GWM Cannon vs Toyota HiAce

What's the difference?

The GWM Cannon XSR is a twin-locked 4WD ute that’s reasonable on-road (it’s getting better all the time) and very capable off-road.

It certainly has enough gear onboard – including front and rear diff locks, a snorkel and all-terrain tyres – to be taken seriously as a 4WD, but it could still be better and more refined in other aspects, even at this price-point.

There are some issues with the Cannon’s general driveability but ultimately it has plenty going for it, not least its appeal as an impressive value-for-money purchase.

The HiAce maintains its staggering 50 per cent share of the mid-size commercial van market for numerous compelling reasons including its versatility, as evidenced by the diverse range of Aussie businesses that rely on it. Toyota’s latest suite of safety and other upgrades makes it even better.

The XSR is 5439mm long (with a 3230mm wheelbase), 1958mm wide and 1893mm high. Official kerb weight is listed as 2230kg.

This is a substantial ute that resembles an amalgamation of Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Toyota HiLux.

The wide wheel track gives the XSR a squat stance and its snorkel, sports bar, bash plates, chunky all-terrain tyres and red brake calipers add to this ute’s presence.

Inside, a steering-wheel design tweak (it’s now three spokes) and refreshed dashboard layout help to give the cabin a low-key classy look and feel.

It may lack the all-around polish of something like the Ford Ranger, but the XSR’s much lower price negates that perception.

The XSR holds its own in the looks department across the dual cab ute category.

Apart from the recent safety upgrades, our LWB test vehicle resolutely adheres to a design that’s been perfected through decades of hard yakka.

Its simple and robust unitary chassis features MacPherson strut front suspension, a leaf-spring live rear axle, rack and pinion steering and (on all automatic variants) four-wheel disc brakes.

The HiAce’s traditional rear-wheel drive layout has an inherent traction advantage over front-wheel drive rivals, particularly when towing and hauling heavy loads on low-grip surfaces.

It also ensures the front wheels can be turned sharply enough for its 3210mm wheelbase to deliver an impressively tight 11.0-metre turning circle. And its 1990mm height also allows access to underground loading docks and multi-storey car parks.

There’s no load-floor liner or cabin bulkhead included as standard equipment, but both are available as Toyota genuine accessories. The use of unpainted plastic bumpers is designed to best withstand the wear and tear often evident in these areas on hard-working vans.

The cabin is spacious and airy, with a neat and functional dash design featuring large and clear instrumentation and (thankfully) physical dials and buttons rather than distracting touchscreens for the main controls that are easy to reach and operate. It’s a commercial van that’s easy to live with.

The XSR’s five-seat interior is neat and spacious but there are parts, such as some buttons, dials and switches, that feel a bit flimsy and cheap.

Up front there are two USB ports, a wireless charging pad, a 12V plug and a deep centre console.

The new 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and has been improved by increments.

The front seats are power adjustable (driver’s six-way, passenger four-way) and both are comfortable without being too plush.

Second-row passengers get a firm but comfortable seat and amenities include USB charge ports, a 220V plug, air vents, and a fold-down centre armrest (with cupholders). There’s plenty of head, knee and legroom, unless you’re stuck in the middle where knee and foot room is pinched.

The second-row seat base can be folded out of the way to make room for more gear if no one’s in the back seat.

The second-row seat has top-tether points and there are ISOFIX anchors on the outboard seats.

The XSR’s load space (1520mm long, 1520mm wide and 540mm deep) has a durable tub liner, four tie-down points, as well as a pop-out step hidden in the top of the tailgate, and a step-up indent at each corner of the rear bumper.

This Cannon offers just as much all-round practicality and load-space flexibility as the likes of Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota HiLux.

With its hefty 2260kg kerb weight and 3300kg GVM, our test vehicle has a 1040kg payload rating. So, it’s a genuine one-tonner and up to 120kg of that can be carried on Toyota’s triple roof-rack set.

