It wouldn’t look out of place amongst US pickup trucks such as the Toyota Tundra and Ford F-150, but the GWM King Kong Cannon ute is a strictly Chinese affair – for now.
Unveiled in November but brought to the public’s attention at the Guangzhou Auto Show, the King Kong is a big ute, measuring in at 5635mm long, 1880mm wide and 1815mm tall. In comparison, a dual cab Toyota Hilux SR5 is 5325mm long and only 1855mm wide.
It might be shorter than a Chevrolet Silverado (6085mm long) but the King Kong is still a big rig.
The King Kong ute is a tough looking workhorse and larger than a Toyota Hilux.
The King Kong has a generous 1550mm long tray at the rear and has a wheelbase of 3140mm.
Staggered wheel sizes measure 235/65 R17 at the front and 245/54 R17 at the rear.
What powers the King Kong?
The King Kong Cannon ute is likely to be available with two engines; a 140kW turbocharged petrol unit and a 120kW turbo-diesel unit.
Modern infotainment and driver cluster are all standard fitment to the King Kong.
If launched here in Australia, the 120kW powertrain would fall behind the likes of the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux, which both make 150kW or more and at least 500Nm of torque.
Owners will have the choice of either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission.
On the features front, the King Kong is likely to receive LED headlights, keyless entry, sunroof, side steps, dual-zone climate control and a rear-view camera.
The rear tray measures in at 1550mm long which will be enough for most tasks.
Will it come to Australia?
Speaking to Chasing Cars, GWM Australia did not confirm whether the King Kong ute would come to Australia.
“It’s great to see so many new models, like the King Kong Ute, being unveiled. However, it’s unknown at this stage as to whether we’ll see it here in Australia,” a GWM spokesperson said.
