Can the King Kong Cannon Fire a Hole in the Toyota Tacoma?
You may have heard about the new pickup truck with the most fantastic name ever, the King Kong Cannon. From Great Wall Motors, it’s a Chinese truck for a very affordable price. The real question is, how does it stack up against a similarly-sized pickup truck like the Toyota Tacoma? The Tacoma outsells just about every other small truck in the world, so it’s the one to beat.
Is the King Kong Cannon as powerful as its name?
Although the King Kong Cannon is named after a giant gorilla capable of throwing vehicles, the pickup truck can’t carry much weight. Its maximum payload capacity is a measly 1,102 pounds. According to Forbes, an average-sized gorilla consumes an eighth of its weight in food per day; King Kong would eat at least 7,500 pounds of food daily. That’s nearly seven times more than the pickup truck can carry.
The Toyota Tacoma is smaller than the King Kong Cannon but can hold more weight. Its base payload capacity is only 1,050 pounds, which loses to Great Wall Motors’ offering. However, going with a two-wheel-drive model with a four-cylinder engine boosts the payload capacity to 1,685 pounds. This Tacoma variant proves to be a bit more potent than the improperly-named competitor.
The Toyota Tacoma is more expensive
One of the most significant advantages the King Kong Cannon has over any truck is its price. The expected price of the new truck is around ¥100,000, which equates to $15,650. That’s cheaper than every model of the Tacoma, Hyundai Santa Cruz, and even the Ford Maverick. The King Kong’s lack of capability is a little more acceptable when you see the low price.
The 2021 Toyota Tacoma SR base model starts at $27,615. That’s nearly $12,000 more than the Chinese pickup. It only gets worse from there, as the Tacoma price range gets very high with the TRD Pro model. The highest trim level costs $45,540, making it almost triple the cost of a King Kong Cannon.
The King Kong Cannon’s engines fall short
Under the hood, the King Kong Cannon once again fails to live up to its big name. The engine options are either 2.0-liter turbo gasoline or a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine. The gasoline engine produces 187 horsepower, and the diesel variant makes only 147 hp. Unlike the King Kong Cannon’s namesake, the pickup truck is a bit underpowered.
The 2021 Toyota Tacoma also comes with only two engine options. A 2.7-liter four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter V6 are both available, the latter of which is the most well-rounded. Most reviewers highly recommend avoiding the four-cylinder, as it drops the truck’s capability quite a bit. The V6 is the better option for both towing, performance, and of course, overall speed.
The Great Wall Motors King Kong Cannon pickup truck might have the best name for a vehicle ever. Unfortunately, compared to an industry titan like the Toyota Tacoma, that’s about all it has going for it. Though the King Kong comes at a meager price, the lack of power isn’t worth it. Many SUVs and trucks in the American market are far more capable than this pickup truck.
