Owners have been vocal about their experience with the GWM Cannon Alpha’s safety systems, and GWM has been listening. We got behind the wheel of the updated Cannon Alpha Hybrid to find out what impact the update has made.
2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid
The GWM Cannon Alpha range first launched in Australia in 2024, and since then, the basic line-up and features have remained the same.
Positioned as a larger and more luxurious alternative to GWM’s Cannon ute range, the Cannon Alpha bridges the gap between typical dual-cab utes with workhorse origins, and the larger-still American pick-up trucks with their six-figure price tags.
The Cannon Alpha also holds the title of Australia’s first hybrid ute, beating hybrid-superpower, Toyota, to the punch. Rather than offering a miserly fuel-saving option, however, GWM’s system offers big power without blowing consumption out as far as you might expect.
But shortly after launch, owners of the Cannon Alpha and related Tank 500 SUV were quick to report issues with the tuning of Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS). From grabby steering intervention, to an oversupply of chimes and warnings, and zero tolerance for even a split second of driver inattention, the technology let an otherwise promising vehicle down.
With an overhaul to the driver assist tech via a software update, we hit the road to see what difference the changes have made.
How much is a GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid?
GWM offers the Cannon Alpha in three variants, with entry-level Lux and high-grade Ultra versions powered by a 2.4-litre turbo diesel engine, or an even-better equipped Ultra Hybrid at the top of the range.
The diesel range starts from $51,990 up to $57,900 drive-away, while the Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid is priced from $64,990 drive-away before offers and discounts (more on those in the next section).
GWM has also officially announced that a plug-in hybrid is set to join the range later in 2025. Available in Lux and Ultra versions, the Cannon Alpha PHEV models will be priced from $63,990 and $68,990 drive-away respectively.
All versions of the Cannon Alpha released so far come with 18-inch alloy wheels, rear diff lock, roof rails, a massive chrome grille, LED head- and tail-lights, side steps, privacy tint, dual-zone climate control, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display.
The Ultra adds features like a front diff lock, panoramic sunroof, 60:40 split tailgate, leather-accented interior trim (in place of faux-leather), heated and ventilated front seats with massage, power adjustment for both front seats (driver’s only on Lux), a larger 14.6-inch infotainment display, and a wireless phone charger.
The Ultra Hybrid adds more features again with some choice items borrowed from the Tank 500 equipment list like heated and ventilated rear seats with electric adjustment, heated steering wheel, rear wireless phone charger, 10-speaker Infinity audio system, 64-colour cabin lighting, 360-degree parking cameras, an analogue dash clock, head-up display and more.
Pricing is sharp for the amount of equipment included in the Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid. No other dual-cab ute comes close to offering the same level of equipment and interior appointments. At least, not without stepping up to a top-shelf Ram 1500, Chevrolet Silverado, or Ford F-150.
At $64,990 drive-away, the Ultra Hybrid costs less than you’d pay for a Toyota HiLux SR5 ($65,258 drive-away in Vic), Mitsubishi Triton GSR ($65,990 drive-away) or Ford Ranger XLT – all with dual-cab bodies, four-wheel drive, and four-cylinder turbo diesel engines. Toyota offers the option of a mild-hybrid system, and Ford offers a V6 turbo diesel, but both add to the bottom line.
And that’s before any discounts are applied to the Cannon Alpha, like the ones in the next section.
MORE: GWM Cannon Alpha price and specs: First full hybrid ute in Australia
| Key details | 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid |
| Price | $64,990 drive-away $59,990 drive-away (limited offer) |
| Colour of test car | Storm Grey |
| Options | Metallic paint $595 |
| Price as tested | $65,585 drive-away |
| Drive-away price | $65,585 drive-away $60,585 drive-away (limited offer) |
| Rivals | BYD Shark 6 | Mazda BT-50 | Toyota HiLux |
GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid best deals
At the time of writing, GWM is running discounts across the Cannon Alpha range. Diesel models have a $2000 discount making the Lux a $49,990 drive-away proposition and the Ultra diesel comes down to $55,990 drive-away. The Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid gets a bigger $5000 discount bringing it down to $59,990 drive-away.
