First Impressions: 2025 GWM Cannon almost feels like an all-new truck

GWM has made the refreshed Cannon a more capable truck

Pickup trucks aren’t exactly the most ideal vehicle you’ll think of testing on an autocross. The tall ride height coupled with a suspension built for carrying cargo means you’re unlikely to break any personal best records, if any. If you’d ask me, I’d rather take one offroad and get all muddy with this weather.

Yet somehow, I found myself driving bright and early to the R33 Drift Track in San Simon, Pampanga to experience the new GWM Cannon pickup truck. It turns out, testing the pickup truck in an autocross course would tell me that the changes made to the Cannon aren’t just skin deep.

Upon arriving, I was welcomed with the sight of GWM Cannon pickup trucks going around orange cones and bollards. At the main event area, there’s a static display of the new Cannon in its SLux and Lux 4x4 variants, both of which are now sporting the new front fascia that trades chrome for blacked out trim pieces.

GWM redesigned the foglight housings, put in black door handles, and even tweaked the tailgate with the GWM typeface stamped on it. Seeing the white Cannon with the black trimmings reminds me of a Stormtrooper, but what caught my eye was the all-black unit roaming around the autocross track which really looks imposing like Darth Vader, or Batman.

The launch spec version back in MIAS had the red and black theme inside, but I’m surprised the new Cannon I drove had monotone black inside along with some silver trimmings. Either way, it’s stylish and more upmarket than the pre-facelift model with the two new screens being bigger, along with the steering wheel and the fighter jet-style shifter taken from the Tank 300.

Going through the features sheet wasn’t the agenda for that day though, as GWM wanted us to experience the Cannon from behind the wheel. After a brief introduction, I found myself being called to get inside the pickup truck and drive through the autocross course they set up in R33.

Having driven the previous 2.0-liter Cannon 4x4 both on and off-road, the power delivery really had room for improvement especially since it has a larger body than other pickup trucks from established manufacturers. GWM put in a new 2.4-liter turbodiesel unit for the 2025 model year with 178 PS and 480 Nm of torque, and a new 9-speed automatic gearbox.

The first part of the autocross course was an acceleration test, where all I had to do was go full throttle from a standstill. And yup, the difference in power was profound. The new 2.4-liter turbodiesel unit responded better off the line, with the bigger displacement taking over while the turbo is hitting its stride. Likewise, the 9-speed auto’s gearing are better spaced out than the old 8-speed unit, as the latter had a tendency to hunt gears at low speeds.

By the time I reached the second part of the course, the cones were now lined up in a curved line, which meant it was time to check the new Cannon’s body motions in a slalom course.

Like the previous Cannon, the new one still feels a bit front heavy with the way the nose dives when I press on the brakes. But the body does keep its composure through left and right turns when driven at a speed where you don’t break the front wheel’s traction.

After a series of left and right turns, my instructor told me to jam the brakes while turning hard to activate the ESP and ABS. This is to experience the Cannon’s ability to regain stability in emergency situations. The thing is, though, before I could even make the front tires lock, the assist systems have already taken over and saved me from plowing through the laid out cones.

The same thing happened when it was demonstrated to me by our instructor. The system didn’t quickly grab control and smoothly made the truck regain its poise, which is rather a good thing. It’s reassuring to know the truck can pull on the leash slowly in case you run out of talent behind the wheel.

The rest of the course was more of a demonstration of the new Cannon’s toys, such as a more refined intelligent driving tech with the low speed follow, as well as the new 360 degree camera to make parking, maneuvering, and navigating on trails easier.

While I found myself wanting more seat time behind the wheel of the Cannon, it’s apparent in our short drive that GWM has done what other manufacturers would do when they make a full model change. But only here, it’s still the same chassis, but further improved with a new face, tech, engine, and safety features. It’s similar to what Ford has done to the T6.2 Ranger, though GWM doesn’t call the new Cannon as a next-generation model.

The best thing though, the new Cannon is still being offered at the same price as when it was launched in MIAS. The Lux 4x4 still retails at PHP 1,348,000 while the top-spec SLux is still at PHP 1,498,000. Considering the excise tax has already made some pickup trucks in the market more expensive, it would be a good time to visit a GWM showroom if you’re interested to get one of these soon.