The HiAce is also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer and with its 4800kg GCM rating (or how much weight it can legally carry and tow at the same time) it can carry its maximum payload while towing its maximum trailer weight. So, that’s more than 2.5 tonnes of combined cargo-carrying capacity, which would comfortably meet or exceed most job requirements.

Its cavernous cargo bay, which offers 6.2 cubic metres of load volume, is accessed from either side through sliding doors with 1010mm-wide openings, or through rear barn-doors with 180-degrees opening to allow easy forklift access.

The cargo bay is 2530mm long, 1760mm wide and 1340mm high, with 1268mm between the rear wheel housings allowing up to two standard Aussie pallets or three Euro pallets to be carried, secured by a choice of six load-anchorage points.

An unusual feature is the roof’s full-length internal lining, which we suspect contributes to at least some suppression of tyre noise emanating from the rear-wheel housings. The walls and doors are neatly lined to mid-height and there’s ample internal lighting.

Generous cabin storage includes a bottle-holder and bin in each front door, small bottle/cupholders in the centre and either side of the dash, plus a single glove box. The console between the seats offers another two bottle-holders plus generous internal storage, which is topped by a large hinged lid that can also serve as a storage tray or work desk.

The base model LWB HiAce two-seater van comes standard with Toyota’s signature 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (shared by all HiAce models) and manual gearbox for a list price of $51,880, but our test vehicle is equipped with a six-speed automatic and rear barn-doors which raises the price to $54,630.

Other standard equipment includes Vanilla White paint, 16-inch steel wheels with replaceable plastic covers, 215/70R16 tyres and a full-size spare, halogen headlights and DRLs, leather-accented steering wheel with multiple remote functions, power-adjustable lumbar support on the driver’s seat, a USB port and 12-volt cabin sockets, an 8.0-inch touchscreen to control the two-speaker multimedia system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and more.

Recent upgrades to optimise driver comfort include a new 7.0-inch digital driver’s instrument cluster (previously analogue) with nine selectable displays, plus a new refrigerant to improve air conditioning performance (even though the previous system was always ice cold), an electronic parking brake on automatic models to replace the old-school mechanical lever and electric power steering to replace Toyota’s traditional hydraulic power assistance for reduced steering effort and more advanced lane-keeping smarts.

The latest safety upgrades include ‘lane trace assist’ which is designed to help the HiAce remain in the centre of its lane when the adaptive cruise is activated (see Driving).

There’s also a new ‘emergency driver support system’ which works with lane trace assist to detect if the driver has become unresponsive when adaptive cruise is activated. If the driver doesn't respond to audio and visual alerts, the system is designed to activate the hazard lights and bring the vehicle to a safe and steady stop.

Other upgrades include ‘safe exit assist’ which links with the van’s blind-spot monitor to improve safety when exiting the vehicle on the roadside, by issuing alerts when passing vehicles or cyclists are detected.

Cruise control functionality has also been expanded, with automatic grades like ours getting ‘full-speed function’ which can automatically stop the vehicle and then resume moving without the driver needing to intervene. This is especially useful in heavy stop-start city traffic.

Passive safety has also been improved with an additional centre airbag which protects driver and passenger from colliding in an accident.

The new 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine produces 135kW at 3600rpm and 480Nm at 1500-2500rpm. It's tractable and well suited to the demands of 4WDing.

Don’t get me wrong, the previous-gen Cannon’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (120kW/400Nm) was no slouch, either. It’s just that this bigger and more powerful engine is better.

The new engine can easily muster more than enough power and torque on- and off-road when needed. However, there are enough instances of substantial lag at crucial moments – punching off the mark from a complete stop to safely merge into traffic, for example – that when compounded threaten to mar the overall driving experience.

Another thing. The automatic transmission, now a nine- rather than eight-speed, while generally okay, proves patchy in daily driving, not upshifting as slickly as it should and sometimes hunting for the sweet spot, rather than hitting it.

In terms of all-round powertrain performance, the XSR is on par with four-cylinder, turbo-diesel rivals such as the Ford Ranger 2.0L (125kW/405Nm), Isuzu D-Max 2.2L (120kW/400Nm), Mitsubishi Triton 2.4L (150kW/470Nm) and Toyota HiLux 2.8L (150kW/500Nm).

