Latest Haval H6 GT taken to Onrus and Vermont for test drive

What a beauty. Is it a Lamborghini? A question I was asked. Stylish…The Haval H6 GT certainly makes quite a styling statement. It loudly calls attention to itself. A bit like an M badge, or fat twin exhausts and brightly painted brake callipers. Or a big wing.

The lines of the H6 GT are rally pleasing. In short, a beauty to look at. Inside the cabin the styling is not quite as stunning. It is not ugly, its just not as resolved. A bit of a plasticky look, although the feel is quite solid. But this car is all about the outside looks.

Haval now offers just two models. The slightly smaller Jolion and the H6, both with three variants, plain, S (Jolion) or GT (H6) and the HEV, which is a self-charging hybrid. The petrol engine offers 113 kW and 233 newtons while the battery delivers 139 kW and 300 Nm. Combined Haval claims a healthy 179 kW and 530 Nm of torque.

In addition you can choose either 2WD or AWD and standard, premium or luxury trim.

I got to drive the H6 GT.

Lets be clear, this is not a real Grand Tourer and its sporty aspirations are just that, aspirations. All the Race setting does seems to be make the exhaust roar, quicken the throttle response and stiffen the suspension somewhat. Oh and increase the fuel consumption. It all feels a little hectic.

But lets put that aside. If all you want is a family car with a bit of go you will be satisfied with the performance. Its fine, especially for a bigger car on stilts.

A personal dislike is the lack of physical buttons for even basic functions. You have to use the screen to control even the most basic ventilation functions. Fiddly, and you can’t help leaving fingerprints on the screen which I find yucky.

The car has 150 kW of power and torque of 320 Nm on tap from its 2.0 turbo-petrol engine which is mated to a 7-speed DCT box driving all 4 wheels. In reality this is more than enough.

Expect fuel consumption of around 13 F/100 km in town and 9 F/100 km on the open road assuming you do not drive too enthusiastically. On a trip to Hermanus I got around 11.5 F/100 km. As with most Chinese vehicles fuel consumption is not the most economical but the overall package is competent.

AWD models have six driving and terrain modes – Standard, Eco, Sports, Snow, Sand, Offroad. Except for the base model the H6 offers Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) With Intelligent Cruise, Intelligent Cornering and Traffic Jam Assist.

I found the steering slightly mushy and the car uncomfortable, almost unsettled over uneven road surfaces, but not alarmingly so. Most drivers would not notice anything amiss, but its nothing special.

In a general sense the interior is good and houses four adults in comfort.

Equipment levels are very extensive, be they safety or comfort orientated and are up to date and easy to use.

Perhaps as a result of all the features the H6 GT is no longer the value-for-money deal of the Jolion or earlier Havals. The GT is, however, fully equipped so the price you see is the price you pay.

FWD Premium R479 950, FWD Luxury R518 950, AWD Luxury R549 950 and top of the range Super Luxury AWD R589 950. The H6 GT as tested is R629 950.

Also look at Mazda X3, VW T-Roc, Cherry Tiggo, Toyota Corolla Cross and Nissan Qashqai.

The H6 GT comes with a 5-year or 150 000 km warranty and a five-year or 60 000 service plan.