I paid the same for a base model 4x4 cannon, still has more features than I need. I've had it for two months now and loving it. The gearbox is magnificent. Best value ute on the market. Enjoy mate!

I've had mine for a year and love it. Amazing economy on long trips and tows like a dream.

Excellent purchase! Diff lock = locking the differential gear. So basically the rear diff lock causes the rear axles (one per wheel) to work as a single unit. So both wheels will be pulling together to get you over rough terrain. But don’t use in daily driving else you’ll chew through those tyres and have rubbish steering/handling.

Have one myself, the top of the line X. I can tell you it's a really nice UTE! In some ways better than the overprice competitors.

Seems like a good buy and will probably be fine! Doing research and having good knowledge of the areas where you want to go is the biggest success factor and if you can find a friend to go with when you first start will build your confidence. Good on you for wanting to get out there 👍🏽

When the Japanese entered the Australian car market all those years ago, people laughed at what they offered particularly against the Aussie Holden \ Ford, when the Koreans entered the Aussie market it was the same reaction, now consider how good the Japanese and Korean cars are and Australia's car industry does't exist. GWM are the biggest car manufacturer in the world and produce exc value for money vehicles. You've done well.

I got my first dual cab ute before my kids started school. They're great as a family car, as you can fit so much in the tray, including garden trimmings every couple of months, and firewood during the winter. For me, 4WD just means more that can go wrong and wear out, as we don't go offroading for our camping trips. Some dirt tracks towards the beach camping sites, is about as rough as we get. 4WD has three settings. High range, is for wet, slippery, muddy, or even snow and icy conditions, on a firm road. Low range, for the same conditions on unsealed bush tracks, or in paddocks, or open scrub. Diff lock is low, low range. Both axles are locked, and turn at the same speed. This is for the same conditions in virgin scrub, and steep hills. It gives maximum traction, if you have the correct tyres.

My Australian wife and I bought a Land Cruiser 75 series and a Ford AU Falcon for less than $10,000 in 2008 because neither were available in 'Merca. Both are now the recognised classics they deserve to be. Truth be told, I'd have at least test driven the Great Wall. We had triplets in 2010 so the 75 series was swapped for a Kluger.

My husband is thinking of buying a Chinese ute. So I showed him your video. He watched your video, and read the comments below, which were mostly favourable; so now he thinks he might get one 👍

Have had one for a year, all terrains, savage roof platform with light bar, rooftop tent & soft tonneau. Never missed a beat 22 thousand Kms later 👌

The Chinese utes are getting better, and are already miles ahead of what they used to be like. Personally I prefer the LDV's but they're all pretty good for the price.

IF U have 70000 dollars,u go Ranger. If u only have 40000 dollars, u go Cannon. No thing need to be argued. they are not competitors at all.

Yeah i can vouch for the cannon. Had mine nearly 12 months not one issue. Been plenty of times offroad. Drives really well.

I wouldn’t underestimate the Chinese brands. They’ve come a long way in years.

It is the operator that breaks things all things break. The cheaper it is, usually the lighter duty it is.

I'm with you Ross... I've got the model before this one and has never missed a beat. The heated seats are amazing in winter on this old guys aging back, even in qld. I wouldn't hesitate buying any of the current factory backed chinese vehicles as there's major savings to be had.. Cheers mate👍

