000, drive-away, for the Lux grade or about $55,000 for the Ultra variant.
That puts the Cannon PHEV on track to be cheaper than the BYD Shark 6 dual-cab pick-up which starts at $57,990, drive-away, with a cab-chassis version $2000 cheaper.
Chery’s coming Stockman, which uses a diesel plug-in hybrid set-up, will be aggressively priced when it arrives later this year.
Ford has cut thousands off the price of its Ranger plug-in hybrid, with it now available for $62,000, drive-away.
