The facelifted GWM P-Series has debuted in China, featuring a refreshed front end and a significantly upgraded cabin…

A facelifted version of the GWM P-Series double cab has broken cover at the Shanghai motor show, boasting fresh front-end styling and an extensively overhauled interior.

The updated version of the Chinese bakkie – which also wears the Cannon, Ute or Poer badge, depending on the market – scores a new (even bolder) grille design, along with a restyled front bumper housing new foglamps. The wheel-arch extensions, too, have been tweaked, while the vehicle on show features roof rails, a sports bar and a hard load-bed cover.

From what we can tell, no significant changes have been made to the double-cab model’s rear end, nor to its profile (though the alloy-wheel design appears to have been reworked). Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind the vehicle on display in Shanghai is a Chinese-spec model, so styling could vary by market.

Inside, the Luxury version of the revised P-Series features a freestanding 7-inch colour LCD instrument cluster and a new 12.3-inch touchscreen (as opposed to the old integrated 9-inch item) that likewise sits proud of the facia. It seems the cabin employs far fewer physical controls than before, which suggests more functions have been moved to the touchscreen.

The refreshed P-Series made its debut at the Shanghai motor show.

We also spotted new steering-wheel and automatic gear-shifter designs as well as a change in orientation for the air vents (from vertical to a more conventional horizontal layout). According to the press material we managed to dig up (and translate), the cabin furthermore gains “large storage” compartments up front and added soft-touch materials atop the dashboard.

The Chinese-market version also gains a “fully automatic parking system”, improved driver-assistance technology and the ability to be unlocked and started remotely. In China, the engine range looks set to continue unchanged.

Haval Motors South Africa, which distributes the GWM brand locally, has yet to confirm when (or indeed whether) we can expect to see the facelifted P-Series on local roads. Of course, if it does come to South Africa, the SA-spec model may well differ somewhat from the Chinese version.

As a reminder, the P-Series launched in SA in December 2020. The local line-up currently comprises 16 derivatives (4 single cabs, 8 “commercial” double cabs and 4 “passenger” double cabs), with pricing running from R404950 to R640950. All derivatives are powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel motor generating 120 kW and 400 Nm, though there is a choice of driven wheels (4×2 and 4×4) and transmissions (a 6-speed manual gearbox and a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic cog-swapper).

In 2022, the P-Series registered 4 183 sales in South Africa, slightly behind its Steed sibling (4 522 units). Still, that haul was enough to secure the P-Series 8th place on the list of SA’s best-selling bakkies, ahead of established contenders like the Toyota Land Cruiser 79, the previous-generation Volkswagen Amarok and the Mitsubishi Triton. In the opening quarter of 2023, GWM registered 903 units of the P-Series, which again puts it in 8th position.

Buy a used GWM P-Series on Cars.co.za!

Related content

GWM P-Series range set to expand in SA

SA’s best- and worst-selling bakkies of 2022

GWM Shanhai Cannon looking likely for SA