Ive worked in the international motor vehicle and heavy vehicle industry. Australian design rules applicable to vehicles for sale in australia are a lot more stringent because of the harsher conditions. In most ways most people wont notice the impact of those design rules (except in price). They are in the suspension, paint, chassis and other design parts. Because of that foreign vehicle manufacturers arent keen on the australian market because of the additional costs of building these vehicles for a relatively small market. They only really sell vehicles to Australians because Australians need cars and are willing to pay a big premium for them. Thats also why foreign manufacturers entering this market often suffer teething troubles (except italian and triumph motorcycles - which just have continual troubles). Because australian design rules emphasise survivability foreign manufacturers have to make subtle but important changes to their existing local products, which causes unforeseen issues. The real issue is with handling. China’s vehicle designers ard not familiar with conditions here. A vehicle built for east asia - korea/japan - will easily handle european conditions (except for emmissions standards) but it wont last long in australian driving conditions. Vehicles driven in china are manufactured in china and arent sold overseas - foreign and domestic manufactures in china are to very different standards. A Mercedes or BMW in china is more like an ordinary ford elsewhere, unless its imported (which costs a fortune because of chinese import taxes). I know of a chinese heavy vehicle manufacturer that recently won a tender then had the contract pulled when it became obvious they couldnt design to north australian conditions (i represented an australian tenderer and we warned the principal about that). Also, chinese vehicle standards have short chassis lives - usually 5 years (that ensures a constant manufacturing industry in china but is super inefficient). So long term parts amd chassis survival could be an issue - although if a vehicle is ADR compliant (with an intended minimum 25 years on the chassis) that shouldnt be an issue. But the important thing is the manufacturers and dealers’ warranties, which many people dont realise.

Seriously! how many people drive their 4WD to their full potential ? the Hilux , Ranger and Mazda along and it's twin BT 50 are great vehicles, but the marketing wank that goes with it is just that. The Cannon which has so many new features outstrip most of the big four makers and is more than capable for most off roaders. I stopped drinking the cool aid from the fab four and woke up to the fact that despite what people think of China the end result is they have released a vehicle that ticks more boxes for the average Australian on more levels than their competitors. I take delivery of my new Cannon X next week which is being fitted with 8K of extras, and it still works out to be more cost effective than buying one of the big four.

God I'm old, I can't imagine spending $38k on a car. That's more than I paid for my first house!😂 (Maybe I'm cheap as well as old 😖) I remember when Hyundai came to Australia everyone scoffed but they're fantastic cars. Have fun with your new ride, lots of great places to see in the sunshine state.

It's funny how owners of these utes love them and armchair experts despise them. If buying new it's either $150 per week for the GWM or $270 per week for the Ranger. It's as simple as that. The discerning buyer chooses the GWM.

Check out your new parts situation for vehicle...I hit a wallaby doing 80kmph (only just above knee height the bugger was) in an LDV and it pushed the radiator back into the gearbox oil reservoir which dumped the oil and destroyed the gearbox that happened 15 months ago still waiting on gearbox from China!...all the best with the car look forward to your experiences with it 👍

when i was in my 30's and 40's (i'm 61 now) i had a 4x4 mil spec dodge ramcharger, and it had manual front locking hubs, lockers in front and back (dana 44) - and i did use them. it even had a fording kit - that worked! i tried it in remote, mountainous washington state, many times. that thing was a beast! very powerful, and would go anywhere sasquatch would, lol! i used to bounce that thing so hard i would hit my head on the roof of it. amazing takeoff and departure angles, as well as breakover. dude: you don't need 4x4 for those kinds of roads at all! but learn what the lockers can do for you though. you'll be glad you did when you know. now i drive a lexus rx350 with awd, which is front drive, unibody frame, and part time rear drive. it works well enough in snow, and ice, and i never take it off road, other than the kinds of roads you have there - unimproved dirt roads. it's fine for all of that.

Nothing wrong with buying what you can afford, these vehicles in general will get you to most places anyways without any mods. The guys spending big money on the latest brand vehicles and kitting them out to the max and then use them to malls need help.

Congratulations on the Ute Ross… you are becoming more Aussie every day 😀. The GMV is good value and providing they standby their warranty you should be fine. I purchased my Nissan Navara D23 Ute for $45K, ST-X 2WD, in March 2022, it was 1 year old. Very happy with it… I was tempted to spend more for a 4WD… but the 2WD is fine on most dry dirt tracks and suits my needs. Happy motoring… and enjoy exploring this beautiful country. 👍😄

The only issue I have with them ( i am in the smash repair industry) is parts can take a long time to come from China. Got one that will be off the road for at least 5 months because of parts delays.

