Haval H2 set to stun SUV market

There are many things which, though proven fact, remain generally unknown.

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For instance, if you visit Beethoven’s grave in Vienna at sunset, with the wind softly blowing from the south, you will hear his compositions played, backwards, one after the other.

Nothing strange about that – he is decomposing.

For another, people who ask where you see yourself in two years’ time assume you have 2020 vision.

Yet another: there will soon be a new, very exclusive, sports utility vehicle on offer in South Africa – and it will be rather reasonably priced.

Available from the beginning of June, it will be called the Haval H2.

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It will be marketed by the Haval Motors South Africa group, taking over on these shores from Great Wall Motors SA.

GWM SA sell bakkies from 40 dealerships in the country but right now, there are just three dealerships in SA capable of offering Haval products: in Rustenburg, Alberton and Polokwane.

That, Haval SA say, is just the start of a huge country-wide expansion programme, while they conduct a feasibility study into using SA as an export hub for selling vehicles into sub-Saharan Africa.

All of which might sound like ANC election promises, but Haval has been the number one luxury SUV retailer in China for the past 14 years, which indicates they know what they are doing.

Now, since this writer resides in Alberton, it made sense that I should take possession of the Haval H2 that arrived in our car park for a pre-production peek.

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And, we were favourably impressed. The Haval H2 will fit squarely into the small SUV market segment.

It is 4.335m long, 1.814m wide and 1.695m high, with sleek bodywork, which makes it look like most of the currently available SUV products.

It is powered by a four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine of 1 497cc, which delivers 105kW of power at 5 600rpm and 202Nm of torque between 2 200 and 4 500rpm.

The grunt and twist gets transferred to the front wheels via an automatic six-speed transmission, while the vehicle rides on MacPherson strut suspension at the front and independent multilink suspension at the rear.

It has ABS-assisted disc brakes front and drums rear, with the wheels 18-inch aluminium spoked rims in 235/55 R18 rubberware.

That being said, small SUV products get judged by their interior fitments, rather than their mechanical prowess.

The Haval H2 does not fall short in that department.

It will comfortably seat five adults, with ample leg and headroom for all.

The driver can enjoy a keyless entry and button start systems, automatic headlamps and windscreen wipers, a leather covered steering wheel with audio, Bluetooth, cruise control and kerbside camera buttons, a trip computer, a six-way electrically adjustable seat and a double 12V power outlet.

He or she will face a multifunction dashboard that combines digital technology with analogue styling to clearly display information.

All the occupants can sit in comfortable leather seats while enjoying dual-zone climate control and electrically operated windows.

Active safety features include daytime running lights, fog lights front and rear, reverse and kerbside cameras, plus a tyre pressure monitoring system, If you still manage to crash, the Haval H2 will take care of you via seat belts with pre-tensioners, front, side and curtain airbags and a system that cuts the fuel flow to the engine in a collision.

All of which puts the Haval H2 pretty much on par with the other small SUV offerings out there. The test vehicle was easy to drive, with sprightly acceleration, though the body sometimes felt a little heavy for the power on offer.

That caused the automatic transmission to go gear-hunting when one encountered hills on the highway at 120km/h in sixth. But the Haval easily dealt with city traffic and its kerbside cameras were a blessing for an old driver like myself, whose feeble eyesight and perception would otherwise see me bending wheel rims while parking or reversing.

We think the vehicle will be a competent entry into the local SUV market, with its price tag of R310 000 a large selling point.

The Haval H2 is backed by a five-year/100 000km warranty, a five-year/60 000km service plan, and a five-year/unlimited km roadside assistance plan.

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