Bronco, Raptor, Gladiator, Ram, Trail Boss: proof that macho names sell trucks. And if more machismo is better, maybe Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors would have a chance to break into the U.S. market with its new pickup, the impossibly masculine King Kong Cannon.
Revealed this week, the King Kong Cannon is a midsize crew-cab pickup, one that according to specs published by Australia’s Drive (unaffiliated) comes in a few inches narrower than a 2021 Ford Ranger, but almost exactly as long.
With its modest bed and reported payload of just 1,102 pounds, Great Wall’s truck is a bit more Diddy Kong than King Kong when it comes to brute strength, and its inferior approach and departure angles won’t make it any more capable off-road. That’s if it can be had with four-wheel drive, info on which isn’t available.
All we know about its powertrain are the engine options, which consist of two 2.0-liter turbo engines, one gas and one diesel. They produce up to 195 and 164 horsepower respectively, according to Yiche, and reportedly return over 21 mpg. Not exceptional for a midsize truck, but not awful either, especially if that turns out to be for a four-wheel-drive model.
Capability that measures up so poorly against what’s now a decade-old truck sounds unappealing, though considering what the King Kong Cannon is expected to cost, it’s not all that bad a compromise. Chinese media speculates the 2022 GWM King Kong Cannon will start around ¥100,000, or the equivalent of $15,650.
No, it’s not the most capable truck, but it’s still more than most people need on a regular basis, and besides, it’s called the goddamn King Kong Cannon. It makes you wonder if it’s supposed to mean King Kong is doing the shooting or is the one being shot. In either case, you just know it’s causing one hell of a ruckus in Universal Studios’ legal department, not to mention giving their screenwriters some interesting ideas.
Updated at 1 p.m. ET on 11/12/2021: This article originally noted that the King Kong Cannon is roughly as long as a Ford F-150. While that’s true when comparing it to a single-cab, short bed model, it’s really closer in size to a Ford Ranger. We’ve updated the text to reflect that this is a midsize pickup.
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