Chasing Cars cops a personal look at the camouflaged Shanhai ute and it looks pretty tough in the metal
A camouflaged example of the forthcoming GWM Shanhai Cannon ute has been spotted in Sydney as it likely undergoes testing prior to its introduction into the Australian market.
Although much of it is covered up, you can clearly see the large rear sail plane, side steps with ‘POER’ badging and modern rear LED tail lights.
The name Poer refers to another name in which the GWM Cannon family of vehicles are marketed elsewhere in the world, such as Malaysia. The Poer sub-brand of the company stands for ‘powerful, off-road, enjoyable and reliable’.
A bigger ute than the current Cannon lineup sold in Australia, the Shanhai has slightly larger proportions, while offering a larger and more powerful twin-turbocharged petrol V6 engine with mild-hybrid assistance.
From previous reports, engine outputs for the Shanhai Cannon are set to be 260kW/500Nm, which is a significant increase from the 135kW/480Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine currently available in Australia.
The Shanhai will be smaller in dimensions to larger-scale pickup utes such as the Toyota Tundra or Ford F-150.
The upcoming ute from GWM will measure in at 5440mm long, which is 70mm longer than a Ford Ranger.
The Shanhai Cannon ute will likely launch in Australia by the end of 2023.
The inside of the Shanhai will likely be much more luxury-focused than Cannon models of the past.
A two-tone leather interior with wood grain panelling, a panoramic sunroof and a dash-mounted analogue clock makes the Shanhai stand out from other utes.
Standard technologies will include a 14.6-inch centre touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, along with a head-up display.
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