GWM Cannon vs GWM UTE

What's the difference?

GWM’s top-spec Cannon, the XSR, is a dual-cab 4WD ute worth checking out.

At a little more than $50,000, drive-away (nationwide), with twin lockers, a snorkel, underbody protection and Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres, this off-road-focussed Cannon variant also now has a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine rather than the previous-generation’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel.

Lower-spec Cannons have undergone a refresh of sorts, including a revised front, but the XSR’s major change is the new engine. No matter, because there’s enough on offer in this top-shelf package for it to retain its value-for-money appeal.

But does the new engine make a difference to the XSR’s off-road performance?

Read on.

The Cannon XSR is GWM’s new top-shelf ute variant.

This dual-cab 4WD ute is intended as an off-road-focussed vehicle and has visual and mechanical upgrades over the rest of the Cannon stable, including part-time 4WD (not the full-time 4WD on GWM’s lower-spec Cannons), a front differential lock (in addition to the existing rear diff lock), raised air intake (aka a snorkel) and Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres.

It’s priced from $52,990 drive-away, so costs about $7500 more than you’d pay for the standard Cannon X on which this special edition ute is based. But it still undercuts similarly-equipped top-spec Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes by about $20,000.

So, with twin lockers, a snorkel, underbody protection and all-terrain tyres, is the GWM XSR worth the extra cash?

Read on.