Now, GWM Philippines has brought in a refreshed version of the Cannon. Good news for you is it retains its pricing of P 1,498,000 for the SLux trim and the Lux at P 1,348,000—until their initial stocks last. It has also brought in a new look, especially in the cabin. Now, the question is, will it hold up in actual driving? To answer that, GWM brought us to R33 Drift Track in San Simon, Pampanga to try out the new Cannon in extreme driving situations. Here’s what I think about it.

I liked how GWM replaced the prominent chrome accents of the past Cannon and replaced it with matte black pieces. It further gives the Cannon a sleek appeal if the body color is in black. Even the lower Lux trim has matte silver pieces with only the logo on the grille retaining the chrome finish making it stand out.

What’s captivating is the new cabin design. Gone was the dated and plasticky layout and in its place is a modern one that thankfully, still makes use of actual buttons. The steering wheel is based on the GWM logo, with a mecha-inspired shifter on the new center console. This is accompanied by the new digital gauge cluster, infotainment touchscreen, and illuminated ports on the center console.

On the makeshift track, GWM had us experience some aspects of the new Cannon. First was acceleration which, even in Sport mode, was not as immediate as the Japanese rivals. Personally, I like this because it lessens the bobbing experience that comes with a sensitive throttle and a torquey diesel engine.

There’s also a couple of high-speed cornering sections where the Cannon showed more stability than the previous iteration. It also doesn’t lose composure in emergency braking even if you do it while cornering.

The 360-degree cameras have also been vastly improved. They are now higher in resolution and do not have any frame drops when you are moving. It also helps that there are dynamic guidelines that will help you do accurate maneuvers when parking or traversing tight spaces.

There’s not much that can be said about the GWM Cannon from that single day experience. Its most interesting aspects—fuel efficiency and ride comfort—cannot be tested in a closed track with smooth pavement all over. It’s unfortunate since it has a new engine (a 2.4-liter turbo diesel with 181 horsepower and 480 Nm of torque), a new gearbox (a 9-speed automatic), and a newly-tuned suspension. At least for the latter, from what I can tell, it’s not anymore making you feel every small imperfection on the road unlike the previous iteration where you’ll feel every bump even on asphalt.

While a more thorough experience is still need before I can pass judgement on the GWM Cannon, it’s the bang for the buck formula that really nails it for the pickup truck. The SLux model remains the most affordable choice in the market with ADAS. For as long as you’re not finicky with ride comfort, the Cannon might be a formidable choice.