Toyota’s well-proven (1GD-FTV) 2.8-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel produces 130kW of power at 3400rpm and, in auto models like ours, 450Nm of torque between 1600-2400rpm. Its Euro 5 emissions compliance doesn’t require AdBlue, which minimises maintenance and running costs.

The refined six-speed torque converter automatic offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting. Fuel efficiency is optimised with full torque converter lock-up on fourth, fifth and sixth gears, along with overdrive on fifth and sixth to minimise engine rpm when highway driving. The traction advantage of rear-wheel drive is enhanced by an electronically controlled automatic limited-slip diff.

Listed fuel consumption is 8.4L/100km on a combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle, which is better than the 9.4L/100km offered by the previous 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and eight-speed auto.

I recorded on-test fuel consumption of 10L/100km which is ahead of the 11.2L/100km I recorded in a Cannon XSR with the 2.0-litre four and eight-speed.

The XSR has an 78-litre tank, so, going by my on-test fuel figure, you could reasonably expect a driving range of about 780km from a full tank of diesel.

Toyota claims combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) average consumption of 7.8L/100km. Our 328km of testing was conducted with the engine’s auto start/stop function switched off and comprised the usual mix of city, suburban and highway driving, of which about one third was hauling a near-maximum payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was 10.7L/100km. That’s still within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between official and real-world figures and not bad for a vehicle weighing more than 2.2 tonnes driven mostly in metro settings and hauling more than one tonne during our test. So, based on our real-world consumption, you could expect a driving range of around 650km from its 70-litre tank.

As noted above, there are some issues with the Cannon’s general driveability, but all in all it’s not atrocious. And if it’s a potential buy for you, you’ll always come back to the value-for-money rationale.

On- and off-road, the new engine has plenty of punch about it, but patchy delivery through the transmission sometimes works against it.

It’s a not a dynamic vehicle. No surprise, it’s a ute after all. But that point has to be made here because some people still drive these vehicles expecting sports car-like ride and handling.

The good news is the XSR’s touchy throttle and too-loose steering of days gone by have been mostly sorted out. But its thrashy transmission, stiff ride and unwieldy 13.7m turning circle remain.

Its bigger engine doesn’t carry over the previous-gen’s underdone feeling when pushed hard and it has a relaxed feel when you’re cruising along on the highway.

Some concerns have been raised over the years about driver-assist tech in Chinese-built vehicles. To the company’s credit, GWM seems to have addressed those issues… at least to some extent.

Suffice it to say, I’ve experienced a few tricky situations as a result of driver-assist tech in GWM vehicles. From annoyingly intrusive traffic sign recognition and jarring adaptive cruise control through to one particularly hair-raising AEB-related incident. (For more, read my yarn)

Overall, the XSR remains okay on sealed surfaces, but it’s not as refined or compliant as it could or should be.

As for off-roading…

On dirt tracks the XSR is jittery over corrugations and tends to thump through deeper potholes. Otherwise it is reasonably composed.

But with twin differential locks, decent underbody protection and Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres, this Cannon handles low-range 4WDing with ease.

The new bigger engine delivers on promised grunt in the dirt, giving the Cannon plenty of punch when the going gets tough.

Ground clearance of 228mm, wading depth of 700mm and off-road angles of 30 degrees (approach) and 26 degrees (departure; rampover is not listed) don’t hurt its 4WDing potential, either.

Off-road traction control and other driver-assist systems including hill descent control are adequate without being as smooth as the equivalent systems in more expensive vehicles.

It has 'Crawl Mode' (allowing for no-pedal, low-speed driving) and 'Turn Assist' (which brakes the XSR’s inside rear wheel to reduce the ute’s turning circle on traction-compromised surfaces).

While 4WDing, swapping between high- and low-range, changing off-road modes or switching diff locks on or off has been at times a clunky process, with the transition taking on a feeling not unlike shunting trains. No big deal, I reckon, but worth mentioning.

