A closer look at the Haval H6 and Haval Jolion coming to Malaysia

GWM has confirmed that the Haval H6 HEV and Jolion HEV are part of their plan for Malaysia, so what are they like? We got a taster at the recent 2023 Malaysia Autoshow.

At the recent 2023 Malaysia Autoshow, Great Wall Motor (GWM) had one of the most prominent booths out of all the manufacturers that were there that weekend.

Although one of the most displayed cars at their booth was the Ora Good Cat electric vehicle, the vehicles that actually stole the show were the Haval H6 HEV and Haval Jolion HEV.

Here's a quick brief if you still need to familiarize yourself with GWM and how Haval is linked to them.

Great Wall Motor (GWM) is a Chinese automobile manufacturer with several brands, including Haval. Haval is a brand of SUVs produced by GWM and was launched in 2013.

In other words, Haval is a sub-brand of Great Wall Motor and operates under its umbrella. Haval specializes in producing value-for-money SUVs that are designed to compete with other major automakers in the global market.

Over the years, Haval internationally has become one of GWM's most successful brands, with a reputation for producing reliable, high-quality SUVs that offer excellent value for money.

Although they have been previously received in Malaysia as a company that offers budget and unattractive SUVs, this might all change soon when Haval introduces the H6 and Jolion in Malaysia. 

We only need to look at our border neighbours to see how they have been received there. Haval has been making waves for itself in the Thai market, and both the H6 and Jolion have been well-received by Thai consumers and automotive media outlets alike. 

In fact, the Haval H6 even managed to outsell the Honda CR-V for a few months in a row, and although that's not such a big feat because that was the old CR-V, it still tells you a story of how it has been accepted.

Anyway, we're here to take a quick closer look at the Haval H6 and Jolion because from what we saw at the Autoshow, they have all the potential to be your next SUV.

Haval H6 HEV

The Malaysian offering schedule should be roughly comparable to that of Thailands, where all H6 units are sold as a series (non-plug-in) hybrid that pairs a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and electric motor for maximum power and torque figures of 243PS and 530Nm.

The interior has a stylish design and all the mod cons for modern needs, such as Apple Car Play and Android Auto, but the materials used for some parts of the interior are not plush but instead hardy, where it will stand the test of time. 

The interior is not as plush as the Proton X70 or Chery Omoda, but the other two Chinese-based SUVs do not have such a mighty powertrain as the H6 HEV. So you win some, lose some.

Haval Jolion HEV

Just like the Haval H6 HEV, the interior of the Jolion is stylish, and there are all the mod cons you will ever need. Digital meter cluster, large infotainment screen, rear air conditioning vents - you name it, it's got it. Yes, the materials used and placed are designed for longevity, so don't expect perishable soft-touch materials.

Once again, one of the best features of the Jolion is its powertrain grunt because when its 1.5-litre turbocharged engine works together with the electric traction motor, it has an overall output of 375Nm. 

Both SUVs also return good fuel consumption, with the Jolion's coming at a quoted 5.1l/100km and the Haval H6 HEV coming in at 6-7l/100km.

As for safety, they both have a long list of innovative safety technologies, including the all-important autonomous emergency braking and something called Intelligent Dodge, where apparently when activated, the system will control the vehicle to ensure that a safe distance is kept when overtaking large vehicles. 

Once the vehicle has moved past the truck or long vehicle, it will move back to its correct position between the lane lines.

Will they be a better offering than the Proton SUVs is hard to say because they will probably be CBU SUVs, so we'll have to wait and see what their prices are like to give a final conclusion. 

They are good-looking SUVs with a lot of grunt and practicality, so it all boils down to price, which usually dictates everything.