Haval bolts into the world of electrification with the introduction of its first hybrid offering on local soil. The Haval H6 HEV is the no mess, no fuss solution to the ever-increasing petrol price.
Haval has made enormous strides in the local market, shaking most of the remnants of their GWM passenger car stigmas that were crafted almost a decade ago. Watching the progress of the Chinese firm, one cannot help but draw correlations with both Hyundai and Kia who managed to do much the same in their early days, growing and improving to the point where one can call them reliable, premium vehicles.
Part of Haval’s new local onslaught is the introduction of electrified offerings. It starts with the H6 HEV and by the end of the year, you can expect to see the Jolion HEV joining it. Both the H6 and Jolion have proven to be popular with the buying public and continue to move off of the showroom floor at a steady rate.
Haval’s Achilles Heel
While initially there may have been concerns over the build quality and longevity of the powerplants in Haval’s offerings, the years are showing that they are not only holding up well to increased mileage but that they’re relatively trouble-free. We can think of several larger names that have been producing cars for a lot longer where the same cannot be said about them.
The one thing that all owners and motoring journalists would have to admit is that Haval is not known for creating frugal machines. Both the 1.5 and 2.0-litre offerings use significantly more fuel than their opposition and are seldom able to achieve the manufacturer’s claims when it comes to fuel consumption figures. They’re set to change all of that with the introduction of the Haval H6 HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle).
The Haval H6 HEV
As the times change, you’re going to hear a lot of new terms and different acronyms. We’ll start with EV, as that is the basis for most of these new products. In short, it’s an Electric Vehicle, a vehicle without a petrol or diesel engine that uses an electric motor and batteries to power the wheels; this is sometimes also called a BEV or Battery Electric Vehicle. A hybrid is a vehicle that uses both an ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and an electric motor and batteries to power the wheels. You may also have encountered PHEV which lets you know that it’s a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle; these still use petrol but can also be plugged in to charge the batteries.
The Haval H6 HEV is a series-parallel hybrid which means that there’s no need to plug it in or to be reliant on the national grid for the electric power. The energy for the batteries is generated through various means, either through the ICE itself or through regeneration and energy recuperation when braking. This means that living with an HEV or hybrid changes nothing in your life – it only makes the vehicle more fuel efficient.
The tech specs
Powering the front wheels of the H6 HEV is a combination of a 113 kW and 233 Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine and a 130 kW electric motor that produces 300 Nm torque. Combined, they are able to provide a total output of 179 kW and 530 Nm torque. This power is sent to the driven wheel through variable transmission system that combines both power sources. Haval has dubbed this their DHT powertrain, Direct Hybrid Transmission and states that it is able to offer the best of both worlds; driveability, economy and performance.
The battery system is a 5 kWh unit with a rated voltage of 345 V. Several complex energy paths can be activated to help charge the battery or send drive to the wheels. This is done with a new clutch coupling between the separate generator motor and the ICE unit. On our mixed cycle drive, the battery remained charged for the most part, allowing us to access the electric drive when required. This requires no user intervention and all the system operate automatically to ensure that the required power is sent to the wheels when needed and energy is sent to the battery to keep it topped up.
Haval claims that this combination is good for a claimed fuel consumption figure of 5.2 l/100km on a regulated test cycle and in the real world that number will probably not be attainable. What we were however able to achieve was a number of 6.3 l/100km, a radical improvement over the regular ICE powerplants of the H6 and Jolion that often hover in the high-9s. High 5s will be achievable in the H6 HEV though and that makes this suddenly, so much more appealing.
The Haval H6 HEV package
The HEV is distinguishable by its unique front end that sees a dot-matrix (80s computer geeks are screaming right now) grille seep and flow into the front bumper for a rather stylish and striking appearance. Matrix LED headlights round off the front end while the LED taillights are joined by the now all too familiar LED bar that spans the width of the tailgate. The HEV also gets a cluster high-level brake light arrangement and the shell rides on black 19-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, luxury appointments await with a concerted effort made to insulate the cabin from road noise. Soft touch, ethically sourced materials are used in the trimming of the H6 HEV and as one would expect from a hybrid vehicle, there’s no shortage of lighting in the cabin. I was particularly taken with the lighting on the dashboard that initially appear to be a projection, but it was revealed that it’s actually an integrated part of the dashboard trimmings. This only appears at night and during that day it’s invisible, leaving you with a sleek looking, multi-tiered dashboard. The HEV is also treated to a 1.2m² panoramic sunroof.
The drive is more than agreeable as well. while firmly sprung, the suspension of the H6 HEV is still compliant and there’s no major cause for concern. Yes, you will find chassis’ that are more supple, but the slightly taught nature of the H6 is never jarring or intrusive. I walked away from the H6 GT with the same consensus reached.
The H6 HEV also has an impressive safety system with several semi-autonomous driving aids and collision avoidance systems installed to help prevent, they say, up to 72% of accidents. The HEV is fitted with 7 airbags, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, and automatic emergency braking, amongst others.
Not without niggles
I’d love to say that this is the perfect package but I have a duty to you, the consumer to alert you to some concerns. Haval has done wonders in a short space of time with their electronics and tech but they’re not out of the woods yet. The 12.3-inch infotainment system is still slow to respond and the user interface is complex and tricky. One would have to spend a considerable amount of time to familiarise oneself with the operating system in order to find the location of the various settings and features. There’s only one tactical volume control, for instance, and that’s on the steering wheel. The other is hidden in the infotainment system and accessed by swiping down on the screen.
While they may have tried to insulate the cabin, there was still a considerable amount of wind noise over the mirrors, enough to warrant a check of the electric windows to see if one had been left open.
Finally, the regenerative braking system (and I suspect this has to do with the aforementioned clutch system) sees a rather abrupt jerk present itself when the driver lets off of the throttle and the system kicks over into charging mode. While a small issue, it’s one that soon became as frustrating as the numerous bings and bongs of the safety systems installed in the car.
Pricing
The Haval H6 HEV is an exciting new entrant into the segment and clearly has its sights set on the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. Pricing for this model comes in at R669 950 and it’s backed by a comprehensive 5-yr / 100 000 km warranty, 5-yr / 60 000 km service plan and the battery carries an 8-yr / 150 000 km warranty.
Chad LückhoffWith over 18 years of motorsport commentary and a passion for 90s Japanese Sports Cars, Chad Lückhoff is happiest when surrounded by drift cars and smoking tyres. His experience as the Technical Editor of the country’s top tuning magazine means that it’s the nuts and bolts of motoring that tickles his fancy. As comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it, he’ll take you behind the wheel with his video reviews, written recounts, and invoking photography. One of the first to join the AutoTrader fray, Chad has been living his passion at AutoTrader for over 7-years.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Haval H6 HEV (2022) First Drive Review