2025 GWM POER300: Everything You Need To Know

30/09/2025 12:53 Share

2025 GWM POER300: Everything You Need To Know

We all love a good comeback story but the tale of the new GWM POER300 pick-up truck is arguably more interesting than most.

A new addition to the sparsely populated yet fiercely competitive pick-up truck segment, the POER300 arrives with a familiar set of credentials as a no-nonsense diesel-powered model available only in double cab format.

In a segment teetering on the edge of a dive into electric or hybrid power following the launch of the Ford Ranger PHEV and the anticipated arrival of EV versions for the Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux and KGM Musso, the GWM POER300 is therefore refreshing for being conventional.

Then again, this isn’t GWM’s first foray into the pick-up truck market, though you’d have to be quite the motoring enthusiast to remember its predecessor, the short-lived Great Wall Steed that graced these shores back in 2012.

Uncelebrated though that model may have been, however, it does hold a significant title, one that would help shape the UK automotive landscape today and give Great Wall Motors – now stylised as GWM – a running start for its newest crack at the commercial vehicle space.

And before you ask about the name, POER is pronounced ‘power’...

Is the Great Wall Steed the Most Significant Truck You’ve Never Heard Of?

From BYD to Jaecoo to Omoda to Leapmotor, the rate at which these Chinese origin brands have snapped up a chunky share of the UK automotive market makes it hard to believe that they have only arrived here in the last couple of years.

In some way they owe their success to Great Wall, which made history as the first Chinese marque to set up shop in the UK a decade earlier. While that model – the Steed – represented a bit of a false dawn at the time, it proved that China was readying to take on western brands on their own soil.

The Steed also provided Great Wall the groundwork with which to come back for another try under the revised moniker GWM, spearheaded by two passenger car models, the ORA 03 and Haval Jolion Pro.

The POER300 is an all-new addition to the UK range, even if the model itself is already well-established in other countries, namely the Australian market where it is known as the GWM Cannon.

Its popularity as a conventional workhorse in a nation that – fair dinkum – knows its utes has encouraged GWM to attempt the same success in the UK.

2025 GWM POER300: Dimensions, Loads & Body Styles

When in the market for a new pick-up truck, for many outright space is king so it’s little wonder that the GWM POER300 positions itself right in the mix with the Isuzu D-Max and Toyota Hilux in terms of load space.

With a 1520mm load length up to the tailgate, the POER300 is in line with direct rivals but it does harbour a couple of handy tricks.

Indeed, with a particularly deep 1520mm to play with in terms of load bay height, it translates to a particularly large and sturdy tailgate should you need more space or rigidity to use as a work bench or for easier loading.

It also comes with a smart pop-out step (on Ultra and Vanta trims) that can withstand 150kg and makes loading or getting up into the load bay an absolute doddle.

Beyond that, the POER300 offers a hefty one-tonne payload and can tow up to 3500kg much like its direct rivals.

2025 GWM POER300: Engine, Performance & Powertrains

Given the shift towards the electric power in response to the recent Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax changes for pick-up trucks, the arrival of a turbodiesel-powered model in this market space might be seen as a surprise.

However, with the higher outlay of electric power offsetting many of the savings to be made in terms of running costs, GWM is hoping it has identified a gap in the market for people who want to maintain diesel power with its superior torque and off-road grunt for business use.

It goes some way to explaining why the GWM POER300 comes with a meaty 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine generating a healthy 181bhp – more than the equivalent Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max – and a whopping 480Nm of torque.

It’s also very capable off-road with the POER300 featuring selectable four-wheel drive that offers 4H (High) or 4L (Low) ratio settings, with the former engaging automatically when the going gets tough.

On less intensive road surfaces, the option of Standard, Sport and Economy driving modes are available.

In terms of economy, an official figure of 32.7mpg matches up to other diesel-powered models in the class, while it is not out of the question that an electric version will arrive in future as there are equivalent models already on sale in other countries.

2025 GWM POER300: Specification, Features & Safety

The GWM POER300 is available across three trim levels – Lux, Ultra and Vanta.

Standard equipment on the GWM POER300 Lux trim includes:

- LED Headlights
- Electric Mirrors
- Leatherette Seats
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 12.3-inch Touchscreen Infotainment System
- 7-inch Driver Information Display
- Voice Command
- ADAS Safety Features
- Rear Parking Sensors
- Park Assist Function

Standard equipment on the GWM POER300 Ultra trim includes (in addition to Lux)

- Heated Steering Wheel
- Heated Front Seats
- Leather Seats
- 6-Way Power Adjustable Seats
- Ambient Lighting
- Privacy Glass
- Tailgate Step
- Front Parking Sensors
- Sunroof
- 360-degree Surround View Camera

Standard equipment on the GWM POER300 Vanta trim includes (in addition to Ultra)

- Black Wheels
- Black Mirror Covers
- Black Fixed Sidesteps
- Black Door Handles
- Black Front Grille
- Black Wheelarches
- Black Sports Bar

The GWM POER300 is yet to be crash tested by EuroNCAP, though it comes with a five-year/125,000-mile warranty which stands as one of the most generous in the pick-up truck class.

2025 GWM POER300 Compared with Pick-Up Truck Rivals

* Single example model used, comparisons with other vans may vary depending on specification