CANNON BALL

TOP-OF-THE-RANGE CANNON XSR GAINS OFF-ROAD ABILITY AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY TECH. WE WEIGH UP THE COMPROMISES.

- WORDS MATT RAUDONIKIS

GWM (formerly Great Wall Motors) gave its Cannon ute a significant update at the start of 2025. The headline changes included a larger 2.4-litre diesel engine, an increased towing capacity, and a new flagship variant - the Cannon XSR - aimed squarely at off-road buyers. Six months on, we finally get our first crack behind the wheel of the $50K XSR.

Off-roaders will welcome the arrival of a budget-priced midsize ute with front and rear diff locks straight from the factory. Lockers give any 4x4 a far better chance of tackling rough terrain by ensuring equal drive is sent to all four wheels simultaneously. The only other utes in this segment with that spec are the $90K Ford Ranger Raptor and the Cannon's own bigger sibling, the Cannon Alpha. In the XSR, you're getting the hardware at a $50K drive-away price.

That's the good news about the XSR. The downside? It ditches the full-time 4x4 system in favour of a part-time setup and misses out on key safety features including Emergency Lane Keeping, Smart Dodge, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Collision Warning and the Door Open Warning system. Because of these omissions, the Cannon XSR hasn't been tested with ANCAP and doesn't carry the five-star safety rating earned by other models in the range.

We're sure plenty of buyers would gladly trade some safety tech for front and rear lockers, but for others, that compromise will be a deal breaker. Horses for courses.

As well as the locking diffs and part-time 4x4 system, the XSR scores Cooper all-terrain tyres, an air intake snorkel, steel side steps, additional drive modes and a model-specific grille. You can add as many off-road drive modes as you like, but once you've got proper locking diffs like the XSR does, most of them become redundant – lockers really are the ultimate off-road drive mode.