These limited offers are slated to end on March 31st, but click here to see the latest GWM Cannon Alpha deals and discounts, along with all the latest news on this model.
If you’re ready to jump in, you can find new and demonstrator GWM Cannon Alphas for sale on Drive Marketplace from dealers all around Australia. You can find your nearest GWM dealer here to check out the Cannon Alpha in the metal.
How big is a GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid?
The Cannon Alpha is BIG, but not oversized. It’ll feel every bit of its almost 5.5-metre length when it comes time to slot into the local shopping centre car park, but it also manages to avoid feeling truly oversized most of the time.
The key differences are an overall length 22cm greater than a Ford Ranger XLT dual-cab, and a wheelbase that’s 8cm longer. The wheelbase measurement is the crucial one, though, because the extra length is mostly found in the cabin, not the tray, which is actually just under 5cm shorter internally.
The cabin design is largely shared with the Tank 500 SUV, and in top-spec Ultra guise, it feels much more upmarket than just about any other mainstream ute on the market. The design offers a good blend between chunky utility and cossetting comfort, and the use of padded trims and soft-touch surfaces goes far beyond what you’d typically find in a dual-cab ute.
The front seats are big and broad, and there are no hints of their commercial-vehicle deployment. The leather trim feels nice, the cushioning is quite soft, and you get electric adjustment, driver’s seat memory, heating and ventilation, plus massage. Real eight-chamber massage too, with a range of massage types, not just a moving lumbar support.
No other ute in Australia at any price point can match that. That’s on top of soft finishes for the dash and doors, dual-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, and 64-colour ambient interior lighting with a Cannon Alpha line drawing in the dash that you can set to your favourite colour.
The rear seats are almost as luxurious. Back seat passengers miss out on massage but still get seat heating and cooling, plus the two outboard positions are electrically reclineable. An easy entry function tilts the seats to allow you to slide out more gracefully, although to me this works the opposite to how it should, pushing the seat base forward and limiting leg room when it should return the seats to their upright, most spacious position. Either way, this function can be turned off.
Rear seat passengers get their own air vents, but don’t get a third AC zone. The centre armrest pulls down to reveal lidded storage plus another wireless charge pad, and the rear backrest has a 60:40 split to help make installing child seats easier. Because of the powered rear seats, the seat base doesn’t flip up to offer extra storage, but a slide-out drawer on each side provides space to stow small items from view.
Perhaps a little surprisingly, the tub lacks a sports bar or sailplane garnish. While these are often a feature of high-grade utes, I rate this as a positive, allowing owners to make full, unhindered use of the tray space, and making it easier to add your own bars, carriers, or canopies without paying for something you don’t really need.
The tub itself has a spray-in bedliner. The coolest trick, though, might be the dual-opening tailgate that can fold down like a regular tailgate (with damped opening) or open barn-door style, which is handy for using the rear bumper step to get in. The tray itself has four tie-down points but no power outlets, so if you’re planning on building your ideal camper set-up or work rig, you’ll need to get auxiliary power wired into the tub.
| 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid | |
| Seats | Five |
| Length | 5445mm |
| Width | 1991mm |
| Height | 1924mm |
| Wheelbase | 3350mm |
| Tub length | 1500mm |
| Tub width | 1520mm 1110mm between wheel arches |
| Tub depth | 500mm |
Does the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Cannon Alpha Ultra has a slick infotainment interface, which isn’t something all GWM models can claim. The huge 14.6-inch display pairs with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a driver’s head-up display for an impressive display of tech.
The infotainment system looks sharp and has the brightness required to stay legible in glaring summer sun, although at night there were times where it wasn’t possible to dim it enough, making it a little distracting. The platform is fully loaded with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, inbuilt satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and voice recognition to input commands.
The instrument cluster is a little limited when it comes to configurability, but it does allow you to select a main view featuring either an ADAS view or your navigation maps for both the inbuilt system and Apple Maps, although the Apple view is severely letterboxed and hard to use. Trip computer, mobile phone, and media sub-screens can also be displayed, or you can monitor the hybrid system via the left side of the display.
