Haval H6 HEV makes strong statement in hybrid SUV space

Haval has made huge strides in the automotive world since Chinese carmaker Great Wall Motors (GWM) created the marque for its SUV and crossover division almost a decade ago.

The introduction of the Jolion last year catapulted the manufacturer into dizzy local sales heights. The Jolion was followed by the new H6, which further enhanced the carmaker’s local portfolio, along the woth P-Series bakkie which is sold under the GWM banner.

The manufacturer has managed to make inroads into the local market by virtue of very generously specced products at competitive prices – very much the approach Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia followed to get a foot in the door two decades ago.

Fuel economy

While Haval brings a myriad of good things to the table, fuel consumption seems to be getting bad press. Figures often quoted on public forums don’t seem too flattering for modern day offerings.

It was therefore not much of a surprise when Haval rolled out the H6 hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) locally. What better way to ensure better fuel economy than through self-charging hybrid technology?

Having spent time in all sorts of hybrid cars over the last few years, The Citizen Motoring put the Haval H6 HEV to the test for a week to see how it weighs up. And we must admit it was without doubt one of our most interesting driving experiences of the year.

The hybrid is only available in Ultra Luxury trim, making the highest-specced Haval model offered locally, at a price of R669 950.

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It is powered by a 113kW/233Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine alongside a 139kW/300Nm
electric motor. The two combined can deliver a total of 179 kW of power and a stupendous 530 Nm of torque via what Haval calls advanced two-speed dedicated hybrid transmission, or DHT for short.

Torque-ing about power

Here’s the interesting part: the twist is sent to the front wheels. On a perfectly smooth tarred road, the grunt is transferred to the ground without hassle. But our roads are far from perfect.

The electrical motor gives the Haval H6 HEV a tremendous amount of instant torque. This results in the front wheels struggling for traction over the slightest of imperfections, resulting in wheel spin; wheel spin that gets rather bumpy if you add a firm suspension and low-profile 225/55 R19 rubberware into the mix.

The average motorist who will not be as ambitious in flooring the accelerator every time the traffic light turns green will probably not even notice the interesting phenomenon. What will impress them, without a doubt, is the easy transmission, reminiscent of that of a fully electric vehicle.

Its only shift occurs around 70 km/h and if you miss the gentle little sound that goes with it, you’ll end up not even knowing it ever happened.

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Haval hybrid a smooth operator

This smooth transmission, along with the nice pull from the torque results in effortless acceleration, especially when overtaking on the open road.

The engineers have also done a great job in limiting engine noise inside the cabin, so you can easily be lured into the false belief that you are truly driving a fully electric vehicle, even with both power sources in operation.

As far as fuel consumption goes, we didn’t manage Haval’s claimed number of 5.2 litres per 100 km. We didn’t make an effort to drive it economically all the time, but even on a little economy run, we couldn’t get the number lower than 7.4 L/100 km.

Over the course of the week, which included a good mix of driving conditions, we recorded 8.5 L/100 km.
We felt this was too high, as most of its rivals, powered solely by internal combustion engines, gets in that region, if not lower.

Hybrid Haval turns heads

As far as styling goes, it was love at first sight for the female contingent in my household, which outnumbers the male three to one.

Particularly attractive was the combination of grille and headlights, along with Sun Black paintwork, black gloss accents and black alloy wheels. As women are prominent decision-makers when it comes to buying a car, kudos to the Haval designers for wooing them straight off the bat.

The wooing continues inside the cabin, by virtue of elegant leather, soft-touch and piano black finishes. Even though the H6 HEV is packed with features inside, the layout is simplistic, uncluttered and roomy.

Most of the bells and whistles are controlled via the 12.3-inch crystal-clear infotainment system touchscreen, while the driver has the benefit of a 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster and head-up display.

Safety comes in the form of a comprehensive set of advanced systems and a fully automatic parking system.

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Conclusion

While the Haval H6 HEV is a step in the right direction for addressing fuel consumption issues, it still falls short compared to what its direct rivals are capable of in terms of fuel economy.

But it nonetheless manages to undercut these competitors in terms of price, while offering the highest possible levels of spec in its segment as standard, plus very attractive styling.

Not forgetting it offers a driving experience more akin to an electric car than a more traditional hybrid.

Road test data