The GWM Cannon Alpha and Tank 500 acquired key fixes to throttle response and superior driver help methods on the manufacturing facility earlier this 12 months, and now current homeowners are capable of have these upgrades utilized to their vehicles.
The adjustments have been utilized at manufacturing degree early in 2025, with CarExpert getting the chance to check them late final 12 months.
GWM says they’re now out there to current homeowners although there’s no over-the-air replace out there, so homeowners might want to head to one of many Chinese language model’s dealerships to obtain the replace.
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GWM has additionally confirmed there aren’t any adjustments for the Cannon ute and Tank 300 off-roader – as they use completely different programming, the updates made to their bigger platform-mates aren’t transferable.
“We proceed to work arduous to make sure the voice of our native market is heard and regarded,” stated GWM Australia and New Zealand advertising and marketing and communications boss Steve Maciver.
“These upgrades replicate current suggestions from our clients throughout Australia and New Zealand and reveal GWM’s international dedication to supporting our area and frequently refining the product to higher go well with native drivers.
“It’s not nearly constructing for the long run – we’re additionally centered on delivering significant updates and enhancements to our current homeowners, guaranteeing their expertise continues to strengthen with our model.”
GWM says it has improved throttle response and sensitivity in hybrid variations of the Cannon Alpha and Tank 500, whereas the next adjustments have been utilized to not solely these fashions but additionally the Cannon Alpha diesel:
- Adaptive cruise management
- Curve pace management refinements to enhance degree of pace discount when cornering
- Acceleration response elevated when resuming set pace
- Driver monitoring system
- Voice warning modified to alert sound, quantity decreased
- On/off change reminiscence perform added, system not defaults to on
- Emergency lane-keep help
- Visible warning alert modified to ‘lane flashing’ warning in digital instrument cluster
- Fast key now accessible within the shortcut menu, accessed by swiping down on the touchscreen
GWM additionally says it has “optimised” false triggering alerts on sure highway surfaces with the emergency lane-keep help, and added a Trailer Hitch Observe guideline on the touchscreen.
In Paul Maric’s testing of the outdated calibration and new calibration back-to-back on the Cannon Alpha Hybrid late final 12 months, he discovered the throttle was extra responsive, the transition between electrical and hybrid mode smoother, and the ‘sticky throttle’ subject had been eradicated.
The distraction monitoring adjustments have been additionally improved, although he famous extra work may very well be carried out on the accuracy of the lane centring system.
GWM not too long ago discontinued the Cannon Alpha Hybrid in Australia, leaving solely the diesel and the not too long ago launched plug-in hybrid (PHEV) on sale.
The Tank 500 stays hybrid-only in Australia, although a PHEV powertrain is due later this 12 months.
GWM quietly moved the Tank 500 Hybrid from a Chinese language to a Thai market suspension tune late final 12 months to enhance its dynamics.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t have a regionally developed suspension tune like in newer fashions such because the Cannon Alpha PHEV.
GWM is working to not solely enhance the efficiency of its superior driver help methods in Australia but additionally how the automobiles drive. To that finish, in April it appointed automobile journey and dealing with professional Rob Trubiani who was Holden’s lead automobile dynamics engineer for almost 15 years.
Today, an automaker having a devoted, everlasting native engineering and tuning program based mostly in Australia is much from widespread, and places GWM in the identical firm as Kia.
The fast-growing Chinese language model has been securing additional expertise from extra established manufacturers of late, with John Kett becoming a member of GWM as its chief working officer earlier this 12 months after holding the identical function at Hyundai Australia for greater than 5 years.
To the tip of June, GWM can be Australia’s seventh best-selling model.
It delivered 25,189 automobiles within the first half of this 12 months, up 17 per cent and a brand new file for the model, inserting it behind solely Toyota (120,978), Mazda (48,942), Ford (47,300), Kia (40,750), Hyundai (38,948) and Mitsubishi (33,379) in year-to-date standings.
