GWM Pickup Division Celebrates Global Sales Surge Now
2026 gwm cannon range
GWM’s pickup division has delivered yet another tidy performance, rolling through 2025 with numbers that make rivals sit up. It secured its 28th straight year as China’s leading pickup maker and shifted 181,660 units worldwide, thanks to a strong showing at home and a noticeable push overseas.
Dominating The Home Market
In China, the pickup business is practically a GWM monopoly – the brand now accounts for almost half of the segment. Translated into plain English, one in every two pickups sold in the world’s biggest car market wears a GWM badge. That is not luck. That is scale plus persistence.
Overseas Growth And Export Leadership
Export sales climbed to 63,784 units, up 17 percent year on year, which puts GWM at the head of the queue for Chinese pickup exports. Growth abroad is not an afterthought; it is a deliberate march into markets where pickups are respected and used for proper work.
Australia: Cannon Becomes A Cornerstone
Australia has emerged as a key market, and the Cannon family has caught the locals’ eye. The Cannon lineup posted 12,412 sales in 2025, a 34.1 percent increase per VFACTS. The Cannon Alpha added 2,524 units, up 38.8 percent, helped along by customers embracing GWM’s Hi4-T plug-in hybrid technology.
Electrification Meets Off-Road
In May 2025 the Cannon Alpha Hi4-T PHEV tackled Beer O’Clock Hill, one of Australia’s nastiest off-road challenges, and became the first electrified vehicle to complete the climb. That moment proved a headline claim: electrification and genuine off-road ability can exist in the same vehicle. It also earned recognition as CarExpert’s Best Electrified Ute for 2025.
V6 Power And Rally Proven Durability
Alongside electrified options, GWM keeps developing traditional powertrains. The new 3.0-litre turbocharged V6, teamed with a 48V mild-hybrid system, delivers 260 kW and 500 Nm. It was put through its paces in the Taklimakan Rally in the T2.1 production fuel category, scoring six stage wins and showing the sort of durability and performance that endurance racing ruthlessly exposes.
Global Reach And Local Production
GWM now operates in more than 60 countries, gaining momentum in markets such as Australia, South Africa, and Chile. In August 2025, local assembly began at a new Brazilian facility for the 2.4-litre Cannon, aimed at the Latin American market. Cumulatively, global pickup sales have surpassed 2.85 million units.
Industry Engagement And Supporting Infrastructure
Beyond sales, GWM is active in industry development through its participation in the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers’ Pickup Truck Branch, pushing for regulatory reform, market expansion, and innovation. The company backs its global ambitions with research and development centres, manufacturing sites, and distribution networks to deliver Chinese automotive engineering to markets worldwide.
So, in short, GWM is not merely producing pickups. It is expanding market share at home, exporting in volume, proving new technology under real-world conditions, and building the production and R&D infrastructure to keep the business rolling.
Zachary Skinner is the editor of TechDrivePlay.com, where tech, cars and adventure share the fast lane.
A former snowboarding pro and programmer, he brings both creative flair and technical know-how to his reviews. From high-performance cars to clever gadgets, he explores how innovation shapes the way we move, connect and live.