If you are planning on going 4wding, get a snorkel, a first aid kit, a recovery kit, carry food and water. Do a 4wd course and if you are near Brisbane and want to explore let me know and I'll join you. I have over 20 years 4wd experience

Hi fellow pome. I have owned a cannon for just over a year now and have put over 40,000 k's on it. Have had it serviced ever 10,000. It hasn't missed a bet. I'm a tradie, so it's always . I also tow a small caravan, and it handles it with ease. I would watch a lot of you tube vlogs on off-roading in OZ, and would buy compressor and maybe a couple off sand/mud tracks. Good luck and have fun

It was 38 grand, 6 years of warranty and every possible upgrade, can't go too far wrong. All you really need is a decent set of AT tyres (Pirelli Scorpian ATRs would be a good choice without breaking the bank), a bullbar and maybe a snorkel to make sure if you do cross a creek you won't drown it. It already has a rear diff-lock so there won't be many places it won't go.

I bought one of the first Great Wall Motors {GWM} V240 petrol 2.4litre 4x4 dual cab utes when they were first released in Australia in 2009. I had it until 2018 when it was starting to give me electrical issues. I paid $26000 but only got $3000 as a trade. The major issue I had was a $4500 repair for a blown head gasket repair just after the warranty expired. I did about 130000km on it around Australia but it was gutless when pulling a trailer up the ranges. It worked for me at the time but I needed more power so got a new BT50 turbo diesel. I would suggest putting quality seat covers on it because Chinese leather disintegrates as did the steering wheel cover. I see a lot of these and the Chinese have lifted their game, it's just they are underpowered to tow a caravan or heavy trailer. Enjoy the outback.

G,day pom. As far as gear, don't go out buying a heap of stuff, do a few small trips and slowly work out what (you) need or want, no need. Have fun. Watch out for snakes, spiders crocs, vampire bats, piranhas.

Also stealing shit out the back will probably result in a smack in the mouth

I wouldn't touch one in a fit after all the garbage tools I bought from the CCP. No way!!! I've had my Toyota ute since 1994 qnd it's still going strong as ever. Built to last.

I never knew a Chinese ute could be so funny! Thanks for the laughs, really enjoy your self deprecating style of humour.

You will find if anything does go wrong with it , the biggest problem is the lack of dealerships .You will soon learn why Toyota sells the most utes. Dealers can be found just about anywhere.

Have no experience with the utes/trucks, but I’ve driven a MG little Chinese hatchback thing and you can kinda tell they’re cheap just by the way they drive compared to a Mazda or Volkswagen or whatever. That’s not really a big deal (for me at least), and it’s clear that the Chinese manufacturers have improved a lot just in the short time they’ve been available. I reckon you won’t regret this purchase especially if you get out there and use it for its intended purpose. I can see a trip to Fraser Island in your near future 😊 Also, you might want to investigate some 4wd driver training courses. Pretty sure they are available in the Brisbane area and would be great fun as well as educational

Only way to learn all about it is to get out there and start doing, so good on you!

I bought a 2020 model last year with 19000kms for $17.5k and there were 3 or 4 for sale about the same price. I bought the one with lowest kms.

THE THING WILL FALL APART ON THE CRAPPY QUEENSLAND ROADS, WITH A SHORTAGE OF AVAILABLE PARTS AFTER SEVERAL YEARS, ACCOMPANIED WITN ZERO RESALE VALUE. STILL, AFFORDABLE ENTRY LEVEL 4X4 THOUGH. BUT REGARDLESS ALL THE BEST AND ENJOYMENT WITH YOUR VEHICLE👍

Ross you have gone hard core Aussie. In my home town those Chinese utes are everywhere - every second tradie is driving one. A very popular car reviewer on KZfaq reckons a new Chinese ute is a better option than buying a second-hand mainstream ute. I have a 2 year-old Ranger Wildtrack and it’s replacement is now $75Kish to buy…$13,000 more than I paid. I’ll be keeping it for a while longer.🥲 Anyway, have fun! Looking forward to your video going to Cape!👍

Apparently in Australia a lot of this utes only see school car parks and will never touch low range.

