GWM Shanhai Cannon PHEV

Model Overview

The GWM Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T is Great Wall Motor's first plug-in hybrid pick-up truck built on the Tank platform's Hi4-T dedicated off-road hybrid architecture. Billed as the "world's first off-road hybrid pick-up", it adopts a "parallel hybrid, mechanical 4WD" setup as its core engineering approach, solving the industry dilemma of balancing electrified efficiency with genuine off-road capability.

First previewed as a concept at Auto Shanghai in April 2023, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T made its official market debut on 23 June 2025. In its domestic market, two variants are offered: the Global Edition and the Performance Edition, priced at RM228,800 and RM249,800 respectively, alongside the 2.4T Diesel Global Edition which starts from RM193,800.

In overseas markets, the Shanhai Cannon PHEV was launched in Australia in 2025 badged as the GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV, with the Lux and Ultra variants priced at USD63,990 and USD68,990 respectively (approximately RM470,000 to RM500,000); by 2026, the model expanded its footprint to South American markets including Chile. At the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026, order books opened for the wider GWM Cannon Hi4-T range with four variants: Commercial Cannon 2WD Elite PHEV (RM149,800), Commercial Cannon 4WD Elite Hi4-T (RM169,800), Passenger Cannon 4WD Comfort Hi4-T (RM179,800), and Passenger Cannon 4WD Premium Hi4-T (RM189,800).

⚠️ Naming Clarification: In the Chinese domestic market, the "GWM Cannon Hi4-T" series covers several models, with the flagship offering designated as the "Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T". The table below outlines the positioning and pricing of the key domestic variants:

Design Language

Visually, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T retains the imposing, muscular design language of its ICE sibling, evoking a wide-body American truck presence. Dimensions for the Global Edition stand at 5,440×1,991×1,945 mm, while the Performance Edition measures 5,462×1,992×1,960 mm, both sharing a 3,350 mm wheelbase and a cargo bed measuring 1,500×1,520×500 mm.

Up front, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T features a bold front grille flanked by rugged front bumper cladding. The Performance Edition gains a darkened exterior treatment across the grille, wheel arches, alloy wheels, and sports bar/bed accents for a more aggressive stance. It is further fitted with 18-inch all-terrain (A/T) tyres, a factory snorkel, steel front and rear bumpers, and an optional T-MAX front winch. Exterior paint-wise, the Performance Edition introduces an exclusive "Jin Jia" (Golden Armour) finish.

Inside, the cabin takes a passenger-car-centric approach with generous use of soft-touch materials. The dashboard houses a dual-screen digital cockpit comprising a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch floating infotainment touchscreen with native navigation, vehicle settings, and multimedia functions, while physical switchgear is retained below the screen for effortless blind operation across rough terrain.

Powertrain & Performance

The Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T is underpinned by GWM's proprietary Hi4-T longitudinal parallel hybrid powertrain, pairing a 2.0-litre Miller-cycle turbocharged petrol engine with a 9HAT hybrid automatic transmission that houses an integrated P2 front electric motor. The GW4N20A 2.0T mill produces a maximum net output of 180 kW (approx. 245 PS) and 380 Nm of torque, while the P2 motor contributes 120 kW and 400 Nm. Combined system output stands at an impressive 300 kW (approx. 408 PS) and 750 Nm of torque.

In terms of acceleration, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T completes the 0-100 km/h sprint in 7.2 seconds, with the lighter Passenger Cannon Hi4-T clocking 6.1 seconds. Power is channelled via GWM’s in-house longitudinal 9HAT hybrid gearbox, boasting a transmission efficiency rating of up to 97%.

Juicing the hybrid setup is a 37.1 kWh ternary lithium battery pack across the range, providing an NEDC electric-only range of 115 km and an NEDC combined range of over 1,000 km. It returns an NEDC combined fuel consumption figure as low as 1.7 L/100 km, with a depleted-battery fuel consumption of 7.9 L/100 km. DC fast charging is supported at up to 50 kW, enabling a 30% to 80% state of charge in 24 minutes, while an AC slow charge (5%-100%) takes around 6.5 hours. A 6 kW Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) external power supply and a 2.2 kW 220V cargo bed power outlet are standard fitments across the range.

Technical specifications vary slightly for export markets: the Australian-market 2026 GWM Cannon Hi4-T PHEV utilises a 33.1 kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack, delivering 118 km of pure electric range (NEDC), a 1,017 km overall range, 30%-80% DC fast charging in just 18 minutes, and a 3,000 kg braked towing capacity.

Chassis & Dynamics

Built on a heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T rides on a front double-wishbone independent suspension with coil springs and a rear five-link solid axle suspension with coil springs. This setup delivers significant improvements in on-road ride refinement while preserving payload and towing ruggedness.

