Room for the kids

With two children, we were looking for a small to medium-sized SUV and were open to either an EV or a hybrid. Major car brands like Mitsubishi and Toyota have hybrid offerings, however there’s an extended wait for delivery and in recent years, the price of these vehicles has increased. With that in mind, we started looking at car manufacturers we wouldn’t usually have considered.

When my partner suggested we test drive the 2023 GWM Haval H6 Hybrid Ultra, I was sceptical. I’d heard of the Chinese car manufacturer Great Wall Motors but didn’t know much about the Haval. The $44,490 price tag, and the fact the Haval was jam-packed with all the trimmings, was enough to convince me to at least give the mid-sized SUV a drive.

Attractive styling

At first glance, the Haval looks like most other mid-sized SUVs. It’s attractively styled, and its unique front grill and rear-centre brake lights give it a modern look. It’s finished with exclusive body side garnishes, GWM’s HEV (hybrid electric vehicle) badging, and an enormous sunroof.

Inside, GWM has taken a minimalistic approach, which is both a pro and con. There’s plenty of legroom for the front passenger and those in the rear. With rear seats upright, the H6 has a boot capacity of 600 litres.

Under the boot floor, there’s a tyre repair kit instead of a spare tyre. In place of the spare tyre, there’s a 1.8kWh battery pack, which is paired with the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and two-speed 130kW electric motor under the bonnet.

What’s inside?

Sitting in the driver’s seat, I was instantly aware of the minimal buttons on the dash. GWM has instead incorporated these into the car’s 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment screen. While this reduces the number of buttons, it meant I had to burrow through the countless menus to adjust the air-conditioning or change the driving mode.

How does it drive?

On the road, I was impressed. The Haval Hybrid offers a very different drive and feel from Toyota’s comparable hybrid SUV, the RAV4, and can take some getting used to. While other hybrids start almost silently and run on EV power at low speeds, I found the Haval would cut in and out of EV mode even at higher speeds. And, when accelerating from a standstill I had to gently apply pressure, otherwise the Hankook tyres and wheels would spin before gripping the road again. Overall, the Haval Hybrid’s ride is soft and comfortable, and its handling is secure and competent. But it does have its quirks.

A solid family option

Where the Haval stands out is the all-inclusive features that other major manufacturers sell as added extras. This includes heads-up-display, heated and ventilated front seats, semi-autonomous parking assist and wireless phone charging. While other hybrid manufacturers might be more well-known in Australia, the relatively unknown option has proven to be a good fit for our growing family.