Meet the new 'Alpha' of the dual-cab ute pack (and Australia's first hybrid 4WD ute)

So the Ford Ranger is Australia’s most popular dual-cab ute, hands down, closely followed by the Toyota HiLux.

But a quick look around Fyshwick, or the local construction site, reveals there’s an up-and-coming contender. From China.

It feels like just last week a Great Wall ute was not something you wanted to touch with a proverbial pole. Because it would fall apart. Name the last time you saw one of those early 2010 fish-faced versions, for instance. That’s right – you can’t.

But having spent a week in their latest effort, I can say times have well and truly changed.

Great Wall (or GWM as it’s now known, for Great Wall Motors) already has the popular four-door Cannon ute in its line-up, available from a very tempting $36,490 driveaway price.

But this year, they’ve added the ‘Cannon Alpha’, basically the ute version of GWM’s new LandCruiser rival, the Tank 500.

The name is fitting. It’s a hairy-chested thing, with rugged features and chunky proportions to make a Dodge RAM quiver. Even the badges are enormous.

But then you get inside and realise this Dwayne Johnson knows to keep his elbows off the table and lay the napkin in the lap before eating. There’s plush leather, wood-look trim, and perhaps best of all – a little analogue clock. It feels premium, and solid.

The only hiccup is the not-so-little rock jingle it plays when you start the engine, and every time you change the drive mode.

There is a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel version, but the headline is that in top-spec ‘Ultra’ form at least, the Cannon Alpha is the first 4WD ute in Australia to offer a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain.

Clearly, they’re keen to avoid the mistake of LDV’s fully electric ute, with its range of 2 km, and even less if you want to do something useful with it, like carry a toolbox or tow a trailer. Electric utes will still ruin the weekend.

You’re not here for the lower fuel consumption – GWM claims 9.8L/100km for the hybrid and 8.9L/100km for the diesel on combined cycles.

But you are getting more power and torque than the diesel. A lot more. Like, 255 kW and 648 Nm compared to 135 kW and 480 Nm.

The braked towing capacity of 3500 kg remains the same, but apart from a weird split second of dead patch between when the electric motor hands over to the 2-litre petrol engine, it certainly gets up and goes, with a smooth yet gruff surge.

Apparently, it can go as high as 60 km/h under pure electric power in ‘Eco’ mode, but mine, borrowed from National Capital GWM in Tuggeranong, was fitted with bigger after-market wheels and chunkier tyres than standard, which affects this.

They could also be why the steering felt a little wallow-y.

It’s a beast off-road too. Tackling some fire trails near the Cotter, I had it in Sport mode most of the time – which keeps the petrol engine online – but there was also high and low-range 4WD and front and rear diff locks on standby.

The full suite of external cameras are handy too, and even somehow show you what’s underneath.

Another point of difference for the Cannon Alpha is the tailgate, which opens down like any other ute, but also – once I’d worked out how to do it – splits into two side-mounted doors. This means you don’t have to break your back trying to stretch for stuff.

I’m not entirely sure what it’s for, but another nice touch is the small storage space built into each of the rear-most pillars, accessible when you open the rear doors. For keeping the umbrella, maybe? I mean, you’ve already got the clock.

As you’ve surely seen from the photos by now, all of this starts from $65,585 driveaway.

The Cannon Alpha isn’t quite as refined as a Ford Ranger, or a Mitsubishi Triton for that matter. And as always, the lane-keeping assistance will occasionally want to arm-wrestle you, and the driver monitoring yell at you for looking out the side window for half a second too long. The jury is also still out on long-term reliability.

But get ready for a lot more Great Wall utes on the road, and with good reason.

2024 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra

• $65,585 driveaway (ACT)
• 2.0-litre turbo petrol hybrid engine, 255 kW/648 Nm
• 9.8L/100 km claimed combined fuel consumption, 91 RON
• Nine-speed automatic, 4WD
• 2,575 kerb weight
• Not yet rated for safety.

Thanks to National Capital GWM for providing this car for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with National Capital Motors.