The leather is a must have as a parent … as you can easily wipe away them child bogeys etc… 😂😂😂😂

We have a friend who tows a van with his no problems at all..and they are really nice inside.

I’ve always been a buy Australian made first guy but considering we don’t make anything anymore I don’t see a problem with buying cheap cars but as always do your research and always go for value for your money and not just an expensive European badge car which will probably have as many issues as any other car nowadays

The Chinese Ute's are getting better, but personally, I still wouldn't touch one. Fingers crossed it lasts for you and as long as you're happy with it and it fits your needs, that's all that matters.

The Ssangyong Musso and GWM Canon are a genuine alternative to the big fellas.

Funny vid Ross, i like your honest self appraisal of a ack of 4wd knowledge. The video heading caught my eye as i have very recently purchased a Ssangyong Musso dual cab. The GWM was a serious contender but i opted for the Korean vehicle. Perhaps my choice might bite me on the bum as they (Ssangyong) have had a few owners over the years. Anyway good luck Ross i am keen to see how the car goes for you and your family. Cheers

Bloody love our GWM Cannon! Towing our 3T van around Australia at the moment! TROUBLE FREE! haha Great review mate. 🍻

You should have bought a Holden Commodore ute that was made here in Australia not because it's patriotic (which it is ) but because they don't make them any more and they are going to extremely valuable in the very near future in fact prices for certain models of utes and other 2 door Holden's such as Toranas, Monaco's, and vans are going through the roof . But I can see why you've bought what you have so good driving and have lots of adventures off road .

I got my cannon 4months ago, then I gave my Hilux to my employee. I now prefer to drive cannon than my Audi Q7.

A good upgrade to get is a snorkle, as insurance againdt a surprise deep water crossing. As the air intake is in the wheel well it wouldnt be hard to get a gut full of engine destroying water ..

I own a Cannon X with 30000kms. I have always been a supporter of the brand until now. I went to the dealer Autostrada in Western Australia, for a service and had them look at a minor warranty issue for a delaminating park brake button, along with recalling for the headrests to be replaced. This work was booked in over a month prior to the service date. It’s been over a year and when going to book my 30000kms service I enquired again as the the park brake and it turn out that even though the dealer told me it was warranty and would be replaced they had not even ordered the part and not submitted a warranty claim to GWM/HAVAL. Not only this they did not replace the recall item on the headrests. When I approached GWM/HAVAL HQ I was told it’s my problem and they have nothing to do with it. So basically, your on your own. Ok so you might think this is a dealer/service department issue but can you imagine if this was a larger warranty issue and this was the support you expect to receive. I was going to look at a new vehicle next year and I can be sure GWM/HAVAL are off the list. Warranty support is critical to me and this seals the deal. Thanks for no support GWM/HAVAL, if warranty is important to you seriously consider other brands, as GWM/HAVAL do not provide customer support.

Most people that knock these don't even own one. These are priced very well and are starting to sell in high numbers. Test drove one these and loved it just didn't choose to buy one which is not a bad thing. We chose a Mitsubishi which suited us better. Good luck with you choice.

For the price it's quite good actually. Good luck with it!

I think it'll do just fine as a run around that maybe sees a small boat ramp occasionally and takes you and the family on a couple of lightly loaded road trips.. But there's a reason someone bought the top of the line model and set it up for towing a caravan and then sold it a year later at a loss.

Way to go 👍 I'm looking at getting GWM tank 300 put in an order! but let's see how it go's on and off road hopefully some more reviews come in soon.

They're quite popular, decent bang for the buck. Apart from corrosion they seem durable enough - keep it out of sea water, ie. beach driving etc.

