GWM UTE vs Isuzu D-Max

What's the difference?

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.

There’s a fairly big change hiding under the metal of one of Australia’s favourite utes. The Isuzu D-Max has a new 2.2-litre engine, replacing the 1.9-litre unit, and it brings a couple of other things with it.

A bigger engine designed to be more powerful and more efficient can only be a good thing, surely, especially with Isuzu looking down the barrel of stringent emissions laws with only two models in the line-up, both diesel powered.

But is this new 2.2-litre engine any good? Isuzu’s gone to the trouble of a new gearbox and some new tech to go with it, so we check it out to see if it stacks up against the increasingly strong competition.