Great Wall is taking a leaf out of Mercedes-Benz’s playbook and readying a remarkable version of the Shanhai Cannon pickup truck with six wheels. Mercedes-Benz made the most dramatic of all statements in 2013 with the launch of the limited-run G 63 6×6 and while just over 100 examples were produced, it triggered a new fascination for high-end vehicles with three axles and six wheels. Numerous aftermarket firms like Hennessey now sells six-wheeled pickup trucks and Great Wall is now getting in on the action.
A prototype of the six-wheeled Shanhai
Cannon was recently snapped during testing. To accommodate a third axle, Great
Wall has lengthened the bed of the pickup and also looks to have jacked up the
ride height. The prototype does not feature any front and rear wheel arches but
that’s simply because they haven’t been installed, not because it won’t have
any when it hits the market.
An image shared online by Car News China
shows what the Shanhai Cannon 6×6 will look like when it hits the market. This
image was taken from a presentation given to Great Wall motors and shows that
in addition to getting two extra wheels, the 6×6 will sport pronounced black
wheel arch extensions and a black sports bar in the bed.
Reports state that the Shanhai Cannon will
be powered by the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 as the standard model, meaning
it will pump out 360 hp and 500 Nm of torque. Mated to this engine
is a nine-speed automatic transmission that will inevitably send power to all
six wheels. Great Wall initially intended on launching the Shanhai Cannon 6×6
in May 2021 but it was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is now expected
to hit the local market in the second half of 2023.