GWM Poer300 review

Make and model: GWM Poer300
Description: Diesel-engined pick-up truck
Price as tested: £32,495 to £37,830 (CVOTR)

GWM says: “Whether you’re conquering the great outdoors, navigating city streets, or looking for a reliable workhorse, the GWM Poer300 series has a variant perfectly suited to your needs.”
We say: Rivals are more refined, but the GWM Poer300 offers a value-for-money option for those who need a tough pick-up to keep their work moving.

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The recent influx of Chinese brands to the UK market has been almost all about ‘new energy’ vehicles with either full electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrains, so this newcomer from GWM – Great Wall Motor – may surprise a few.

The GWM Poer300 is just about as traditional a double-cab pick-up as one could want, built as a workhorse on a steel frame with leaf springs under the load bed, a 4×4 transmission with low range, and a diesel engine.

Poer vehicles have been available in other markets, notably Australia, since 2021, where the pickup is known as a Cannon. Originally, GWM had no plans to launch it in the UK but now, under its ‘One GWM’ plan, it’s bringing in the second-generation Poer300. GWM product is distributed in the UK by International Motors (IM Group) and one of the Poer300’s prime rivals will be IM’s standout model, the Isuzu D-Max.

GWM’s first attempt to crack the UK a decade ago stalled with a pick-up called the Steed, which had little to recommend it – is the second attempt any better?  

Who is this vehicle aimed at?

The GWM Poer300 is pitched as a tough pick-up with such features as all the transmission elements, including a low-range gearbox, to drive well off the beaten track. As such it should appeal to farmers, builders and such who need a go-anywhere vehicle for their work.

Who won’t like it?

Those who regard a double-cab pick-up as a lifestyle choice, even after the major tax changes recently applied by the government, will want to look elsewhere – while it boasts some cabin decoration and niceties, the GWM is first and foremost a utility vehicle designed as a workhorse.

What do you get for your money?

The Poer300 is on sale in three trim levels at prices ranging from £32.5K to £38K (commercial vehicle on the road, excluding VAT). These prices compare with the Ford Ranger and significantly undercut the Isuzu D-Max, especially when one factors in GWM’s impressive warranty of five years/100,000 miles.

There is only one mechanical option, matching a 2.7-litre diesel engine to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and 4×4 transmission with low range, but buyers have three trim levels to choose from.

The entry-level Lux includes as standard LED headlamps, auto-folding side mirrors, seats upholstered in a leatherette material, rear parking sensors with a park assist function and the now typical combination of driver information display panel and central touchscreen, measuring seven inches and 12 inches respectively. Voice control is included, and the system accepts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connections – said phone can be charged on the included wireless pad.    

The Van Expert’s test vehicle is the mid-range Ultra specification; the front seats are power adjustable (the driver’s in six ways, the passengers’ four) and both heated and ventilated, the steering wheel is also heated. Front parking sensors and a surround-view camera are fitted, as are a tailgate step and privacy glass.

As for the top-spec Vanta, it’s all about styling and a wide execution of black: on the wheels, mirror covers, side steps, door handles, grille and badge, wheelarches and sports bar.

At time of writing, the Poer300 has not undergone a Euro-NCAP crash test, but it is supplied as standard with a wide specification of advanced driver aids. These include front and rear collision warning, lane-keeping and lane centring assistance and a ‘Smart Dodge System’ – using the adaptive cruise control, it automatically widens the distance between vehicles when overtaking at speeds above 37mph.

What can you get in it?

The load bay measures just over 1.5 metres square and half a metre deep, accessed by a big rear tailgate. This can be covered over with truck tops available for the vehicle.

The Poer300 has a payload rating of 1,050kg, while it matches rivals in its towing ability, rated at 3,500kg.

One major plus compared to rivals is the tailgate step – it folds out from below and makes accessing the load bed much easier.

What is the GWM Poer300 like inside?

The Poer300 is generally roomy inside, the only cosy area being the height in the second row, while it maintains one aspect that has become typical of the new breed of Chinese vehicles – it’s well put together with a cabin interior that feels of an adequate quality with soft-touch surfaces in all the places that they are needed.

The driver’s environment is well thought-out too; everything is intuitive, including the touchscreen which works well, though one doesn’t have to make too much of use of it as at the base of the screen is a row of proper buttons for such essential functions as climate control – no doubt this will please the target audience.  

Notable alongside the gear selector are push-button controls for two of the no less than three 12-volt sockets scattered about the vehicle for powering external equipment.

What’s under the bonnet?

Powering the Poer300 is a new engine to the GWM range, a 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel with 184hp, plus a useful 480Nm of torque which comes on tap at 1,500rpm.   Fuel economy is rated at 33mpg combined with CO₂ emissions of 221g/km.

GWM claims its in-house designed nine-speed auto transmission as a significant advance, being no larger than a typical six-speed unit but, thanks to the use of lower viscosity oil, being rated at 97% efficiency.

The 4×4 system features standard, eco and sport on-road driving modes, plus 2H, 4H and 4L modes for off-road use. A locking rear differential is also fitted as standard. 

What’s the GWM Poer300 like to drive?

The Poer300 looks big from outside and feels big within – it’s a vehicle you climb up into, though our test vehicle boasted both steps and grab handles to aid our less-than-tall reviewer. Once seated, the view out is high and commanding.

There’s no shortage of potency in this vehicle, though it’s not that quick to show it, with acceleration from a standstill rather more relaxed than one might expect from a torquey diesel. Once on the move, however, it has pulling power to compare with more expensive rivals.

In terms of ride comfort, the Poer300 is adequate but not as refined as some of those it’s up against. It does feel as if it is balancing a little precariously on top of its suspension, a trade-off for the ability to leave the tarmac far behind if required. Road surface undulations do unsettle it, especially at slower speeds.

 It is very easy to control, with light-touch steering, though the steering-assist system is a little too intrusive – you do feel at times that you could simply let go of the wheel and let the electronics do all the guiding. There are, however, buttons on the steering wheel to easily cancel any functions that get too annoying.

Our test did not allow any serious off-road analysis, but reports suggest that this vehicle should more than hold its own in wet and muddy conditions.

Verdict

The GWM Poer300 definitely confines the Steed to history – this is a much better-built pick-up, which could easily rival the likes of the KGM Musso in the role of dependable utility vehicle for particularly rural workers.

Other double cabs are more refined, though at a price, whereas the Poer300 feels like it was built first to get the job done, and to keep on doing it. Once the price and warranty are factored in this vehicle becomes a contender.   

Similar vehicles

Ford Ranger | Isuzu D-Max | KGM Musso | Maxus T60 Max | Toyota Hilux | Volkswagen Amarok

Key Specifications