Published on September 13th, 2024 | by Subhash Nair

GWM Haval H6 HEV Pre-Launch Test Drive Impressions

The GWM Haval H6 HEV is the NEXT Chinese SUV to be introduced to Malaysia. What’s its appeal?

Great Wall Motor (GWM) Malaysia has been gearing up for the launch of their first mass-market hybrid SUV – the Haval H6 HEV. The order books are already open and the factory in Melaka is almost ready to start ramping up production, so a launch is anticipated in the coming weeks. We were lucky enough to get to experience the SUV earlier this week. Here are our impressions. But first, what exactly is the Haval H6 HEV?

2024 Haval H6 HEV front view in Malaysia prior to launch

In a sea of midsized Chinese SUVs, how does the Haval H6 HEV stand out? Well, the answer lies in the name – it’s a hybrid. And not only is it a hybrid, it’s a hybrid with a turbocharged petrol motor and that is by far its biggest differentiating factor and its trump card. There are no other Chinese SUV hybrids on sale at moment, and it’s also the case that none of the Japanese hybrids are turbocharged. So, GWM’s bet is that they have a little niche carved up just for themselves in the mass market. Besides that, the H6 HEV is very well built and well equipped as well, so it’s not falling behind its peers in those areas. Open up the powered boot and you’ll find it has a sizeable boot with 560L by default and 1485L when expanded with the rear seats folded down.

GWM also won’t be beat on its warranty package. Even though it’s fielding a more powerful and complex drivetrain than its peers, it’s also offering a 10-year, 1,000,000km warranty on the engine plus an 8-year, 1,000,000km warranty on the HEV system.

However, it’s not all great. The petrol-powered 3rd generation Haval H6 already has a facelift out in China, which means a facelift of the HEV version is probably also due soon. GWM Malaysia cannot risk putting the launch off any further, which already trails many other 2024 China SUV entries but the BAIC X55.

How Is It Equipped?

There is only one variant in Malaysia and it comes in a upmarket interior colour scheme with black and white leather and rose gold trim. It’s quite unique, especially with the rose gold painted door handles, though it may come across as a little too flamboyant to some buyers. One thing’s for sure, GWM likes to try unconventional ideas when it comes to colour palettes and often it works.

The list of exterior colours has not been confirmed as far as we know but we saw silver, light green and pale blue models on our test drives, and those ARE NOT their official names.

There’s a wireless charging pad, an 8-speaker sound system, an 12.3″ infotainment system and 10.25″ digital instrument cluster with very fluid animations, plus a 6-way power adjustable driver seat with 2-way lumbar adjustment.

The front passenger seat has ‘boss switches’ so that rear passengers can move it out of the way. There’s a coloured heads up display, which is a rarity even in premium cars, plus a sliding panoramic sunroof with an electric cover. There’s front seat heating and cooling but this appears to only work on the seat bottoms and not the backs for whatever reason.

Storage is good with a decently sized glovebox, an expansive centre box and empty area below the shifter. The cabin is extremely well put together and material selection is not something anyone can complain about.

The only area of improvement for the Haval H6 HEV is the lack of physical controls for the climate system. With Apple CarPlay or Android Auto running, these very important controls are completely hidden away.

Accessing the controls for fan speed and temperature requires MULTIPLE clicks on the display which requires hands OFF the steering and eyes OFF the road and not even an option for a voice command. Even the Drive Mode Selector is hidden away with no physical buttons to quickly access, but this is less of an offense than hiding away climate controls.

Small issues that may irk some include the lack of USB-C ports and some cheap feeling switchgear in the cabin that feel out of place, such as the flappy 12V port covers, EPB/Auto Hold switches and freely rotating gear selector dial.

These tiny gripes matter not when you consider how high tech the rest of the car is with its high resolution 360-degree parking camera, auto parking capabilities, and full ADAS suite.

What About How It Drives

In a straight line, this is one of the most responsive, most quiet and most refined SUV under RM200,000. I know that sounds like a very bold claim but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration. Many Chinese and Japanese sub-RM200,000 SUVs are pretty fast nowadays with their either a turbo or a hybrid but this is the only one that COMBINES turbocharging and a hybrid electric motor. On paper, they claim a total system output of 243PS and 530Nm of torque, but I think this is an oversimplification.

That’s because the system itself is pretty complicated. You’ve got a 1.5L 4-cylinder turbocharger petrol engine and an electric motor and a 1.76kWh CATL-sourced battery pack. Tying all of this together is a very intricate gearbox known as the Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT). Now, I tried over and over again to get a simple explanation for this the DHT but instead of understanding its inner machinations, the team focused on how the system worked.

Thanks to the DHT, the Haval H6 HEV can drive like a Series hybrid (engine isolated from the wheels) at low-to-medium speeds or as a Parallel hybrid at medium to high speeds (engine and electric motor driving the wheels) and even Series-Parallel mode (engine and electric motor driving the wheels, but some engine power keeps the battery charged). The DHT has 2 forward speeds, which allow the petrol engine to kick in smoothly regardless of how quickly the vehicle is moving. In some instances, the petrol engine can directly drive the wheels, with the electric motor always ready to step in.

In practice, the system is extremely intelligent and results in very usable and very refined. Quickly picking up speed from a standstill takes no effort at all, but more importantly, it doesn’t run out of breath at all. There is an electronic limit of 180km/h, but that’s a pretty reasonable one. There are some moments where you certainly do hear the ICE engine rev up a little, but once you’re cruising, the DHT allows the engine to completely relax and you barely hear anything. The NVH levels of this SUV are really impressive for something that’s supposed to be priced under RM150,000.

There are some weaknesses though. The steering feel is pretty vague and light with plenty of play even though you can customise it in a menu. The chassis is also tuned for comfort, so it’s not very inspiring in the corners, so I found myself slowing down extensively before turning. It’s not a particularly bad driving car, but there are certainly areas where the suspension and steering feel don’t match the powertrain’s class-leading tuning.

Should You Book One?

GWM claims this SUV is capable of returning 5.8L/100km and we don’t doubt it can get close to that in the real world with a really light foot. The product is both efficient and competent, so if it appeals to your taste and sensibilities, there’s little reason to think it’ll be a poor decision. GWM is also now in Malaysia in full force with huge ambitions for each segment of the market. They still have to spend some time to build the Haval brand’s reputation in Malaysia, but it now has the capital, people and product to make things right.

Haval H6 HEV Interior Gallery