The local arm of Haval Motors has enjoyed great sales success with their SUV models since the Chinese firm made its way to Mzansi. In order to capitalize on the growing demand for alternative powertrains in vehicles, Haval has decided to introduce the H6 HEV to the local market. We got behind the wheel of one for testing purposes.
Exterior Design
Based on the Luxury trim model of the H6, the HEV is quite similar in its exterior design and overall offering to its 'normal' sibling. Up front, a pronounced front grille is present and looks quite smart in our opinion. We were particularly fond of how the LED headlights flanking the grille blended into it quite neatly.
Certain parts of the H6 HEV are treated to gloss black accents such as the sporty-looking rear spoiler and 19-inch alloy wheels. Overall, the H6 HEV retains the striking and impressive looks which we have always liked about the H6.
Interior Design
Inside, the H6 HEV looks identical to its H6 sibling. The driver is greeted by a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster which we found to be bright and quite easy to understand. The digital instrument cluster features different displays which cater for the hybrid powertrain. Naturally, a rev-counter is not available. Instead, a digital speedometer is present, along with various vehicle information which may be customized. An infographic displaying what the powertrain is doing at any given moment is also present.
The infotainment system is comprised of a 12.3-inch Color Multi-touchscreen. The large display is crisp, bright and quite responsive to touch inputs. The system houses the bulk of the vehicles functions which we found to be both a good and bad thing. Its good due to a lack of many buttons, thus creating a clutter free and minimalistic cabin. The bad however is that we found it to be quite distracting to access certain functions within the system whilst driving.
Housed in the Multi-touchscreen system is a reverse camera with a 360-degree camera. The quality of the camera system is quite impressive, boasting clear and bright imagery even at night.
The overall cabin of the H6 HEV is a great place to be seated in. The use of high quality materials was well-appreciated by us. Overall space and comfort in the cabin is quite commendable too, with both the front and rear seats boasting plenty of head and legroom.
Engine and Power
Powering the H6 HEV is a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric motor. The hybrid powertrain delivers 179kW and 530Nm of torque, with power being sent to the front wheels only. Although the power figures seem quite impressive, this isn't quite the case entirely. We found the H6 HEV to sport too much power in fact due to the vehicle's FWD setup. Hard acceleration almost always results in wheelspin. The same can also be said for hard acceleration even with the vehicle at speed. The front end in these instances felt as though it wanted to let loose. We would have preferred an AWD setup in the H6 HEV which would have made the H6 HEV a more well-rounded SUV.
On road comfort is quite commendable too, with barely any road, tyre or wind noise coming into the cabin. The suspension manages to deal with road imperfections quite well. Cruising at speeds of about 110km/h in electric mode further enhanced the overall comfort and ride experience of the H6 HEV. Overtaking was an effortless task thanks to the torque which was always readily available.
Haval claims an average fuel consumption figure of 5.2L/100km however we saw a return of 6.8L/100km, which we found to be quite respectable in fact. Our testing involved a fair mixture of urban and highway cruising along with the odd hard acceleration.
Safety and Technology
The H6 HEV is feature-packed with innovative safety and technology features which include Autonomous Emergency Brake, Traffic Jam Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Door Opening Warning, Lane Keep Steering, Electronic Stability System, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Departure Warning. We found the ACC system to work particularly well even in slow moving traffic. The entire suite of safety systems works fairly well and isn't too intrusive and aggressive like systems in other vehicles.
Pricing
The Haval H6 HEV is priced at R660 950 and this makes it an extremely well-priced hybrid SUV considering the sheer offering that it has.
Overall, we were left quite impressed with the new H6 HEV. With many South Africans fearing making the leap from ICE vehicles to electric vehicles, we believe that well-packaged hybrid vehicles such as the H6 HEV will be the stepping stone into the future of mobility.
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