I like the look of them. Just not sure about the resale value & the low dealer network

It's very capable bakkie. They really selling well here in South Africa

As we say in Northern Ireland "Be grand" As I used to say as a lad in QLD "She'll be right"

It’s got more capabilities than you know. Just know to lower your tyre pressures off-road, and definitely on sand. 12-16psi. Don’t be like all those that get bogged at inskip. You tube it. Hours of entertainment when they just had to lower tyre pressures and not give too much right foot. The Land Rover approach is definitely key. As slow as possible, as fast as necessary.

I paid that for a brand new Mitsubishi Triton (including a lot of fruit).

Oh no an English man just purchased a Chinese car!!! Jeremy Clarkson would be cringing 😬

Plenty of youtube vids showing how good this vehicle is, both as a 4WD and for towing. Great value for money and peace of mind with the warranty, good choice. You don't have to spend $75k for a competitors brand.

I just grabbed a white vanta a couple of weeks ago. 7 year warranty is attractive.

That's good value for $38K, my next door neighbour just bought a Mitsubishi Triton (one year old) for $49K.

I was thinking recently… Rosco needs a 4x4 Ute. Huge Congrats 🙌, I’m stoked 🇦🇺 ❤ 🛻

Can't be any worse than a jeep?

Have a look at a channel called 'Autoexpert', John Cadogan. I don't particularly care for his style, but his messages are on point. One of his reports was on the Chinese Utes, and what the Judge in the case said about them. Based on that alone, I would never buy one.

Looks nice mate, iv got a Ssangyong ute there better looking now have you seen the old-looking Chinese utes wow they were bad

*to be fair....ive just checked and its less than the average salary by quite a bit. A lot of car for the money that this. I would want something like that but currently diesel costs in the UK are mental. We have a MG Electric which are made by SAIC, they are Chinese and its a very good car*

There is no such thing as a poor choice. We make choices for a reason, and we can change our minds if need be 💖

Nice looking Ute, hope it goes the distance as tossing up to get Chinese suv myself… it’s hard when husbands a Toyota man but the price vs what you get is hard to contend with.

Best Ute ever mine Is just like yours Can’t have too much chrome ❤

The only Ute owners we mercilessly mock are the ones who bought a rebadged Nissan Merc. Those people are just tossers.

4wd low is best for going down steep hills, no need for brakes, let engine compression keep you at a slow speed

Got a 2021 Built bruv, they are mint and do a decent job… no problems whatsoever

People should give the shitboxes pickup more chance. Especially those still have handbrake and manual transmission

it doesn't really matter if they breakdown for any reason when you have your 7 yr warranty. I think all the concerns and fear should stop there. As a mechanic I can tell you Cars are immortal so long as there are replacement parts available And since this is a mass produce car from China I really don't see why it wouldn't have any of the parts. Transfer case and transmission were outsourced from really well known and established makers that should be enough to give you a peace of mind. Just keep your filters clean since you are on dirt most of the time, Don't skip on heavy PMS and use the best oil regularly to avoid wear and tear on engine and deposit build up on the piston rings or sludges that might clogged your oil filters.. It should be fine.

Interesting buy, I have talk to few owners, one owner says that radio plays up but other then that so far ok, other owners putting on kms n ute has no trouble unlike Ranger which diesel PF clogs up. If was me definitely would brought this ute over new models also high mileage second hand utes unless I find bargain Toyota or Nissan.

More chrome, more chrome, more chrome. I love all the chrome!!!

So what I want to know is did the ute go for like 100,000 plus kilometres without any major mechanical or electrical problems and went trouble free other than general servicing? And if you needed to get parts to fix it, how easy was it to get these parts locally or did they need to come from China where you need to wait for months at a time, and then when it gets here it's the wrong part so your ute is still off the road because the part won't fit?

Looks nice ross. Also a quick question where are the waterfalls at the start of this video please. Cheers. Hope you and family are all well

I have an Engel fridge that sits on my tray on my Ute for about four years, and it’s never been opened or touched

No, get a boat! Then you can take a trip out to the wrecks off Moreton Island and go snorkelling. It’s spectacular!

