2025 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV review

The Shark has company.

GWM's first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute has arrived in Australia, becoming the second PHEV ute for Australia and beating the Ford Ranger into the market.

Specifically, it's the 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, and it combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a nine-speed automatic gearbox, integrated electric motor and big 37.1kWh battery split between two units.

Petrol power gives a respectable 180kW and 380Nm, while the 120kW/400Nm electric motor adds to a combined output of 300kW and 750Nm.

Top-line details are similar to the BYD Shark, which has been enjoying its powertrain monopoly in the segment and making plenty of initial sales. But the way that the Cannon Alpha goes about its business is certainly different.

Instead of having twin electric motors (front and rear) with a battery in between, the Cannon Alpha PHEV has a gearbox and transfer mounted in the middle. The single electric motor is integrated between the engine and gearbox, so petrol and electric power rolls through the transmission and transfer case to front and rear wheels.

So, it's mechanically different to the popular BYD Shark, and closer to what we can expect with the incoming Ford Ranger PHEV. But what is it like? How does it perform?

There are two variants of the 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV available in Australia. It starts with the Lux spec at $59,990 plus on-road costs, which puts it at a couple of grand more than the BYD Shark 6.

Standard kit here includes a 12.3-inch infotainment display and digital instrument cluster, LED headlights and tail-lights, dual-zone climate control and a 360-degree camera. There's also a selectable four-wheel-drive system (that allows for four driven wheels on the blacktop, similar to high-specced Ford Rangers), a locking rear differential, and electric adjustment for the faux leather front seats.

Going to Ultra spec – like what we have in this test – puts the asking price up to $66,990 plus on-road costs. However, there is a pretty good range of inclusions to justify the extra spend. There's a selectable front differential lock, 60/40 'barn door' tailgate, panoramic sunroof and up-sized 14.6-inch infotainment system. This is matched to an upgraded 10-speaker Infinity sound system and head-up display.

This spec also gets heating, venting and massage for the front seats, along with heating, venting and electric adjustment for the rear seats. There are also wireless charging pads front and rear, a rear sliding window, heated steering wheel and ambient interior lighting.

For the six grand of extra asking price, the level of inclusions certainly packs a punch. And while the GWM Cannon Alpha hybrid is priced lower than top-specced non-hybrid rivals, it ticks boxes that others don't even have as an option. Hybrid or not, you find it hard to argue with the value.

It's also worth noting that GWM has some drive-away deals currently running for the Cannon Alpha – amongst other models – until the end of June.

If you're looking for more pricing, specifications, and latest offers on the GWM Cannon Alpha range (which also includes closed-loop hybrid and diesel power) click here.

Cannon Alpha is the big dog of GWM's ute range, going up a size in comparison to the regular Cannon ute. Measuring in at nearly five-and-a-half metres long, along with a big 3350mm wheelbase, the Cannon Alpha is a size up over a Ranger, D-Max and (especially) HiLux.

In comparison to the BYD Shark 6 – the only other plug-in hybrid ute available for now – the Cannon Alpha is only slightly shorter, but is wider and sits on a longer wheelbase. Height is line-ball, save for a measly millimetre.

And while the increased real estate isn't great for manoeuvrability, the amount of interior space on offer is a level up over other utes in the segment.

Let's start in the second row, which is particularly impressive (especially in the up-specced Ultra trim level). It's commodious and comfortable for a ute, made even more so by the electric-sliding rear seats. The base slides forward, which in turn tilts the backrest. There's enough leg room to burn here to make use of the adjustments, which means the Cannon Alpha has a clear comfort advantage over just about every other ute out there (especially at this price bracket).

Furthermore, you've got heated and ventilated outboard seats in the back, along with air vents and power outlets. Although, not having a household power plug seems like a miss for a ute like this, especially when you've got Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability.

Up front, the experience in the Cannon Alpha PHEV isn't dissimilar to others in the range, as well as the Tank 500 SUV. There's some unconvincing wood panelling across the dashboard, a front fascia motif in front of the passenger, and a glitzy-looking analogue clock nestled between the central air vents. It's nicely laid out and seems to be well made, without any loose or creaking bits.

However, the plentiful piano black and satin metallic-looking section do attract smudges and streaks quite easily.

Cupholders are ensconced lower down near the well-sized centre console, and a wireless charging pad hides under a sliding panel further forward. Power outlets are hidden down near the driver's ankles in a little nook that's easy to find. In here are USB-A, USB-C and 12-volt plugs, along with a hatch to run your cables.

