Fast forward a few years and most of those Chinese brands are now quite popular on our roads. One brand that has taken our market by storm is Haval, which is the luxury division of Great Wall Motorts (GWM). What’s all the fuss about? Well, I got behind the wheel of their top-spec H6 C to find out.
What is it?
The H6 C competes in the exceedingly popular compact SUV segment against establishment names such as the Hyundai Tucson, Volkswagen Tiguan and Mazda CX-5, and on first glance, it is off to a good start. Thanks to its square design, the H6 C looks both purposeful and masculine, unlike its more softly styled rivals.
Inside
Simply put, the H6 C comes loaded with equipment. My tester was the top-spec Luxury model, which, to an extent, lived up to its name. In general, I found the interior to be a really nice place to be. The bulk of the dashboard is made up of soft touch materials as one would find on a more premium offering. Yes, there are some harder, cheaper plastics on the facia, but they do not distract from what is a neatly designed dashboard.
In the centre, one will find a large touchscreen infotainment system measuring eight-inches. It is however a rather basic setup and I personally would have liked to see some more visual appeal as well as satellite navigation. Bluetooth and USB are standard though the former did not seem to work with my device plugged into the USB port. Other than that, the setup has a rather decent sound system and the controls on the steering wheel are easy to use.
The tech
Features include eight-way electrically adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, duel-zone climate control, tyre pressure monitor, mood lighting, a puddle lap which emits the word Haval onto the ground in red, Blind Spot Assist, rear parking sensors with a reverse camera, auto/on off headlights, keyless entry, push-button start, xenon headlights with automatic levelling, Hill Ascent Control, ABS with EBD and Hill Descent Control.
A space issue
While Haval claims a boot space of 247 litres or up to 1 146 litres with the rear seats folded down, rear headroom is somewhat compromised due to not only the sloping roofline, but also the standard panoramic roof. Legroom is however more acceptable.
The drive
On the open road, the H6 C proved to be a mixed bag in terms of feel and the powertrain. The ride quality is surprisingly good, in that is comfortable and with low noise levels. It also felt compliant over bumps and even planted on gravel roads.
It is easy to manoeuvre in parking areas, but the steering feels a bit light and not much confidence is translated to the palm of your hands. That said though, I was impressed at the rate of progress that has been achieved considering Chinese vehicles of old.
Under the bonnet is a 140kW/310Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine which, all things considered, is nippy and offers up some spirited induction noise. It is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox made by Getrag, which is, for the most part smooth.
I did however find the H6 C on the thirsty side, and despite keeping the drive mode selector in Eco mode for most of the seven-day stay, could only manage a best of 11.4-litres/100km.
Verdict
After spending many kilometres behind the wheel of the Haval H6 C, I can say that the car surprised me. It was better than what I expected despite a few, slight refinement issues, which I am sure the brand will amend in due time considering the rate at which they are improving all their products.
The H6 C offers a decent sized SUV that is packed with ample practicality, tech and features. In Luxury spec, the H6 C retails for R399 900, which I tend to call, a bargain when you consider the price if its rivals. I can, have and will recommend the H6 C, but be wary of the high fuel consumption.
