Did a short road test of the Haval H6 GT recently. Haval is a marque that has rapidly being making strides in the industry of late, as they continue to roll out quality car after car. The H6 had a bit of a reputation of being a bit sluggish and heavy on fuel before, and I’m happy to advise that they have begun addressing these issues.

Styling.

The All-New H6 GT is an attractive coupé-inspired design merged with the practical accolades of a modern SUV and it has great curb appeal as well. It has a panoramic sunroof as well, which might not suit everybody, but a lot of drivers love them.

This H6 GT is reshaping the way SUVs look. Paving the way for distinguished design, the HAVAL H6 GT sports offers a more streamlined body, wheel arch cladding as well as gloss black accents, and carbon fibre inserts on the front and back. The rear is finished with a roof-mounted spoiler and lip spoiler enhancing the fastback rear.  It has 19 inch sporty alloy wheels to enhance the look.

Engine.

It comes with a new 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine packs a punch with 155kw and 325N Nm torque. Mated to a 7-speed DCT gearbox, it delivers on performance quite nicely indeed. So, looks the part, drives the part. This SUV is also the first Haval in the country to have Race Mode, with the Sport exhaust tone with a more aggressive throttle and transmission. We found the handling to be good on a test through the Magaliesburg hills.

The Cabin.

It has quite a sporty interior, starting with green trimming and stitching with Alcantara inserts. Very driver focused dash area, it also features heated seats, which my teenage daughter loves to have on the school run. A 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless charging, and a 12.3-inch central display sits atop the beautifully crafted, dual-tier dash panel. The interior is very spacious and has a premium feel to it.

It has a high resolution 360-degree view camera system that makes parking a breeze.  Safety is taken care of by a plethora of features like – Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Intelligent cruise, Intelligent cornering, traffic jam assist, Pre-collision warning with automatic emergency braking (AEB Pedestrian and Cyclist), Lane Departure Alert (LDW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) and Blind spot detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Summation.

Although sporty, it is good for families as well, with it’s size and space, large boot lends it self to a road trip, but zooming around on the school run in Jozi traffic was good too. Fuel consumption is improved and starting at R479 950 up to R 629 950, it is fliting with being more expensive than it’s Chinese competitors. Pricing includes a 5year / 100 000km warranty with a 5 year / 60 000km service plan.