The drivetrain features a standard BorgWarner 4A+MLock intelligent 4WD system, utilizing a robust mechanical transfer case with front and rear axles physically linked via a propeller shaft. Four selectable modes are available: AWD (torque-on-demand 4WD), 2H (2WD High), 4H (4WD High), and 4L (4WD Low). An electronic rear differential lock comes standard, while an optional front differential lock allows for true "three-differential-lock" off-road prowess. Low range (4L) provides a torque multiplication factor of 2.64:1.

In terms of geometry, the Global Edition offers 215 mm of ground clearance, which increases to 232 mm on the Performance Edition. Approach and departure angles are rated at 29°/21° for the Global Edition and 30°/23° for the Performance Edition, with wading depths rated at 800 mm and 900 mm respectively. The Performance Edition further adds K-MAN nitrogen shock absorbers to bolster high-speed off-road damping performance. A 9-mode all-terrain management system (inclusive of Expert Mode), Crawl Control, and Tank Turn are standard equipment across all variants.

Cabin & Equipment

The Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T’s cabin is equipped with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.6-inch floating touchscreen driven by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chipset, supporting continuous voice commands, remote vehicle telematics, and smartphone screen mirroring, with physical buttons kept for climate control and drive mode selection. The updated 2026 Passenger Cannon Hi4-T upgrades to the Coffee OS 3 cockpit interface, featuring a 10.25-inch instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch 2.5K display backed by 24GB RAM and 128GB on-board storage, booting up in just 3 seconds.

Seating appointments include powered leather seats on the Global Edition, upgraded to premium Nappa leather on the Performance Edition with front seat heating, ventilation, and massage functions. Segment-first powered rear seats offer up to 33° of recline alongside fore-aft slide adjustment, noticeably improving second-row passenger comfort. Excellent NVH suppression is achieved via a dual rear bulkhead layout, labyrinthine cabin air extractors, and acoustic double-glazed glass, delivering near-whisper-quiet cabin refinement.

Safety & Driver Assistance

The Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T boasts commendable safety credentials, earning a 5-star rating in both China C-NCAP and Australasian ANCAP crash test programmes (dual 5-star certification), along with multiple "Good" ratings in C-IASI (China Insurance Automotive Safety Index) assessments.

Passive safety features include an armoured cage cabin structure, with the battery pack mounted directly on top of the ladder frame to provide over 400 mm of ground clearance. The pack is shielded with anti-chip PVC coating, multi-layer underbody armour, and an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating, backed by millisecond-level high-voltage power cut-off in a collision.

Active safety is handled by a standard Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) suite, integrating Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA), with the Passenger Cannon Hi4-T adding a vehicle Sentry Mode.

Market Performance & Reception

The Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T serves as the halo offering in GWM Pickup's electrification strategy, spearheading the brand's push into the premium PHEV truck segment. In the Chinese domestic market, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T registered 650 units in Q2–Q3 2025, closely rivaling the Nissan Z9 GE PHEV (550 units), with September 2025 monthly deliveries standing at 103 units. GWM Pickup closed 2025 with 132,488 units sold globally, defending its crown as China’s top-selling pick-up brand, with the GWM Cannon, Wingle, and King Kong Cannon securing the top three best-selling pick-up nameplates.

On the global front, the Shanhai Cannon PHEV has rolled out to major right-hand drive and high-volume truck markets including Australia, Chile, Thailand, and Mexico. In 2025, GWM Pickup exported 63,784 units—a 17% year-on-year increase—clinching the top export spot among Chinese pick-up manufacturers. Down Under, where pricing kicks off around AUD57,490, it goes head-to-head with the Ford Ranger PHEV and BYD Shark 6. In March 2026, Ford CEO Jim Farley personally benchmark-tested the BYD Shark 6 and GWM Cannon Alpha (Shanhai Cannon PHEV) in Australia, highlighting the rising global profile of Chinese plug-in hybrid pick-ups.

Automotive media and industry reviewers have praised the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T for its parallel hybrid powertrain and rugged mechanical 4WD layout, which effectively eliminates pick-up "fuel consumption anxiety" while retaining proper heavy-duty off-road reliability. Reviewers highlighted its wallet-friendly urban EV running costs, the potent 6 kW V2L utility, and class-leading cabin quietness, although some noted that fuel efficiency under maximum payload and heavy towing still has room for fine-tuning. Overall, the Shanhai Cannon Hi4-T heralds the era of electrification for Chinese pick-up trucks, representing a key milestone in GWM’s strategic shift from purely utilitarian commercial workhorses to premium lifestyle vehicles.