The up-sized infotainment display in this Cannon Alpha Ultra is quite a crisp and bright display, but I noticed that it does need a fairly sturdy digit prod to elicit a response. Once you press hard enough, you can find your required controls and features well enough after you get your bearings. Swiping down from the top of the screen has some handy shortcuts, but there is a distinct lack of a physical volume control.

There are physical controls on the steering wheel, and volume controls on the swipe-down, but a volume knob wouldn't go astray. This is especially the case when you use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired and wireless) and you lose that swipe-down function.

Beyond that, the Cannon Alpha plug-in hybrid's infotainment system does allow for a lot of special controls around the powertrain: camping modes, power preservation, charging cycles and energy consumption.

A five-star ANCAP result for the GWM Cannon Alpha in 2024 includes this new plug-in hybrid variant. Even though the plug-in hybrid wasn't crash-tested itself, technical data submitted to ANCAP from GWM was enough to extend that five-star envelope around this new PHEV variant.

Adult occupants get an 84 per cent safety rating, while child occupants get a 93 per cent rating. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) get an 82 per cent protection rating, while the Cannon Alpha's safety assistance systems get an 81 per cent rating.

As per the high crash rating and relatively young age of the Cannon Alpha platform, there is a healthy supply of safety technology on board.

Emergency lane-keep assistance is bearable around town and on well-marked highways, but goes into a conniption on the classic unmarked dual-carriageway roads that crisscross our rural countrysides. The vehicle appears to have trouble without any reliable lane markings or hard edges, and tugs valiantly against your efforts to make space for other road users. Thankfully, this feature is relatively easy to turn off, with a swipe down, switch off and confirmation through the infotainment display.

Otherwise, elements like emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and even the driver monitoring system work pretty well overall. There is also plenty of adjustment available for these systems through the infotainment display.

While the more 4x4-centric underpinnings of the Cannon Alpha PHEV bring certain advantages, efficiency isn't one of them.

Think about it: instead of having an electric motor turning the wheel almost directly via a shaft, the integrated electric motor in the Cannon Alpha doesn't have it so easy. In the case of the GWM, that electric motor (and the petrol engine, for that matter) needs to spin through a transmission, transfer case, propshafts and differentials before torque is delivered to the wheels.

This means compared to the BYD Shark 6, the Cannon Alpha isn't as efficient. GWM claims 1.7 litres per 100 kilometres, which is more of an anomaly of the testing regime. In our time with the car, we saw as little as zero – when we had a full battery and EV mode engaged, of course.

But with the battery run down to the point of having no electric driving range indicated, the fuel efficiency of the Cannon Alpha PHEV was around 10.5L/100km. Not bad perhaps, but also not brilliant.

Even though it might not be the most efficient electric car out there in terms of how many electrons it gets through per kilometre, it makes up for that by having a whopping battery by hybrid standards. It's 37.1kWh, which is split between two separate battery packs, is three times the size of a Ranger PHEV's battery, and a decent slug larger than the Shark 6.

It's not some kind of modern version of a sub tank either. Having two separate batteries is simply a tactic for squeezing as much battery into the available space as possible. These battery packs are stacked and squeezed in around the rear axle underneath the tub.

While we are on the subject, those who want to fit a flat tray to a Cannon Alpha PHEV won't be disappointed. It wouldn't be as straightforward as a diesel-powered ute, sure, but it's possible.

So even though the battery in the Cannon Alpha PHEV is impressively big, the 30–35kWh/100km means you're looking at an EV-only driving range closer to 100km. GWM's claim of 115km uses the lenient NEDC testing cycle, which isn't as real-world accurate as we would like.

If you're driving on highways and hills, expect to see that consumption rate skyrocket, and your EV-only range for the Cannon Alpha PHEV plummet.

Adopting a coil-sprung rear end for the Cannon Alpha plug-in hybrid makes sense from a packaging point of view, but it brings an improvement to the ride quality of this PHEV ute. While previous reviews of the hybrid and diesel-powered Cannon Alpha have noted a jittery ride quality, which is typical of so many utes, that has been tempered into something smoother, more compliant and comfortable.

It's worth pointing out here that the rear axle layout is different to the Shark 6, which has independent rear suspension. But the Cannon Alpha has a better ride quality around town and on the highway. This is helped by the wheelbase, but the ride quality does have a nice level of suppleness to it.

