Best Name Ever: The King Kong Cannon Pickup Truck
The King Kong Cannon might be the best name ever given to a pickup truck. We’ve got a market filled with names from prehistoric lizards, ancient Roman fighters, and U.S. states, so why not add a giant fictional gorilla to the mix? Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors announced its new pickup truck this week, and it might have the best name ever.
What is the King Kong Cannon?
The Great Wall Motors King Kong Cannon is a crew cab pickup truck bigger than a midsize but smaller than a full. Australia’s Drive stated that the truck is as long as a 2021 Ford F-150 but isn’t as wide as a Ranger. It has a small bed and can’t handle very much weight. For non-American markets, size and capability aren’t as much of a focus.
We don’t have all the information about the truck just yet. What we do know is it can hold a payload of 1,102 pounds and has two engine options. Both of which are 2.0-liter turbo engines, but one is gas, and one is diesel. Each of the machines makes 195 and 164 horsepower, respectively.
How much does it cost?
Though nothing official has been announced yet, Chinese media has speculated about the cost of the truck. The 2022 King Kong Cannon will start at around ¥100,000, about $15,650 in USD. A full-size truck without full-size capability isn’t exactly what people want. However, who wouldn’t give a pickup truck with such a cool name a shot for such a low price?
If this truck were to come to the U.S., it would be the cheapest pickup truck on the market. A truck like the Ford Maverick is being reserved in massive numbers due to its low cost, so that the King Kong Cannon might do well, too. However, the difference is certainly the capability. Trucks like the Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are far more capable for just a few thousand dollars more in America.
Will the King Kong Cannon be available outside of the Chinese market?
The exact answer to whether the pickup truck will be available elsewhere is unknown. However, Australia’s Drive speculates that it could soon come to Australia. The country is often known for getting vehicles from the Chinese market, so it wouldn’t be the first time. Drive said it has “yet to be confirmed,” though it seems hopeful that the coolest named pickup truck ever will arrive in the outback.
As for entering the United States market, the odds are improbable. Chinese automakers have almost no reason to import vehicles into the U.S. unless rebadged as another brand. American citizens know their car brands and don’t tend to buy from lesser-known automakers. If you’re from North America and want to get your hands on a King Kong Cannon, you’ll probably need to fly around the world.
Though the King Kong Cannon isn’t as powerful as its name, it’s a respectable pickup truck for the price. Since it won’t have to come to America and compete with beefy, off-road, lifted trucks, it doesn’t have much to worry about. Great Wall Motors knows its demographic, which doesn’t have as much interest in massively powerful pickups.