Haval has introduced its new H6in the South African market. The newcomer appears to shift the goalposts in the family-car segment in terms of standard specification, connectivity and active safety features.

Since Haval arrived in South Africa back in 2017, the brand has found much favour with local buyers – as of May 2021, Haval is the 7th best-selling car brand in South Africa ahead of brands such as Nissan, Kia and Renault.

The outgoing 1st-generation H6 model preceded the introduction of Haval in South Africa (it used to be badged as a GWM (Great Wall Motors, which is Haval’s parent company), but it helped to establish the respective brands in the South African family car market, which is dominated by offerings such as the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5 and Volkswagen Tiguan. Its successor is the 3rd-generation H6, shown here, which is based on the recently introduced L.E.M.O.N platform, which is renowned for its structural rigidity and weight-optimisation.

What trim and engines are offered for the Haval H6?

The new Haval H6 comes to market with a 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine mated with a 7-speed DCT.

Penned by Phil Simmons, who, before he joined GMW 3 years ago, was in charge of Land Rover and Range Rover’s design department, the new H6 boasts significantly more contemporary styling and upmarket brightwork than its understated predecessor. It comes equipped with LED lighting elements, front fog lamps, roof rails and 19-inch alloys and is available in 3 trim levels: Premium, Luxury as well as range-topping Super Luxury spec.

Haval claims its newcomer, which has a McPherson-strut front- and a multi-link rear suspension setup, offers a best-in-class wheelbase length of 2 738 mm. What’s more, its centre of gravity has been lowered by some 20 mm.

All H6 derivatives employ a 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine (with peak outputs of 150 kW at 6 000-6 300 rpm and 320 Nm), mated with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The newcomer comes in both front- and all-wheel-drive guises, although the latter (AWD) is only available in conjunction with Luxury and Super Luxury trim levels.

Futuristic interior layout

Suffice to say the H6’s spacious interior exudes premium quality with swathes of leather, piano-black surfaces, subtle contrast stitching and brushed metal-look inserts. Apart from the mounted rectangular screens for the all-digital instrument cluster (10.25 inch) and touch-sensitive infotainment system (12.3 inch), the Haval’s cockpit is distinguished by a tiered dashboard and a floating centre console, replete with a rotary transmission selector.

The new H6 will offer a staggering amount of standard features.

The luxury features and onboard technology that you might find in the new H6 simply beggar belief, especially when you consider the aforementioned well-established, but moderately luxurious, models it competes against…

Among the features that will be offered on local H6 derivatives include an 8-way adjustable driver- and 4-way adjustable front passenger seat, both in conjunction with heating and ventilation; a heated ‘wheel; negative-ion air cleaning- and filtration; adaptive cruise control (with traffic-jam assist); traffic-sign recognition; a 360-degree-view camera system, keyless entry with one-button start and a sunroof. The Super Luxury version will also feature a full-colour head-up display, a wireless charging pad and an electrically powered- and remotely operated tailgate.

Expanded Autonomous Emergency Braking

The new H6’s safety specification, meanwhile, is generous. Apart from featuring ABS with ABD, 6 airbags (dual front-, side and curtain units) and a 9.3-generation electronic stability program (ESP), Haval’s newcomer is claimed to be the only model in its class “that can activate its Autonomous Emergency Braking system in all driving scenarios, including passing pedestrians, bicycles and traffic intersections”. Other safety features include lane-departure warning and -keeping assist, as well as blind-spot monitoring- and tyre-pressure monitoring systems.

The new H6 is available in grey, red, white, brown, green, blue and black exterior finishes. Its standard interior scheme is black, but can be ordered with black-and-brown, black-and-grey and black-and-red combinations.

How much does the new Haval H6 Cost in South Africa?

2.0T Premium 7DCT 2WD – R419 900

2.0T Luxury 7DCT 2WD – R454 900

2.0T Luxury 7DCT 4WD – R479 900

2.0T Super Luxury 7DCT 4WD – R514 900

The Haval H6 is sold with a 5-year/100 000km warranty and a 5-year/60 000km service plan.

Buy a Haval on Cars.co.za

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