They seem to be getting more popular.. im gonna do the ironic thing and go over there with the maloo and open a meat pie shop.. the govt will help by selling me beef cost price and they still pay tariff see how THEY feel

People aren't stealing your stuff because you probably live in a decent area.

Now you can take the barge over to North Stradbroke Island and drive along Main Beach! Great weekend away!

I can understand that one has to purchase what one can afford. But why a Chinese ute when you could have bought a similar ute from Korea the Ssangyong Musso?

This screams cheap to me though. Dont get me wrong, if you’re only going to own this ute for the life of the warranty, you may have found a relative gem. (That interior is NICE). But I would worry a LOT about what you can’t see. There’s a reason that a comparable Ranger costs more. Unfortunately, unlike JDM cars, KDM and CDM seem miles behind with everything that you can’t see. I’d be surprised if that ute made 200hp and gets more than 16mpg. I would be surprised if the frame isn’t rusted out by the 8 year mark. I would be surprised if the seals and bushings arent cracked and dry rotted, if the cheap metal isnt cracking or fatiguing, if the sensors, relays, and switches all still worked after the warranty is up. They have to save that money somewhere, and there’s a reason a comparable Ranger costs $10,000+ more. They need to cut costs somewhere to get that much tech and luxury into a ute and undercut the less well equipped competition.

paid 2k for a 80 series over 10yrs ago its never missed a beat and now has over 500k on it, not a chance i would buy a Chinese car it would break the 1st time I done some hard wheeling in it. At todays prices i could easily get 20k or more for my 80 series.

I just bought a 2017 Hilux sr5, factory upgrades with leather and electric seat, first owner spent another $12,000 in mods so he’s in it for around $82,000, I bought it for $46,000. I still feel that they’re overpriced, nice cars though but I’d never get one brand new

For 40 thousand dollars you could have got a nice 2013 Toyota Hilux sr5 with a couple of nods/upgrades already done, so it's not really cheaper it's more idiotic. Literally the only difference will be in the warranty but even then the Toyota would be better

I’ve only heard good things about these. You’ve got yourself a fine motor Ross.

we bought an ldv and yeah very happy with it

For $38k you could have bought a 1992 hilux non turbo, but pretty sweet for doing stuff and things and yeah stuff

We dont have goat tracks here. We have camel tracks 😂

You need a winch to tow yourself out. But it seems an excellent buy. Enjoy getting out into the countryside more, or just the extra safety of all the cameras for parking and the higher driving position. China’s a major car market, so it makes sense that their locally manufactured cars would be good. I’ve certainly not heard anything bad about GWM.

Hi guys Welcome to Strailya Just found your channel and enjoyed the few videos I have watched Love your wit and ability to tell your story As for the Ute you have warranty and if that fails Austrian consumer laws on your side. I’ve been an automotive engineer for over 40 years and these Chinese vehicles are getting better almost by the day As for going bush your car is a part time 4x4 I believe. (No centre diff old stool nothing wrong with that). So only use 4x4 on a low traction surface What equipment do you need? Start with tyres-tyres-tyres, the rest you will work out as you go. Enjoy

OMG, a Chinese ute, but you are like me, can only buy what you can afford. I did want a Prado, but prices are crazy, so went for a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland V6 petrol and boy this is a great car for $29500. I don't care what people think, this car has everything, such a great car to drive, great off road and fantastic fuel consumption. So, all the whingers can pay too much for their cars, you and I can get a great car for a great price, enjoy. There is plenty of KZfaqrs doing great off-road videos, so learn what your car can do and go and do it, you and your family will love it and with Fraser Island on your doorstep, go for it.

I baught a Great Wall V240 Petrol ute 2 months ago for use as a work truck. It's slow, ponderous,and a little thirsty. But it starts and stops when I want, it's reasonably fomfortable. It does everything I need it to do and no more. It was a quarter of the price of a Hilux of the same age. If you are going to buy a ute, think about what you will use it for. If you only do short city runs, get a petrol one. Stay away from diesels, especially if they have a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter). Diesels want to be driven hard and long.