Fiat Ducato vs GWM Cannon Alpha

What's the difference?

The Ducato originated in 1981 through a joint venture between Fiat and PSA Peugeot-Citroen, which are both now part of the recently formed Stellantis conglomerate. The Ducato has evolved through four decades and several generations, with more than 2.6 million sold in a variety of body styles (including popular motorhomes) and wheelbases.

The current generation van, which competes in the 3501-8000kg GVM commercial class, is also marketed as the Peugeot Boxer, which was tested at maximum GVM by CarsGuide in 2020. Despite many similarities between them, the latest iteration of the Ducato is more than just a badge-engineered version of its French sibling.

The MY21 Fiat Professional Ducato Series 7 is equipped with an all-new drivetrain, updated safety and convenience features and a class-leading two-tonne-plus payload capacity, which we recently put to the test.

Chinese automotive brand GWM (aka Great Wall Motors) has been making headlines, given that in 2024 it was the first manufacturer to launch an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) ute in Australia. And in 2025 it's replaced that short-lived model with a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) version.

The decision to axe the original Alpha Hybrid was a no-brainer for GWM, given its PHEV successor offers not only short-haul pure-electric driving but also superior power, torque and driving range plus the enhanced ride comfort and handling of four-coil suspension.

We were recently handed the keys to the latest iteration of this lavishly-equipped 4x4 dual-cab ute to assess its workhorse credentials from a tradie’s perspective.