The ute war: GWM fires shot at BYD

One Chinese EV automaker is swamping the rest in Australia and a strange move by a competitor just proved how worried they really are.

In the battle of the beasts, GWM is positioning its new plug-in hybrid Cannon Alpha as the apex predator.

During an exclusive roundtable briefing, GWM Australia marketing chief Steve Maciver laid it out clearly: It’s hunting down the BYD Shark 6.

“BYD has done a great job launching that car and got some good volume out of it very, very quickly, but we feel now is our time,” he said.

“We feel hand on heart looking you in the eye, we do have a better vehicle.”

FIRST LOOK: GWM’s plug-in hybrid ute

The BYD Shark 6 is the first PHEV ute to launch into the Australian market and has so far been successful.

It is currently the fourth-best selling 4×4 dual cab in Australia behind only the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.

So it’s no surprise rivals feel threatened by the Shark.

MORE: GWM Cannon Alpha details revealed

2024 BYD Shark 6 has a lower towing capacity than the GWM Cannon Alpha. Picture: Supplied

But it’s not usual for companies to boldly target a competitor but GWM didn’t hold back.

“We’re second to the market, but we’re not second best,” a GWM spokesperson said.

“We feel now is our time. We’ve got to absolutely take the fight to BYD Shark and the full range of [PHEV] utes.”

GWM claimed the Shark 6’s lower towing capacity, limited off-road capability and design compromises is the result of the company building a “plug-in hybrid system” first.

Unlike the Cannon Alpha which was engineered as a “ute first, EV second”, specifically for Australian conditions.

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“They’ve just got a system and then built a ute around it,” a GWM spokesperson said.

“We understand our customers.”

BYD’s Shark is rated to tow 2.5 tonnes and the Cannon Alpha is 3.5 tonnes – a number GWM said was non-negotiable after receiving customer feedback.

“It would be remiss of us not to bring three and a half tonne, regardless of what the powertrain is,” a GWM spokesperson said.

TESTED: Kia’s new Tasman ute

2025 Ford Ranger Stormtrack PHEV. Photo: Supplied

So how do the predators stack up?

Well in terms of battery, the Cannon wins points as it carries a 37.1kWh pack (split into A/B cells), the largest currently available in any PHEV ute.

GWM claims a class-leading 115km pure electric range and 1060 km combined. BYD lists 100km EV range and 840km combined, while the Ranger (arriving mid-year) offers approximately 49km of EV-only range, less than half of GWM’s range.

GWM says its ute achieved 1.7L/100km, also “best in class” but real world figures will likely be much higher.

Cannon Alpha outputs 300kW and 750Nm via a hybrid 2.0-litre turbo engine paired to a nine-speed automatic and mechanical 4WD.

BYD offers 320kW combined power (1.5-litre turbo and two electric motors), 650Nm torque with a dual-motor setup.

The Ranger pairs a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine (138kW/411Nm) with a 75kW electric motor, offering a combined output of 213kW, less than Alpha and Shark.

GWM Cannon Alpha outputs 300kW and 750Nm via a hybrid 2.0-litre turbo engine paired to a nine-speed automatic and mechanical 4WD. Picture: Supplied

However, these claims are made on the ADR81/02-NEDC standard.

While the BYD Shark 6 undercuts the Cannon Alpha at $57,900 for the single model, GWM is pitching the Cannon Alpha models from $59,660 Lux and $66,990 (all pricing plus on-road costs), Ford is pricing high with the entry-level XLT starting at $71,900 (before on road-costs), with the top of the range Sport and Wildtrak variants priced up to $86,990 (before on road-costs).

But GWM insists the slight premium is justified by a long list of extra features – including better towing, a larger battery, superior off-road capability and a “world class” warranty (7 years warranty, 7 years roadside assist, 7 years capped price servicing).

If the Shark was the first in the water, the Cannon Alpha is now asserting itself, not just over the Shark and Ranger but as the Alpha of the PHEV ute segment.

Originally published as The ute war: GWM fires shot at BYD