In the pickup truck market with 100,000 to 150,000 levels, the Great Wall Cannon can be said to be an unbeatable existence. With its comprehensive product quality and excellent cost performance, it has long dominated the sales charts. This year, the Great Wall Cannon model has been upgraded again, equipped with a new 2.4T+9AT powertrain. What surprises will the new car bring us? Let’s take a look together.
As of now, the new Great Wall Cannon has officially launched. The specific prices are as follows:
The car we test drove this time is the 2.4T commercial cannon 9AT four-wheel drive elite model priced at 138,800 yuan (19160$).
Before talking about the test drive experience, let’s briefly review the design. The new car is basically the same as the current commercial pickup model. In terms of design, it is considered exquisite in the commercial pickup trucks in this price range. The inverted V-shaped grille adopts a smoked black design, combined with a large chrome cannon brand logo, creating a strong visual impact.
The car model uses LED headlights with automatic function.
The side lines are full, with dimensions of 5653/1883/1882mm and a wheelbase of 3470mm. The data shows it remains consistent with the old model.
The hub design features a six-spoke design and a unique gunmetal gray finish. The tires are 245/70 R17 Chaoyang tires. The new commercial cannon still uses a four-wheel disc brake design.
The rear end continues the design language of the previous model. The trunk side is equipped with rope hooks for tying goods. It is worth mentioning that the commercial cannon comes with a 3-ton towing capacity, an improvement from the previous model’s 2.5 tons. It can tow freight trailers, RV trailers, motorcycle trailers, and more, expanding the range of lifestyles.
The interior design resembles a passenger car, with a simple and clear T-shaped layout. Despite being a commercial vehicle, the workmanship and materials are relatively average due to cost constraints. However, Great Wall has created a good sense of layers and visual effects through the use of different materials.
The steering wheel design features a large size, with the brand logo cleverly integrated in the center and multifunction control buttons on either side.
The dashboard features a traditional design with mechanical dual dials and a small car computer display screen in the center. Overall, it is clear and easy to read, but the only issue is the reflection under the sun.
The interior’s main focus is the 12.3-inch touchscreen. It features the latest smart car networking technology, supporting AI voice control, remote vehicle control, wireless upgrades, online maps, smart parking, and more. It meets current demands, but may experience slight delays in operation. Other features include keyless entry, push-button start, automatic parking, electric sunroof, ESP, automatic air conditioning, and automatic wipers.
In terms of space performance, a model with a height of 182cm can have a decent seating experience in both the front and rear rows. It is worth mentioning that the seat back angle in the rear row is relatively large in the pickup truck, which will not affect the seating experience of rear passengers due to the overly flat angle.
The commercial cannon car we test drove has leather seats that are wide, thick, and comfortable, with moderate firmness. This design helps improve passenger comfort.
As the top model of commercial vehicles, there are no air vents or USB charging ports in the rear seats, which is disappointing.
The commercial cannon’s cargo box size is 1760*1520*540mm, equipped with anti-roll frame, external rope hook and cargo box treasure, with strong loading capacity and good modification potential, suitable for various commercial scenarios.
In terms of power, the new car is equipped with a new 2.4T diesel engine, with a maximum net power of 135kW. The AT model has a maximum net torque of 480Nm, while the MT model has a maximum net torque of 400Nm. A large-sized battery with a capacity of 92Ah and a cold start current of 850A is placed next to the engine, which is rare in the same price range and can improve the cold start performance of the vehicle. Additionally, the new car also uses an 850W high-performance cooling fan, increasing the engine fan power by 42% from the original 600W to 850W, providing better heat dissipation for the entire power system.
The transmission matches the self-developed 9AT gearbox, with a maximum torque of 750Nm on the mature tank platform. The all-new engine, compared to the previous 2.0T engine, has roughly the same power but significantly increased torque. Some friends may worry about fuel consumption increasing, but in reality, this new powertrain has a NEDC combined fuel consumption of only 7.9L per hundred kilometers, 8.1L for the AT four-wheel drive model.
In terms of suspension, the new car uses double wishbone design at the front and large steel plate springs at the rear, along with widened and thickened high-strength ladder frame, providing better load capacity but sacrificing some comfort. For consumers with higher demands on chassis comfort, it is recommended to choose the passenger cannon model equipped with multi-link suspension.
Before test driving on the road, we experienced the performance of the new powertrain of the commercial cannon in terms of off-road capability through different tests. First, climbing uphill by engaging low-speed four-wheel drive and increasing torque to over 1000Nm, the new vehicle showed exceptional climbing ability. It handled slopes up to 40 degrees with ease. Even stopping in the middle of a slope, it could easily start climbing again, maintaining a low rpm level, feeling like it still had power to spare.
When dealing with projects like the cross-axis, steamed bun package, or double-side pulley group, the new car can easily handle it. The project experience model also comes with an Eaton rear axle electronic control differential lock, which can achieve fully automatic locking control, coupled with powerful part-time four-wheel drive, such projects indeed do not need to worry too much.
In off-road projects, the commercial cannon’s approach angle of 27 degrees, departure angle of 25 degrees, and large ground clearance have greatly helped the commercial cannon. For pickup truck models, a considerable number of consumers have high requirements for passability. On the road to entrepreneurship, it is important to be able to face the unknown calmly. Overall, the passability performance of the commercial cannon is quite strong, exceeding our expectations.
In actual driving, the new powertrain matches well. Shifting is smooth, acceleration is confident. Power output is excellent at low speeds, making passing easy. Overall, the power performance of this utility vehicle is satisfying.
The new car uses hydraulic power steering, the steering wheel feedback is strong but not too difficult. Not very friendly for female drivers. For a car focused purely on utility, we won’t talk about precision, a larger dead zone is the common design for this type of vehicle, providing a higher margin of error.
The suspension structure of the howitzer adopts the common front double wishbone independent suspension and rear leaf spring design of pickup trucks. The ride comfort on paved roads is good, but the body still feels the bumps on rough roads. However, the suspension performs well in corners. This suspension design prioritizes loading capacity. For those with higher comfort requirements, there is an option of a passenger howitzer equipped with multi-link independent suspension.
Due to being a diesel engine, the noise is a bit loud, especially at higher speeds, tire and wind noise are also noticeable. It is primarily a commercial vehicle for hauling goods, so expecting passenger car standards may be a bit demanding.
Summary: After a day’s experience, I deeply felt the reason why the Great Wall Cannon is so popular. This is just an entry-level commercial cannon in the brand lineup. The commercial cannon is not perfect, with many small flaws. But considering its price, it can definitely be considered a treasure model. It has a stylish design, comprehensive configuration, user-friendly space design, excellent powertrain, and impressive off-road capability. Such a commercial cannon can definitely be called a good partner on the road to wealth creation. More importantly, the strong after-sales support provided by Great Wall’s 2000+ sales network brings unparalleled convenience to users, which is very attractive to friends on the entrepreneurial road!