As is so often the case with newer vehicles, the main display is a control hub for almost all of the car’s functions. Thankfully, key controls like the 4×4 system and drive modes retain physical buttons, and there are some climate functions like demister and fan speed controls, but no hard keys for temperature.
If you want to activate seat heating or cooling, or the massage functions, you’ll need to plug through the screen. With so much real estate on offer, GWM could potentially shrink the CarPlay display a little and offer fixed on-screen controls, but instead you’ll need to exit screen mirroring to make vehicle function changes.
A row of shortcut buttons to jump between functions would go a long way here.
A 10-speaker Infinity-branded sound system with separate amplifier takes care of the tunes. It’s a solid performing system, and can handle low volumes with decent clarity and higher volumes without distortion, but it’s only good, not great, in terms of sound reproduction.
GWM offers connected services via a paired phone app, allowing owners to remotely lock and unlock the car, open or close the windows and sunroof, or pre-cool the cabin. Fuel level, tyre pressure, and vehicle location info is also available. Access to connected services is free for the first two years of ownership.
Is the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid a safe car?
The GWM Cannon Alpha carries a five-star ANCAP crash safety rating awarded to 2024 assessment standards. This rating applies to both diesel and hybrid Cannon Alpha models.
Broken into individual sections, the GWM Cannon Alpha received an 84 per cent adult occupant protection rating, a 93 per cent child occupant protection rating, 82 per cent for vulnerable road user protection (pedestrian and cyclists), and 81 per cent for safety assist systems. Scores for the safety assist section were obtained using the older driver assist software and not the updated version tested here.
MORE: GWM Cannon Alpha nets five-star ANCAP crash-test result
| 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2024) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid have?
The list of included features in the GWM Cannon Alpha is long. All variants in the range come with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping and lane-centring assist, blind-spot monitoring, front and rear cross-traffic alert with braking support, traffic sign recognition and tyre pressure monitoring.
The Ultra Hybrid adds a few extra functions like a see-through view for the 360-degree camera, and a more advanced front and rear park assist system that allows for semi-automated self-parking in certain situations.
Among the changes GWM has made to the driver assist calibration are a more responsive adaptive cruise-control system that’s less likely to slow suddenly as part of its intelligent cornering function, though it will still reduce speed slightly for more stable cornering. The reaction time to a gap ahead has also been reduced, allowing the Cannon Alpha to catch up to traffic and reduce the opportunity for cars to cut in ahead. Both are positive changes and are immediately obvious on the road.
The lane-keep functions have also been overhauled. Alerts are now more subtle and straying from your lane will prompt the dash-cluster lane marker to flash instead of a screen take-over pop-up. A wider range of Australian road scenarios are now accounted for, leading to a reduction in false alerts. In testing it was rare to trip the system up. It can still struggle with multiple sets of lane marks in roadworks zones, but appears to better understand rural road edges and narrow road surfaces.
Best of all, though, the driver attention monitor is far less stringent. You can now perform a headcheck or glance at the instrument panel without getting told off. The sensitivity to glasses has been dialled down, and if the system does flag an alert, it does so with a lower volume and more subtle alert chime.
Better still, the function can remember your last setting so it will stay off or on between start-ups, and doesn’t automatically restore to active each time the vehicle is started.
The system has taken a huge leap forward over what GWM offered previously. There are still some minor gripes, like traffic sign recognition that isn’t always accurate or picks up side-road and service-road signs, and some occasional twitchiness through the steering wheel from the lane assist, but for the most part previous gripes have been fixed.
But, and it’s a not insignificant but, the driver assist systems would become inactive daily for me on my commute. Heading into work at sunrise obviously upset the Cannon Alpha’s forward-facing cameras and would trigger a series of warnings for functions that weren’t available including forward collision alert and AEB, lane-keep assist, and cruise control. This left me without any of these systems for about 10 minutes of my drive each morning.
