2026 GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV review

GWM has a Canon in a Shark fight.

No pun intended here, it’s all business for GWM who were the first brand to offer a ute in New Zealand that could drive its wheels on electric power alone.

Since then, they’ve been joined in the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute category by BYD’s Shark 6 and more recently Ford’s Ranger Hybrid. The former proved to be very popular with both private and commercial buyers.

GWM's PHEV followed on from the launch of the Toyota Hilux Hybrid in 2025, which was officially the first hybrid ute offered in New Zealand. While Toyota got the bragging rights for being first to market, the Cannon Alpha is on a completely different level when it comes to hybrid technology.

You can think of the Hilux’s hybrid system as an advanced stop/start system that offers some small assistance of the line, while the Cannon Alpha can move on full electric power alone, in two- or four-wheel drive, and travel around 100km before needing to sip any petrol. 

Which brings us back to its main competitors. The BYD Shark 6 arrived in New Zealand with a hiss and a roar that translated into real sales. In 2025, 1855 Shark 6s were registered on our roads, while the Cannon range racked up 537 units, including diesel and PHEV models.

A look at the spec sheet and price list suggests the Cannon Alpha and BYD Shark 6 are neck-and-neck, so why the difference? Are Kiwis missing a trick with New Zealand’s first PHEV ute?

How much does the GWM Cannon Alpha cost? 

The Canon Alpha range is available with a conventional 2.4-litre turbo diesel, or in the case here, a 2.0-litre turbo petrol PHEV. Diesels start at $52,990 and PHEVs $60,990.

As mentioned, the PHEV ute category is currently made up of three models. While the Cannon Alpha is available in two grades, its main competitor, the BYD Shark 6 is a single-grade priced from $69,990 — level with the top-spec Alpha Ultra PHEV.

The newest entrant is the Ford Ranger Hybrid - available in three grades - and is by far the most expensive in this emerging segment. Ford’s plugged offerings include the XLT from $82,990, Wildtrack from $89,990 and Stormtrak from $94,990. 

What is the GWM Cannon Alpha Ultra PHEV like on the inside?

Just like any other Cannon Alpha or GWM Tank 500, which share the same underpinnings, and that’s no bad thing.

The Canon Alpha PHEV we tested is the top-spec Ultra, which is about as plush as a new ute can get in New Zealand’s new car market. GWM packs the interior with features that were once reserved for executive sedans or SUVs.

If there’s a portion of our workforce that deserves heated, ventilated and massaging seats - it’s our tradies. In a Cannon Alpha, they get ‘em. It’s a long-overdue inclusion to the ute market that feels luxury, but makes total sense for the men and women out there building, servicing and maintaining our nation.

The seats are leather-accented, as are most of the door cards with some woodgrain-effect trim found around the door-mounted controls and dashboard. The steering wheel is leather, too, and heated for the colder months.

There’s a good amount of adjustability in the seats to get comfortable and once set, the view forward is commanding over the large bonnet.

Surrounding the gear leaver are controls for the drive modes, powertrain, 360-degree camera, front and rear diff locks and the heated and ventilated seats. However, to adjust just how hot or breezy they get, you’ll have to jump into the 14.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system that also hides the A/C controls. 

The touchscreen is fast and responsive to the touch, but the menus take some getting used to. That said, in some circumstances it’s borderline unusable on the move, especially when your phone is paired. 

There’s a row of buttons underneath to turn the A/C on and adjust fan speed which is nice, however when phone mirroring is active, to adjust temperature you have to leave CarPlay, go back to the GWM app, find A/C menu, then swipe to adjust temperature for the cabin or the seats.

If you’re not familiar with the software, it’s way too dangerous to attempt this on the move. And if you do, the driver monitoring systems will shout at you until your eyes return to the road. I usually find this endlessly annoying though in this case, it’s justified.

The 12.3-inch digital drivers display is more logical and, with controls on the steering wheel, can be used to circumnavigate the infotainment system. There are two programmable buttons you can set to menus you use frequently.