On the flip-side here, the payload of the Cannon Alpha PHEV is the smallest of the PHEV trio at 685kg. This is certainly on the low side for a four-wheel-drive ute.

Otherwise, the driving experience is mostly quite regular. Whereas the Shark 6 is more of an EV driving experience interrupted occasionally by a humming petrol engine, the GWM Cannon Alpha is more petrol dominant in the power mix.

There is a straight EV driving mode, which offers enough grunt for gentle acceleration up to highway speeds. But on steep hills, the petrol side of the equation kicks in for some assistance.

It's not as outright smooth as the Shark 6, and there is a rare jerking thud through the transmission as it juggles the sources of power. But overall, it's smooth, compliant and easy.

Depending on your driving mode, there's plenty of acceleration potential available in the Cannon Alpha PHEV. For pulling into traffic, powering up a hill or overtaking, it feels plenty powerful enough.

However, the large wheelbase and big overall dimensions mean this plus-sized ute isn't the best companion for tight scenarios and multi-storey carparks. You'll be leaning on the 360-degree camera, and expect to do more three-point turns in comparison to other utes.

This is one area where the Cannon Alpha streaks ahead of the BYD Shark, asserting its alpha dominance. In a nutshell, the 4x4 underpinnings of this particular ute means it's a significantly better proposition off-road than the Shark, which was quite a disappointment.

When low-range is engaged in the Cannon Alpha PHEV, the engine whirrs into life and doesn't switch off. So really, the off-road driving experience is quite similar to any other ute.

The adoption of coil springs at the rear – using a Panhard rod arrangement borrowed from the Tank 500 – works well. It's not hugely slinky and travel-laden, but it's good enough for the job.

And while such a long wheelbase will test out your underbody clearance quite quickly off-road, you do get a nice sense of stability from the 3350mm between the front and rear wheels.

Locking differentials front and rear – which effectively makes this a triple-locked off-roader – are always powerful tools to have off-road. But I was surprised by the quality of the off-road traction-control system. Without selecting the locking differentials, I experienced good control of wheel spin and maintenance of progress up a hill climb.

The turbocharged petrol engine develops enough torque in low-range; something that is assisted by the electric motor. It's easy to manage and drive off-road, but I do worry a little with the battery location at the rear if you were doing some consistently hard driving off-road. They aren't protected by a bash plate, but the relatively low-slung towbar does that job instead.

The towing capability of the Cannon Alpha – with a 3500kg braked towing capacity – puts it at a clear advantage over the Shark 6. And that petrol-dominant driving experience is also beneficial. It's more confident and assertive under throttle, combining petrol and electric power and giving a muscular feeling to the drivetrain that works well.

Fuel consumption does shoot up, however, to around 17L/100km. We were towing a 2.1-tonne Cub pop-top hybrid caravan, but also had a significant amount of weight in the tray to keep things weighed down. There was a 5.42-tonne combination weight for our tow test, but aside from the relatively high fuel consumption, the vehicle performed well.

Compared to the Shark 6, I noticed that the bigger and more powerful petrol engine of the Cannon Alpha is more relaxed when working hard. It doesn't rev as hard and strain noticeably, which makes the driving experience calmer.

It's worth pointing out that our test started with the battery level at a low ebb. The vehicle was capable of giving enough performance while slowly feeding the battery power, and hitching up a trailer forces the engine to stay on in hybrid mode.

And while you can easily eat into a big chunk of that available payload with the ball weight of your trailer, the suspension handled the weight of our tow test well. There was a bit of sagging at the rear, but that is to be expected when we were close to the limit of our rear axle load capacity.

There's a lot to like about the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV in comparison to the Shark 6. It's a more expensive proposition, especially in the up-specced Ultra version. So from the bang-for-buck point of view, the Shark 6 still has a lot of appeal. The Shark 6 also has the advantage of payload and efficiency.

But once you dig a bit deeper into the performance of a Cannon Alpha PHEV – specifically through the prism of the four-wheel-drive ute segment – you'll see the advantages start to stack up.

It's significantly better off-road, offers a longer EV-only driving range, better ride quality, and that increased asking price is offset smartly by the range of inclusions. It's got more mechanical parts underneath, and some features and specifications that the Shark 6 misses out on.

Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel driving and camping since 2013, and obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum longer than he can remember. Sam joined the team at CarAdvice/Drive as the off-road Editor in 2018, after cutting his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures. Off-road writer of the Year, Winner - Sam Purcell

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