- GWM's new short wheelbase Cannon ute has brilliantly cartoonish proportions.
- The SWB Cannon was revealed at the Chengdu Auto Show and is powered by a 260kW twin-turbo V6 petrol engine.
- Chery also revealed two new utes at the show.
Single cab wellside utes are something of a niche proposition here these days, but that hasn't stopped GWM getting into the action in China, where it has just unleashed a single cab version of the Cannon ute at the Chengdu Auto Show, as originally reported by Chinese website Autohome.
But here's where it gets interesting, and just a bit surreal, as it is also a short wheelbase version of the Cannon which, as you might imagine, endows it with somewhat comical proportions that you would probably best describe as "stubby".
According to GWM's website, the SWB Cannon uses the same platform as the Tank 300 and has a 2745mm wheelbase - which is about half a metre shorter than the dual cab Cannon - while its width and height remain the same.
Despite its abbreviated proportions, the SWB Cannon still packs a full size tray which, as well as being useful, also brilliantly exaggerates the comedic proportions, while its total length of 4963mm, making it around 300mm shorter than your average double cab one-tonner.
Rather terrifyingly, the SWB Cannon is powered by a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine that pumps out 260kW and 500Nm, which could well make things rather interesting when combined with that truncated wheelbase in the wet. The saving grace here, however, is that it uses the same 4WD system as the full-size Cannon.
A low range transfer case, front and rear electronic locking differentials, creep mode, tank turning and driving modes for different surfaces such as snow, sand and mud ensure the stubby little Cannon will be rather formidable off road, as will its 240mm of ground clearance and approach and departure angles of 33 degrees and 22 degrees, respectively.
The SWB Cannon is on sale in China now and sells for the equivalent of NZ$55,000. While there is no word on whether GWM will bring the short Cannon here, we really hope they do! (Spoiler alert: they almost certainly won't).
In other ute news from the Chengdu show reported by Autohome, Chery revealed its full line up of Rely Weilin pick ups, with the P2X and P3X joining the previously-revealed R08 (that is also known as the Chery Himla).
Where the R08 is powered by either a 120kW/420Nm 2.3-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine or a 118kW/230Nm 2.4-litre petrol engine, the P2X is an all-electric offering that is packed with tech, while the P3X is a hybrid and a pretty blatant knock off of the Ford Bronco (which actually makes for a fantastic looking pick up!).
While Chery didn't release much in the way of details about the two new utes, the P2X appears to be using a car-based monocoque platform, given its lack of a separate tray much like the car-based Riddara RD6 that is launching here shortly, while the P3X is likely to utilise a ladder chassis, given its obvious off-road equipment (bead locker wheels, tow points and underbody protection) and use of a separate tray like a traditional one-tonner.
While the R08 has already been ruled out for our part of the world due to it being produced in LHD only, the P2X would be an obvious (and easily engineered) candidate for RHD production, with more of a question mark over the P3X.