While the front is the place to be, the back is stand-out when compared with established ute brands. First off, the space. With the driver seat set to my position, my 6-foot frame can sit in the seat behind with room to spare. In a Hilux or Ranger, my knees would be pressed against the seat.

The outer seats are also heated and ventilated, and if you’d like a breeze there’s a small sliding window in the rear. But guess how you open it? That’s right, the touchscreen up front.

In the rear tray you'll get a liner standard, another rarity for the ute segment. To Access the tray the top-spec Cannon Alpha has a unique 60/40 split tailgate that can open either conventionally or barn-door style. There's a button in the middle of the rear badge, one click to swing the rear tailgate open, or two to drop the whole thing.

What’s under the bonnet?

There’s a petrol engine up front, electric motor nestled in the gearbox and a battery under the tray. Sounds tricky? That’s because it is.

The Canon Alpha PHEV utilises a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that, on its own, produces 180kW and 380Nm. That is connected to a 9-speed automatic transmission that also houses a high-output electric motor that can send power to the rear, or all four wheels, on- or off-road. 

The electric motor draws its energy from a 37.11kWh Ternary Lithium battery stored above the rear axle and below the tray. Combined, the petrol and electric motor produce 300kW of power and 750Nm of torque, much more pulling power than a traditional common rail diesel.

As such, the PHEV version carries the same 3500kg tow rating as its diesel namesake and all other common rail utes. It’s also a tonne more than the BYD Shark 6 can haul. There is a catch. Compared to the diesel Cannon Alpha, the PHEV loses 130kg of payload capacity to compensate for the weight of the battery. 

The PHEV supports DC fast-charging at up to 50kW and has vehicle-to-load capability, so you could power or recharge tools on site. 

How does the GWM Cannon Alpha drive?

Driving a full-size ute in EV mode feels like a cheat code.

I think tradies agree judging by the number of double-takes I noticed when commuting around Auckland during our test week with the Cannon Alpha PHEV. As it turns out, passing a work site in total silence is a real head-turner. I wasn’t testing this intentionally, I live in Auckland, most of the city is still under construction.

It is telling that even through the noise of industry, a plug-in hybrid can still garner attention. Whether the petrol engine is on or not, the Cannon Alpha has real road presence. A lot of that is purely down to its physical size - this ute is a bigger vehicle than every legacy model.

Compared to the best-selling Ford Ranger, the Alpha is 220mm longer, 81mm wider and 54mm taller, and in the raw the difference feels even bigger. It’s one of the few vehicles on sale that I think needs bigger wheels and certainly thicker sidewalls - though that would drain energy usage and increase fuel consumption.

Thankfully, most people seem to respond well to its design. I think it’s fair to say there are ‘inspirations’ from the Toyota Tundra and Land Cruiser in its design, but the oversized grille, Cannon badges front and rear, and fake air vent definitely make it a GWM. 

On the move, the powertrain wants to be in EV mode as often as possible. There are three distinct settings - EV, Hybrid Electric and Intelligent. The latter will let you choose when the engine fires up, mostly to recharge the battery. For the rest of the time it’s mostly an EV, though if you pin it in Hybrid, the engine will join in to deliver more grunt.

Separate from that are the drive modes for the 4WD system - Standard, Sport, Eco, 4H and 4L. Sport is obviously the most potent and in that mode the Canon Alpha is rapid. GWM doesn't quote an official 0-100km/h figure, maybe because it certainly isn’t as brisk as the Shark 6’s 5.7 second time, but in the real world I don’t see a reason why you’d need a ute to be any faster.

Returning to ‘Standard’ mode and around town the placement of the battery and suspension tune seem to have real benefits. We only tested the PHEV unladen and the back never seemed to hop around like some dual cabs do without a load. For a ute this size, it’s also remarkably easy to place in tight spaces.

