Exploring Mpumalanga in comfort with Haval
Exploring Mpumalanga in comfort with Haval
By Martin Pretorius
We won’t make mention of “how much better Chinese cars are these days”. That is a given now, with competent products in many market segments. We will however discover how agreeable Haval’s model range is, seen in the context of spending many hours behind the wheel on a road trip. The short answer? They’re good. Very good, in fact – so good that it’s worth taking a refresher course about the strong points of these Chinese-made-but-international quality vehicles.
The setting is a winding road in Mpumalanga, with pine plantations and natural forests vying for attention with sweeping vistas, crisp air, and blue skies. The Lowveld has long been a favourite weekend getaway destination, so when the invitation came around to join Haval for a road trip away from the grey coldness of a Gauteng winter, it was eagerly accepted. Going where it’s warmer and greener sure beats waiting out a cold front in Johannesburg...
Upon arrival at the quaintly rural Kruger Mpumalanga International airport, our small group of motoring journalists were greeted by a fleet of shining Haval SUVs (and one GWM Steed bakkie). It was safe to assume that the bakkie was there in a supporting role to carry such essentials as provisions and a camera crew, but no: These vehicles were all there to allow us to get re-acquainted with the brand’s vehicles.
At the same time, this was a good opportunity to introduce a new variant of the H6 SUV, boasting more luxury features yet still sticking to a high-value price. Let’s look at the available vehicles one by one.
Starting at the top of the range is the large Haval H9 SUV. You may recall that this vehicle impressed us a great deal – both at launch, and when we tested it for a week. You will also be relieved to hear that added exposure (and the passage of time) has done nothing to diminish our admiration for this 7-seater. In fact, with familiarity comes affection, and if anything, the extra time nestled in its comfy seats only managed to further increase our regard for the H9.
It offers all of the space, comfort and features you’d find something like a Pajero or a Prado (and much more besides), for the price of a mid-field Fortuner. This isn’t an indictment of the Mitsubishi or the Toyotas, mind you, but rather an illustration of the spectacular value for money on offer in the H9. Everything from a panoramic sunroof, to heated, cooled and massaging electric front seats, to a 9-speaker Infinity infotainment system with navigation – it’s all there.
And, with its electronically controlled full-time AWD system (with a rear diff lock and low range), the mechanical bits are as capable as the spec sheet is loaded. We didn’t get to experience its off-road prowess this time around, but rather did something most people wouldn’t attempt in a vehicle of this type: we hurled it at speed into a narrow mountain pass.
Make no mistake, this isn’t a sports car. With a kerb weight well over two tons and a high centre of gravity, there’s always some body roll and a top-heavy feeling to its behaviour, yet it stuck resolutely to the road and remained well-behaved throughout. The end result is a big SUV that manages to cover ground much quicker than you'd ever imagine possible. It’s an extremely comfortable and quiet straight-line cruiser, too.
The only point of possible concern is the 2.0-litre turbo 4-cylinder engine (good for 180 kW and 350 Nm), which could feel a bit breathless at times. There's a well-programmed ZF 8-speed automatic slotted between the engine and the AWD system, and it does a decent job of keeping the motor on the boil, but the H9 is neither particularly lively not really economical.
Then again, the engine is tasked with lugging around a very large, heavy and (probably) rather un-aerodynamic body, and it does so with a fair bit more gusto and scarcely worse fuel consumption than the diesel-only Prado, so it's really all relative...
Next up was the very popular H6C. It’s a soft-roader with a notable infusion of style, evoking an Evoque from some angles, yet distinctive enough to carve its own niche. As Chad Lückhoff found when he road-tested one a while ago, there’s a lot to like about the H6C. Ride comfort is very good, noise levels are generally well-contained, and the 140 kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine is well-matched to the 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox (as fitted to our road trip cars).
