Latest news with #GWMHaval
The Citizen
23-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Facelift GWM Haval H6 improves an already hard-to-beat package
Key model for the Chinese brand has been thoroughly updated inside, out and up front on all petrol-engine variants. Haval H6 has been facelifted to the point where it could almost be seen a new generation. Images: Charl Bosch Its flagship SUV until the arrival of the H7 at the beginning of the year, Great Wall Motors (GWM) Haval officially removed the wraps from the facelift H6 in South Africa last week after confirming initial details in February. Almost brand new The first and most comprehensive update to the H6 since its local market arrival four years ago, the changes not only involve aesthetics, but also the interior in a such way that it could be described as a completely new vehicle. ALSO READ: GWM prices powered-up facelift Haval H6 before market debut While indeed referred to by the company rebranded last year as GWM Haval, hence the H6 sporting GWM branding on its tailgate and no longer simply only Haval, the launch in a drizzly and cold Cape Town also came with a surprise in the first-time sampling of the sportier H6 GT, though more about this later. A key model for GWM as it, together with the Jolion, makes-up the bulk of the Haval division's sales as a result of the H7 still being new, the H6's exterior changes mirror those of the Chinese market variant, shown last year, without any market specific differences. New outside Spanning four models, excluding the pair of GT variants, all H6s receive new LED headlights, a redesigned front bumper, a new chrome grille, and Peugeot-type fog lamps that run in a claw-motif from the main clusters down the flanks of the bumper. Not stopping there, GWM has updated the lower air intake and fitted gloss black 19-inch alloy wheels across the entire range after it proved popular on higher-end versions of the pre-facelift model. As with the front, the rear facia has undergone a number refreshments as well. Just as prominent are the changes at the rear comprising the mentioned GWM logo in a block letter typeface between the new LED light clusters, a restyled bumper, roof rails and window surrounds finished in gloss black, and a slightly changed tailgate. Completing the exterior, the choice of colours has been streamlined to comprise three carryover options and new addition, the former trio being Hamilton White, Ayers Grey and Sun Black, and the latter a shade called Noble Gold. Completely spruced-up interior Opening the door, the sweeping changes sees the H6 adopting the now customary minimalistic design similar to the H7, but without letting go entirely of physical switches for some functions. In this regard, GWM has fitted a floating new centre console with a pair of wireless smartphone chargers, two cupholders and storage area on the upper section, and a storage slots plus a pair of USB ports below. Interior has been redesigned to mirror that of the new H7. The placing of the former means the rotary gear selector departs for a steering column-mounted lever, while the steering wheel has been revised with a ticker outer rim. Taking prominence are the new 10.25-inch freestanding instrument cluster and the 14.6-inch infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Centre console has been redesigned and now sports a floating design. Replacing the previous 12.3-inch setup, the new display also serves as interface for the climate control, though GWM has seen it wise to retain a traditional 'on/off' button rather than embedding it into the system. What did, however, come as irksome is increasing or lowering the volume of the sound system, which requires the 'folder' button on the top right of the steering wheel to be pressed until the green icon within the cluster disappears. Only then does the volume button become operational. Boot space is rated at 560-litres on all but the HEV. As annoying and unnecessarily complicated as this is, the rest of the interior feels plush, premium and well put together, with only the odd scratchy surface being present. On the practicality side, space lacks for little and while the base model does without an electric tailgate, boot space is still more than impressive at 560-litres – this applying only to the petrol H6 and not the GT or the HEV. Spec and tech In terms of specification, the H6 range sports four trim levels with the Luxury now becoming the base grade in place of the discontinued Premium. Infotainment system size has been increased from 12.3-inches to 14.6-inches. Besides the items already mentioned, the Luxury comes standard with an eight-speaker sound system, rain sense wipers, electric driver's seats, dual-zone climate control with rear vents, ambient lighting, heated and folding electric mirrors, and push-button start as well as keyless entry. Taking care of safety is the following: 540-degree camera system; tyre pressure monitor; front and rear parking sensors; Adaptive Cruise Control; Rollover Mitigation; Hill Start Assist; Automatic Emergency Braking; Lane Keep Assist; Hill Descent Control; Traffic Jam Assist; Driver Attention Alert; Lane Departure Warning; Lane Centring Assist A drive mode selector with four settings; Eco, Normal, Sport and Snow, and steering mode adjuster with three settings; Normal, Comfort and Sport, rounds the Luxury off. Taking the step-up to the Super Luxury bring the mentioned electric tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats with the passenger's chair now being electric, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Door Alert and Automatic Reverse Braking. At the line-up's summit, the Ultra Luxury gets Automatic Park Assist, a nine-speaker sound system and a Head-Up Display. More powerful petrol, same hybrid Out on the launch route, which started and ended in Stellenbosch and included Franschhoek via the renowned pass of the same name, only the conventional petrol variant could be sampled in Luxury guise. As before, GWM has retained the 2.0 T-GDI and HEV powertrains, but with an increase in power and torque for the former from 150kW/320Nm to the same 170kW/380Nm as the H7. H6 range is once again topped by the hybrid HEV, which only comes in front-wheel-drive. Also is new the nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which replaces the previous seven-speed, while four-wheel-drive can be had as an option on the Luxury and as the sole choice for the Ultra Luxury. Adding the all-paw system brings an additional two driving modes; Sand and Off-Road. With drive going to the front wheels only, the self-charging HEV once again combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor and battery pack for unchanged outputs of 179kW/530Nm. Self-charging HEV hybrid develops a combined 179kW/530Nm. The only transmission is a two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), and while the petrol will consume unleaded at a rate of 7.4 L/100 km or 8.3 L/100 km in the case of the 4WD, the HEV will do so at a claimed 5.1 L/100 km. Worth noting is that the HEV has run-flat tyres and no spare due to the battery pack underneath the boot board, and the same drive modes as the front-wheel-drive petrol. The drive The first leg of the journey involved the 4WD and despite the irritation of the audio system, it felt sure-footed, refined, comfortable and with a smooth ride that ironed-out the odd imperfection with ease. Heading up the pass was somewhat different though and while no H6 buyer would, admittedly, embark on a full-throttle assault, selecting Sport mode and giving it the maximum came with flustered shifting from the transmission on downshifts. That being said, it is an otherwise slick setup in everyday conditions, although the addition of paddle shifters would have been welcomed. Seats are supportive and offers electric adjustability for the driver across all trim grades. In-between, a brief moment to sample the H6 GT involved only the new plug-in hybrid variant, though a more in depth report will only be made once it arrives on test. The second half of the route from Franschhoek back to Stellenbosch took place in the front-wheel-drive, which featured the typical Chinese vehicle throttle calibration issue not found on the 4WD. Not as confidence inspiring as the all-paw H6, the front-wheel-drive still felt comfortable and refined, but will require finessing or at best, small driving style changes to negate wheelspin on take-off as a result of the throttle and gearbox mapping disconnect, Conclusion A key model for GWM Haval as mentioned, the updates to the H6 come as a welcome addition to an already well appointed if now aging model. H6 has been a key model for GWM Haval, with sales this year so far of 1 426 units. However, with sales for the year standing at 1 426 units, and with a price tag still below R500 000, but with more specification and tech included, expect the H6 to remain a runaway success at a price tough to beat. Price All H6's price tags include a seven-year/200 000 km warranty, a seven-year/75 000 km service and, in the case of the HEV, an eight-year/150 000 km battery warranty. H6 2.0 T-GDI Luxury DCT – R495 500 H6 2.0 T-GDI Luxury 4WD DCT – R574 500 H6 2.0 T-GDI Super Luxury DCT – R542 500 H6 2.0 T-GDI Ultra Luxury 4WD DCT – R614 500 H6 HEV Luxury DHT – R641 500 H6 HEV Ultra Luxury DHT – R686 500 NOW READ: This is the real deal: Facelift Haval H6 shows its true face
News.com.au
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
2025 GWM Haval H7 review
Big Dog. What a great name for a car, right? Shame it won't be called that in Australia. Nope, this new GWM Haval SUV will be sold as the H7, and – predictably – it'll sit just above the H6, which is a subtler, more conventional crossover. The H7 is, by contrast, a rough-and-ready looking character, with bold design elements that might appeal to those who want something a bit more off-road-looking, and it's a similar size to a Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4. Or, perhaps an alternative to the Tank 300, for those who know they won't actually go off-roading. It will arrive in Australia in the next few months, and you can expect pricing to be close to the existing H6 hybrid SUV, which starts at $42,490 drive-away. A new version of that model is also on its way, if the macho machine vibe of this one doesn't do it for you. You mightn't be hot on the bolt-on fender flare look, which is overselling the idea of its capability somewhat, but with a distinct look to it including Mustang-inspired nostrils in the grille, a Pajero-like rear window line, and tail-lights that are reminiscent of a mix of Mazda and Infiniti SUVs, it cuts a different shape to the other, some might say, cookie-cutter options in the mix. That boldness and differentiation continues inside the cabin, with big chunky grab handles on the doors, a mix of durable feeling materials, and – of course – a couple of big screens thrown in. The driver gets a 12.3-inch display with a level of configurability, while the infotainment unit is a huge 14.6-inch touch system with new software and the expected smartphone apps, and an array of buttons below the screen for quick aircon adjustments. Back seat space is impressive for a midsize SUV, with easily enough head, leg, foot and shoulder room for larger adults to fit in the second row. There are some Jeep-like practicality touches, including a removable torch that sits near the passenger's knee, and the interior storage is great too, with a huge open trench below the gear selector, a shelf in front of the front passenger, and neat elasticated bottle holders for all four doors – great for those active lifestyle families, presumably. And if you're a camper, there's a decent size boot as well – 483 litres of capacity with the seats up, and 1362L with them folded down. Nice. Spare wheel? Not likely, sadly. That's partly because of the powertrain. The H7 we're expected to get is the petrol-electric hybrid, which employs a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine that combines with an electric motor and two-speed hybrid transmission, with oomphy maximum outputs of 179kW and 530Nm. It has the battery under the rear of the vehicle, and it's front-wheel drive only … so, it might have Big Dog aspirations until it gets stuck in the mud at the dog park. There's another model with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and all-wheel drive, but strict new vehicle emissions regulations have essentially nixed the chance of that one heading Down Under. The 'drive' program I partook in outside Shanghai, China, was more like a car park full of witch's hats. In fact, that's exactly what it was. So it's hard to say what the actual drive experience is like, however my initial limited impressions included that it felt easy enough to steer and soft in its suspension tune, but strong in its acceleration and dependable in braking – a hard balance for modern hybrids with regenerative braking. You can expect the H7 to continue on with Haval's seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan, and seven years of capped-price servicing with roadside assistance. Pricing and spec details for the new H7 are due in by the middle of 2025. GWM Haval H7 P OWERTRAIN: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol hybrid, 2-speed hybrid transmission, FWD OUTPUTS: 179kW/530Nm