Once the sun was a little higher in the sky, everything would come back on again. I’ve experienced similar in the Isuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50, but other brands manage to avoid this interference at a crucial time of the day.
| At a glance | 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid | |
| Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) | Yes | Includes pedestrian, cyclist, junction awareness and front junction braking |
| Adaptive Cruise Control | Yes | Includes traffic jam assist |
| Blind Spot Alert | Yes | Alert and assist |
| Rear Cross-Traffic Alert | Yes | Alert and assist, both rear and front cross-traffic alert and braking |
| Lane Assistance | Yes | Lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist |
| Road Sign Recognition | Yes | Includes speed limit assist |
| Driver Attention Warning | Yes | Includes driver monitoring camera |
| Cameras & Sensors | Yes | Front and rear sensors, multi-mode 360-degree camera |
How much does the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid cost to service?
GWM covers its current vehicle range with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty for private use. Vehicles used commercially (including delivery services, ride-share, and rental) revert to a seven-year term with a 150,000km cap. Five years of roadside assist is also included.
The Cannon Alpha Hybrid’s hybrid battery comes with eight years of warranty coverage.
A capped-price service program is in place, but the year of first registration may make an impact. If you purchased your vehicle in 2024 (or buy a demonstrator first registered in 2024) the total service price over five years comes to $2949. Prices have risen for what GWM calls ‘customer year 2025’, or CY25 vehicles, so the same five years of servicing costs $3320.
Each service is priced slightly differently over the capped-price program (which extends up to seven years). The fourth and fifth visits are priced at $1140 and $1000 respectively for CY25 vehicles. Services are due at 12 months or 10,000km for the first service, then 12 months of 15,000km after that.
MORE: GWM increases servicing prices across line-up, including Tank 300, Haval Jolion, Cannon and Ora
| At a glance | 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid |
| Warranty | Seven years, unlimited km |
| Battery warranty | Eight years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months / 10,000km first year, Then 12 months / 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1820 (3 years) $3320 (5 years) $4975 (7 years) |
Is the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid fuel-efficient?
With a heavy focus on on-road testing, and a lot of highway and open-road kilometres covered to analyse the safety systems upgrades, our tested fuel consumption was about as efficient as you’ll probably get.
While hybrids are often known for halving fuel consumption compared to their non-hybrid equivalents, in the case of the Cannon Alpha the hybrid system works as a power supplement. It still keeps consumption down, but isn’t a miracle that creates an ultra-miserly big ute.
Official consumption is rated at 9.8 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s a little more than most diesel utes in the segment. In our testing, the Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid used 11.5L/100km. Not a fantastic figure, but for a ute with a potential 255kW of power on tap, not too bad either.
Other petrol utes are a bit of a rarity, but the Volkswagen Amarok TSI452 Aventura with a 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine claims 9.7L/100km without hybrid assistance, while the more powerful Ford Ranger Raptor with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 claims 11.5L/100km.
The Cannon Alpha is rated to accept regular 91-octane petrol to help keep a lid on fuel costs. With an 80-litre tank it has a hypothetical touring range of just over 815km at its claimed consumption figure, or 695km as tested. If you plan on loading up or towing, that range is likely to come down further.
| Fuel efficiency | 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 9.8L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 11.5L/100km |
| Fuel type | 91-octane unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 80L |
What is the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid like to drive?
Along with upgrades to the safety systems, GWM has also fettled some of the driving systems too, with a more responsive accelerator in Normal and Sport driving modes, and changes to reduce rev hang and the feeling of ‘engine runaway’ after lifting the pedal after hard acceleration.
As before, the Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes remain. Eco locks the 4×4 system in two-wheel drive, Normal allows auto 4×4 to step in as required, and Sport turns up the wick a little, with a more urgent response when you push the accelerator.
As claimed, the Cannon Alpha now feels much less ponderous moving off from a complete stop. It’s a big and heavy best, though, so it never feels lightning quick. Sport mode gives it some more muscle, but this is no Raptor rival, and that’s fine.
The reduction in rev hang when you lift off the accelerator creates a more natural and expected feel. The car slows and starts recuperating energy as your foot comes off the pedal, rather than the alarming few moments where it used to continue gaining momentum.
Changes to the interaction of the hybrid system have also smoothed out operation, but there were a couple of occasions where pressing the accelerator too quickly, for a sharp take-off, resulted in a moment of nothing happening. The Cannon Alpha paused power delivery to start both the petrol and electric motors before setting off, which is not always ideal when trying to cross a busy road or jump into the flow of traffic.
