I was driving on my way home one night and there was this large, strikingly beautiful car driving in front of me and it grabbed my attention instantly. It had distinct features, particularly at night, that made it unique such as a signature solid neon (LED) strip at the rear and it had me hooked on it for a while. I have never seen anything like it before. Me being curious, I decided to follow it closely, hoping that it won’t drive away too far with its beauty for me to somehow, have a close look at it. I had to come close to it in order to have a proper look and get somewhat of an intro. Then as soon as I approached it, the name ‘Haval’ was written in bold for me to take note of and appreciate.

I doubt that no one predicted nine years ago that a Chinese car manufacturer would totally reinvent the wheel and disturb the vehicle market as we all know it. Nor did I foresee, one day having an entire piece dedicated to it as I do now. Haval came into play in the country back in 2013 and is part of the Chinese Great Wall Motors (GWM) automaker stable specializing in SUVs and crossovers. And as a disclaimer, I am not a personal owner of one either and this is in no way, a paid advert.

The car maker has successfully served to the needs of potential car buyers who are seeking an affordable upgrade that offers luxurious comfort and a larger space at an affordable rate. You drive around South African roads today and with every turn, there is a Haval vehicle making its presence felt. It’s literally brought a whole new meaning and dimension to affordable and compact SUVs as we all know it.

What makes it a winner – affordability and stunning features.

You know when they say ‘the proof is in the pudding?’ This is exactly what I believe to have contributed to the car maker’s success -South Africans have found great value in their cars and as a result, have decided to give them a shot. The latest car sale figures are a big testament to this. As a start, two prominent models making their strong and striking presence felt on the roads from the Haval brand are the Jolion and H6. The Jolion is smaller in size when compared to the H6 but both pack incredible features you will pay a fortune for in other more famous brands. Both boast a striking front grille, dynamic steering and a stunning interior which consists of a rotary shift dial (for automatic models) and touch infotainment screens. These cars also come with a crystal clear 360 degree camera for a holistic view of your surroundings while driving (option depends on model selected), tyre pressure monitoring system (a standard feature across all models) and signature massive panoramic sunroofs. Their looks are appealing from the outside and the interior looks quite inviting.

The Haval Jolion

An entry level Haval Jolion goes for R309 900 with the top-of-the-range ‘super luxury’ model going for less than half a million at an impressive R408 900. The Jolion has five models with distinct packages without any add-ons to choose from. If you want to add more features, you will be required to jump up a model offer. This jump is on average R24 750. The top of the range Jolion has all the bells and whistles in terms of latest vehicle technology you can think of from blind spot detection, traffic sign recognition to lane departure alert – car can even drive itself to some point – talk about a complete package. It comes with a 1.5L turbo engine with 6 colours to choose from.

The Haval H6

The new entry level slightly larger in size than the Jolion, Haval H6 costs R431 900, boasting safety features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane change assist and the strikingly bold, horizontal rear LED taillight that is a stunner to observe during the night. It comes with a standard 2L turbo engine with 7 colours to choose from. The top of the range ‘super luxury’ model goes for R523 900 with the jump between each model offering costing on average R32 667.

The Haval H9

While the largest in the range, Haval H9 goes for a song at R694 900 with only one model on offer. This one ideal for larger-sized families. The Haval H9 is priced at R694 900 with features such as a multi functional seat, 3D head lamps and a chrome plated front grille. The H9 is a one-model type 7 seater, with a turbocharged, 16 valve double VVT, direct injection engine. The engine packs quite a punch with a 350Nm Torque and 90KW/L maximum power. It has the all terrain control system, making ideal to drive across 6 different modes and conditions.

Price – on a class of its own!

With prices this incredibly insane (with none of the models costing a million Rand), this car manufacturer is proving that relatively big cars don’t always have to cost a fortune. I am hoping that this competitive edge of theirs remains as is for the long-term as my fear is that with so many of these cars (literally) flying off the dealership floors and the brand continuing to further cement itself as a reliable brand of choice in the market, these affordable prices may be a thing of the past in times to comes. This has happened with some Non-German car manufacturers in the country to date. Feeding on from majority of the comments I have read on the various social media platforms and asking around the people I know owning one of these cars, the Jolion or H6, there is a long waiting period growing by the day and all-round satisfaction and good reviews of these cars. There is evidence of a growing support base and trust towards the brand in the country at the moment and the car manufacturer ought to rise up to the demand to avoid disappointing the customers-in-waiting.

Dimension and space

The Haval Jolion is at 4.5 m long, 1. 6 m high and 1.8 m wide from the front view. The Jolion has a trunk space of 337 L and 1133 L when rear seats are folded down.

The Haval H6 is 4.7 m long, 1.7 m high and 1.9 m wide from the front view. The H6 has a trunk space of 337 L and when folded down sits at 1146 L.

The Haval H9 is 4.9 m long, 1.9 m high and 1.9 m wide from the front view. The H9 has a trunk space of 747 L. For whatever space you need for whichever family size you may have, there is a Haval car suited just for you.

Warranty and service back up

The Haval range of cars come standard with a 5 year 100 000 km warranty, 5 year unlimited km road assistance and a 5 year 60 000 km service plan.

What makes it doubtful?

The incredible prices do make one wonder what the car manufacturer may have done to make them so affordable. There are fears that they may have cut some corners with regards to either compromising quality of the make up overall of the cars but majority of the car reviews I have seen online, to date also do not see where Haval may have done so with these vehicles. Apart from the fact that it’s a Chinese car manufacturer and that there is no prolonged history of Chinese car manufacturers sustaining in terms of relevance and support in the country, I also don’t see what else could be the concern. The technology in these vehicles is by far on a class of its own for their value. One will have to pay a fortune to even have some of the tech tools added-on to other more popular car manufacturers, that come standard in these Haval vehicles. That to me, is a big plus. It seems that for now, Haval is set to change the course of this ‘uncertainity’ debate with these latest car suite. And I cannot wait to watch them live to tell the tale.

Reliability

Are they reliable? Only time will tell but with the service and warranty backing these, it’s clear that Haval have put their money where their mouths are, well at least for the first 5 years of the experience. And as I said, the test of time is all that stands in the way of this brand’s significant success.

Do you own a Haval car, what’s your experience and take on it thus far? Are you happy and satisfied? I’d really love to hear your take.

Reference

https://www.haval.co.za/