It’s also well-equipped, with two sunroof sizes on offer (depending on the trim level), leather trim, electric adjustment for the front seats, yet it doesn’t cost a fortune. The H6C range runs between only R329 900 and R400 000, and the top-spec variant has every piece of kit you could desire. Oh, and build quality was top-notch, with not even severe road disturbances drawing as much as a creak from the cabin’s trim.
The H6C is however a genuine soft-roader, being available only in front-wheel drive guise, and with rather vulnerable-looking plastic trim pieces under the bumpers. And that’s fine: most people who want a car of this ilk will never venture further off-road than the gravel road leading to the nursery, anyway.
Don’t confuse this one with the H6C – they might be related, but the H6 is the sober-suited, less-extravagant, and cheaper one, compared to the H6C’s style-led design and comparatively cozier cabin. For this role, it has less power on offer, but more cabin- and boot space.
The latest addition to the H6 range is a new Luxury trim level, which adds a sunroof, leather trim, electric seat adjustment, and side- and curtain airbags (for a new airbag count of 6), to the already-extensive list of things available in the mid-level Premium trim.
It still uses the same engine and gearbox as before, however, and even the 17-inch alloy wheels remain unchanged. The H6 is motivated by the same 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbopetrol you'd find in the smaller Haval H2, sending its 105 kW and 210 Nm to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission in this application.
Predictably, the performance on offer is slightly subdued, with the little engine needing quite a bit of winding-up and stirring of gear ratios to achieve meaningful acceleration in a fairly heavy car (about 1550 kg in Luxury trim). Fortunately, the gearshift is slick and positive in its action, and it gets going well enough once the engine’s in its torquier operating range (from about 2 500 r/min upwards).
Mitigating the slightly lacklustre performance is the suspension and steering setup. In a world of electric power steering, the H6 still uses an old-style hydraulic system, which is surprisingly communicative in corners. Combined with the well-damped (if not sporty) suspension tuning, the H6 is surprising fun to drive on a twisty road, and always remains securely planted and comfortable.
But all this talk about performance and handling misses one key point: the Haval H6 Luxury is priced at only R284 900, and that’s not a lot of money for rather a lot of equipment. In fact, it only costs R40 000 more than the base-spec H6 City, and is equipped well enough to compete with other SUVs from established brands which all cost upwards of R60 000 more. Perhaps the enticing new Luxury trim will lure more buyers into Haval showrooms – it certainly deserves plenty of attention.
GWM Steed 5E 2.0 VGT Double Cab SX
Serving as a camera rig and backup vehicle, while doubling as a demonstration car at the same time, there were some serious questions asked of the Steed 5E, and it performed most of them with aplomb.
However, its basic age could not be disguised, with old-generation Isuzu influences evident inside and out, and a real old-school bakkie feel to the driving experience. Forget about the polished ride quality you’d find in an Amarok, Triton or Navara, for instance, because this one bounces about in the way of bakkies of yore.
It’s also not quick at all (with only 105 kW and 305 Nm on tap from its 2.0-litre turbodiesel), but that’s probably for the better, because its unsettled unladen ride and extremely light steering doesn’t really encourage enthusiastic driving anyway. This is a working bakkie, pure and simple, and in this role, it performed flawlessly.
It’s probably also to be expected that a R259 900 bakkie would be a bit crude, as its more-refined opponents are at least R200 000 more expensive. As a leisure- or family vehicle, it’s outclassed by those more-expensive competitors, but for those seeking a no-frills worker with just enough comfort to make the day's driving bearable, the Steed 5E would make an excellent choice.
All in all, the Haval (and GWM) road trip was a most pleasurable experience, and served to reinforce all the positive aspects for which we already hold Haval's SUVs in high regard. With the quality-, refinement- and luxury enhancements as applied to this company's current products, the brand's rapid growth and expanding fan base is well deserved. As for the GWM Steed, its own merits still makes it a solid value proposition, although we can't wait to see the improvements due to arrive with the upcoming Steed 7. If it's anywhere near as capable as Haval's SUVs, the market leaders should start worrying already.