There’s a button to activate the 360-degree camera next to the gear lever and that was used every time I parked, which was very handy. The steering in any mode is also very light for a ute, so it was never a chore to manoeuvre. Finding a park long enough to fit a 5.4 metre ute is another story.

Even at highway speeds the PHEV will drop back into EV mode as often as it can. When it does there’s a bit of wind and tyre noise coming into the cabin, but just look at this thing, she’s a big unit, what do you expect?

During our test with the Cannon Alpha we only managed a small amount of light off-roading, yet even after a short drive, the PHEV powertrain proved to have some real benefits over diesel.

4x4 enthusiasts might not want to hear this but for undulated wheeling, electric power has huge advantages over diesel off-road. A combination of instant torque and throttle control (either by drive modes or 4WD modes) make it so easy to creep forward in total control. A great safety net when you can’t quite see where the track goes over a hidden bend.

Another thing in EV mode I didn’t anticipate was how much more aware you are of what's happening under your tires. You can literally hear the traction build and release over uneven surfaces and adjust your line accordingly.

I’ll admit snorkel, airbox and turbo noises make me chuckle like a school kid. But being able to hear individual rocks the size of a gold coin move under your tire as you creep silently over a ridge is, begrudgingly, just as fun.

The Cannon Alpha also comes standard with front and rear differential lockers. Most legacy ute makers will offer a rear locker, fronts from the factory are rare. 

What do you get?

Cannon Alpha Lux equipment highlight:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Full size spare
• LED headlights and taillights
• LED tray lights
• Auto highbeam
• 14.6-inch touchscreen information display
• 12.3-inch drivers display
• Wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto
• 360 degree view monitor
• Keyless entry
• Push button start
• Tyre pressure monitor
• Black front grille
• Leathette accented seats
• 6-way electric adjustment driver seat
• Roof rails
• Side step
• Builtin trailer socket
• C pillar storage
• Tailgate electronic lock
• Rear privacy glass
• Four door window auto up/down
• Soundproof glass (rear door and front windshield)
• Panoramic sunroof
• Automatic windscreen wipers
• Auto-dimming rear mirror
• Tilt and rach manual adjustable steering wheel
• Faux leather steering wheel
• Clear chassis view
• Dual zone climate control
• Rear A/C outlets
• 6-speaker sound system
• 7 airbags
• Active cruise control
• Front and rear differential lock (electronic)
• Automatic windscreen wipers

ULTRA adds:

• Leather accented seats
• 8-way electric adjustment driver seat
• 8-way electric adjustment front passenger seat
• 2-way adjustment rear outer seats
• Heated, ventilated and massage front seats.
• Heated and ventilated rear outer seats.
• Heated steering wheel
• 64 colour ambient light
• Head up display
• 10-speaker sound system with amplifier
• Wireless charger
• Split tailgate (60:40)

CarExpert’s take on the Canon Alpha Ultra PHEV

The Canon Alpha PHEV slotted into daily duties far easier than any 5.4 metre long ute has any right to.

It’s huge, even by dual-cab standards. Yet it can commute comfortably without sipping any petrol over short distances. Like I mentioned earlier, it feels like a cheat code. So will it work for you? That depends.

To maintain the powertrain's benefits on a daily basis, you’re going to have to plug it in every night. GMW claims an EV range of 115km and in my experience of mixed city and motorway driving, you’ll do well to get to 100km, and you won’t be hauling a lot of kit.

Using the petrol engine to recharge is possible but your average fuel consumption will skyrocket. This is the same for most PHEVs, not just the Cannon Alpha, however this is a ute that can tow 3500kg so it will be used harder than a family SUV.

But if you’re a tradie that isn’t towing heavy machinery 5 days a week, or someone who just wants a ute without paying for diesel, the Canon Alpha PHEV could well fit the bill.

Ten years ago the idea of an electric ute would have been laughed at. I know, I was one of them. Yet in 2026, this Cannon Alpha fits, physically and practically, a variety of use cases in silent comfort.