As before, the system prioritises initial progress on the electric motor, with the petrol engine joining in around 30–40km/h in normal driving, or even up beyond 50km/h if you’re careful with the accelerator. The petrol engine can shut down at moderate speeds, but at 80km/h or above it’s almost always active unless you’re coasting for an extended period.
The hardware in this version of the ute remains unchanged, so the hybrid system continues with a 180kW/380Nm petrol engine in tandem with a 78kW/268Nm electric motor housed ahead of the nine-speed automatic. This allows the traditional four-wheel-drive system to behave like it would in any other combustion engine off-roader with low-range and front and rear locking diffs, not impacted by the electric side of the drivetrain.
Operation is quiet and smooth, and with no diesel engine there’s no clattery operation anywhere in the rev range. Noise suppression on the road is decent with low tyre noise (helped in part by highway-terrain tyres). While they weren’t pushed to their limits in this test, the GitiXross HT71 tyres fitted here are screaming out to be replaced by a higher-quality tyre, but at least you won’t have to feel too bad about swapping them out for the tyre of your choice.
Whereas most utes tend towards a firmer unladen ride, the Cannon Alpha continues its passengers-first approach. While it appears to be tuned to be softer, it still feels fidgety on most road surfaces, and the rear end will skip and buck if you encounter a mid-corner bump. The solid axle and leaf springs at the rear are proper 4×4 hardware, and designed to cope with a load, which is great on a work ute, but it results in some comfort compromises for lifestyle users.
Great length means a greater turning circle, and at 13 metres you’ll need plenty of space to wheel the Cannon Alpha around. Steering is a little slow, so tight three-point turns require a lot of twirling, but the power steering is light enough to make this easy to manage. You can opt for a Light, Comfort, or Sport steering setting, but Light gets a bit too light, while Sport feels like it drags, rather than adding any sense of connection.
MORE: 2024 GWM Cannon Alpha diesel review: Australian first drive
MORE: 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV review: Quick drive
| Key details | 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid |
| Engine | 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol hybrid |
| Power | 180kW @ 5000–6000rpm petrol 78kW electric 255kW combined |
| Torque | 380Nm petrol 268Nm electric 648Nm combined |
| Drive type | On-demand four-wheel drive Low-range transfer case |
| Transmission | 9-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 99kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 2575kg |
| Spare tyre type | Full-size steel |
| Payload | 735kg |
| Tow rating | 3500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 13.0m |
How much weight can a GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid tow?
Whereas early versions of hybrid vehicles often took a step down in towing capacity, the GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid retains the same 3500kg braked towing capacity as the diesel version. The payload is a touch lower, though, at 735kg compared to 760–821kg for the Cannon Alpha diesel.
With a 2575kg kerb weight, the Cannon Alpha is no lightweight. The gross combination mass (combined weight of vehicle, payload, plus trailer) is a healthy 6555kg, not enough to max out payload plus trailer weight, but useful enough to balance a decent payload plus tow up to three tonnes with a little spare capacity up your sleeve.
Should I buy a GWM Cannon Alpha Hybrid?
The GWM Cannon Alpha takes the typical workhorse ute with dress-up added formula and flips it on its head. The clearly SUV-based interior and the features available elevate this to a level no other ute currently sold in Australia can reach, and it does it at a price that undercuts most lower-spec competitors.
You miss out on rated recovery points and aggressive off-road tyres, but for a wide band of lifestyle buyers, the quieter, more comfortable Cannon Alpha is sure to be the perfect fit.
One of the last roadblocks to recommendation was the underdeveloped driver assist systems. Now, with revised software and more cooperative on-road mannerisms, the Cannon Alpha has become a lot easier to live with and much easier to recommend. Existing owners aren’t locked out either, with the revised software available to them via dealers.
While GWM still has some work to do on fine tuning (and keeping those systems online in a wider spread of conditions), many of the frustrations experienced when the Cannon Alpha launched have now been alleviated.
The post 2025 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra Hybrid review: Driver assist tech upgrade appeared first on Drive.