Wheel travel is adequate and this ute’s Cooper Discoverer AT3 all-terrain tyres perform well in the dirt and mud.

The Cannon XSR has towing capacities of 750kg (unbraked trailer) and 3000kg (braked).

All in all, off-roading is the one area in which the Cannon eclipses something like the BYD Shark 6 or Kia Tasman and matches, if not bests the Ford Ranger.

The driving position is comfortable thanks to a well-sorted combination of supportive seating with power-adjustable lumbar support, a leather-rimmed steering wheel that’s adjustable for height and reach and a large left footrest for extra support.

The standard kerbside sliding door includes a large window, which partly reduces the huge blind spot over the driver’s left shoulder created by the cargo bay’s solid walls.

Fortunately, the HiAce also comes standard with blind-spot monitoring to ensure safe lane-changing on multi-lane roads, while its rear cross-traffic alert and rear-view camera are equally valuable when reversing out of driveways into busy traffic.

The new electric power steering has more noticeable changes in turning weight compared to the more linear hydraulic system it replaces. Its variable-ratio assistance feels even lighter at parking speeds for easier manoeuvrability and becomes increasingly firm and direct as road speeds increase.

Ride quality is reasonably supple when unladen or lightly loaded and the 2.8-litre turbo-diesel, with its sizeable 450Nm of torque, has strong low-rpm response and displays good flexibility in city and suburban driving.

Internal noise levels below 80km/h are acceptable, but like all vans can become intolerable at highway speeds due largely to tyre roar emanating from the rear-wheel housings. So, if you do lots of highway travel, we’d recommend fitting Toyota’s genuine accessory solid bulkhead to insulate the cabin from this noise.

The six-speed auto’s shift calibrations feel like they’re getting the best out of this engine, particularly fuel-efficient highway travel which requires less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h. The sequential manual-shifting function can be handy in certain situations, though, like hauling/towing heavy loads in hilly terrain.

To test its GVM rating we forklifted 830kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our crew of two equalled a total payload of 1010kg that was only about 30kg less than its 1040kg limit.

The stout rear leaf-springs only compressed about 30mm, which left more than 60mm of static bump-stop clearance that was more than enough to ensure there was no bottoming-out on our test route.

Its ample torque made light work of hauling this payload in city, suburban and highway driving as well as our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h, which it easily cleared in third gear.

Engine braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust but within expectations given the one-tonne-plus payload it was trying to restrain.

We also tested what we safely could of the HiAce’s latest safety upgrades in road use, which all worked as intended. The ‘lane trace assist’ function when using adaptive cruise control was outstanding, as it resolutely kept the vehicle centred in its lane even around curved stretches of multi-lane highway, without the driver needing to intervene.

The HiAce comes with a fresh maximum five-star ANCAP rating awarded in 2025 and a top-tier Platinum rating in ANCAP’s commercial van collision avoidance assessment. Both rankings are courtesy of the latest safety upgrades, which enhance the HiAce’s existing suite of features that includes AEB with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, speed sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera and lots more.

The airbag count runs to eight - dual front, side chest, side head, centre and driver's knee.

The XSR is covered by a seven-year/unlimited km warranty and five years of free roadside assistance.

The first service is scheduled at the 12 month/10,000km mark, then services are scheduled for every 12 months or 15,000km.

Capped price servicing is available and for a Cannon with a warranty start date on or after January 1, 2026, the costs are $365, $470, $515, $520, and $685 per service. That’s a total of $2555 (and an average of $511 per workshop visit), which is more expensive than some of the Cannon’s rivals on the market.

The HiAce is covered by Toyota's five-year/unlimited km warranty which is in line with competitors like the Ford Transit Custom and Hyundai Staria Load but lags behind the LDV Deliver 7's seven-year term.

Scheduled servicing is a relatively short six months/10,000km interval, whichever occurs first. Capped price for the first 10 scheduled services up to five years/100,000km totals $3650, which is $365 per service or $730 annually.

Toyota currently has 275 dealers across its vast Australian network located in metro, rural and regional areas. Toyota dealerships are also service centres.