Haval H9: When luxury becomes a high-value proposition

By Martin Pretorius 

Think back to the first Chinese bakkies to arrive on our shores: they were obvious clones of old-generation Isuzus, with very primitive mechanical bits and rather slip-shod build quality. Their main selling point was that they were cheap to buy – a cheapness which permeated every aspect of these early Chinese efforts. Predictably, most local bakkie connoisseurs walked right by them and kept on buying Toyotas, Fords and Isuzus, effectively sending most of the Far-Eastern intruders packing.

But one Chinese manufacturer persevered. By focusing their efforts on continually improving their products, and rising to the challenge of providing decent after-sales backup, GWM managed to hang in there, slowly but steadily gaining the trust of South Africans, and seeing steady sales of their budget-oriented Steed pick-ups. But GWM realized that just being good enough isn’t the way to long-term success, so they decided to head upmarket, mainly by launching a more-upmarket brand named Haval.

Wisely, Haval decided against the usual route of trying to enter the small car or premium saloon markets, instead focusing their efforts on various SUV and Crossover segments. This is what people buy in droves these days, so offering enticing products in this competitive arena should gain Haval significant market share.

We’ve already tested the H6C (which was very good indeed) and the H2 (which was slightly less so, mainly due to its indifferent automatic gearbox), and came away generally impressed by their quality and comprehensive equipment levels. And now, with the lower and middle grounds covered, it’s time to take on the big guns. Watch out, Fortuner and Everest, because there’s a new kid in town, and he wants to take your lunch money...

Haval H9 design

Whether you look at it on paper on in the metal, the Haval H9 7-seater is a big vehicle – it’s longer, wider and taller than a Toyota Prado, for instance. Up front, Haval’s signature oversized grille creates an imposing presence, with Xenon headlights defining the upper outer edges, while the bumper is suitably squared-off to continue the big-and-butch theme.

Seen in profile, there’s the requisite blocky styling which promises plenty of utility space, with a crease line running down the length of the vehicle to keep it from looking slab-sided, lending the H9 a slightly wedge-shaped theme. Down below, nicely-integrated (but plastic) side steps add some more visual relief, but even so, it’s far from sleek. Meanwhile, large vertical tail light clusters (with LED design elements) frame a side-hinged luggage compartment door, though they do look quite a lot like the ones you’d find on a Prado.

Mechanical specifications

The underpinnings follow traditional SUV design principles as well: there’s a ladder-frame chassis underneath that chunkily-styled bodywork, with a double-wishbone front suspension and a coil-sprung live rear axle with multiple locating links. It’s all very conventional, until you take a closer look at the drivetrain.

For starters, the engine isn’t the usual petrol V6 or diesel four-pot. Instead, the Haval H9 features a turbo-charged 4-cylinder petrol engine with 180 kW and 350 Nm, mated to a slick-shifting 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox (with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters) and full-time all-wheel drive with an electronically-controlled front/rear torque split. It’s primarily rear-wheel driven, until the electronic control unit decides that the front wheels could also do with some motive power, in which case it starts shuffling the torque between the axles.

Adding to the H9’s off-road credentials, there’s a low-range transfer case (selectable via a rotary dial on the centre console), as well as a locking differential on the rear axle. That rotary dial also offers Sport, Sand, Mud, and Snow modes, which adapts the traction management system’s parameters and drivetrain programming to various driving conditions.

Comprehensive standard features

As is customary with value-oriented Chinese products, the Haval H9 comes loaded with plenty of standard equipment. The leather-trimmed front seats are electrically adjustable (with 3-position memory for the driver’s seat), with ventilation and massagers thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, the second seating row is rake-adjustable, and can slide forwards and backwards to distribute rear seating space between the middle and rear seating rows.

Three-zone climate control (with individual roof-mounted vents for the rear cabin) is standard, while the potent Infinity audio system comes complete with a sub-woofer. Front and middle seating rows have their own USB ports, and the colour touch-screen infotainment display also serves as a monitor for various car-related parameters and the navigation- and rear-view camera display.

It gets even better: there’s a self-parking system fitted as standard, as well as parking sensors front and rear. Cruise control is par for the course in this market segment, but adaptive (swiveling and self-levelling) headlights aren’t. Another nice standard feature is the gigantic panoramic sunroof – ideal for game drives or to let the sunlight into your life.

There’s a nice surprise hiding in the instrument cluster as well, because speedometer duties are handled by a digital display in the middle of the gauge cluster. This is also where you’ll see trip computer data, as well as info about tyre pressures and -temperatures, drive mode, and cruise control settings. Safety is sorted by the stability control system and 6 airbags, and the body itself is good for a competitive 4-star ANCAP safety rating.

Driving the Haval H9

The launch event took the form of an extended road trip, during which we encountered a wide variety of driving conditions – the only thing we didn’t do was serious rock climbing. Whether cruising on the freeway, pottering through small towns, dodging potholes, winding along a mountain pass in the mist and rain, or driving in deep sand, the H9 didn’t miss a beat. The steering system deserves a special mention here: while it’s low on effort and feedback, it’s accurate and quick of response, with a well-judged steering ratio which lends a surprising level of agility for such a big vehicle.

In fact, it’s all-round abilities were very impressive – it simply buckled down to get the job done. Performance was about as sprightly as you’d expect of a 2.3-ton vehicle with 180 kW (adequate but not really quick), and the handling left no doubt that this is a tall, heavy vehicle.

That said, it never felt lacking in overtaking urge, and it handled twisty roads as well as anyone could expect from a body-on-frame SUV. It’s not sporty at all, mind you, but its handling compares very well to other vehicles of this type. Ride comfort is a particular strong suit, with most of the chassis tremors inherent in this kind of configuration being well-insulated from the cabin.

The cabin is also well-appointed, nicely trimmed, and solidly screwed together, with plenty of soft-touch plastics in the door trims and dash top, and a high-quality feel to its design and material choices. Overall noise levels are also reasonably subdued, unless the small engine is wound up through the gears, when it emits a somewhat gravelly sound which is rather at odds with the overall impression of refinement.

The value proposition

This is where things get really interesting. Going on specification levels and cabin space, the Haval H9 is a natural opponent to full-sized off-road-capable SUVs such as the Mitsubishi Pajero or Toyota Prado, yet it costs about the same as the smaller Pajero Sport, Fortuner or Everest: R599 900 will get you a huge lot of SUV in the H9. In essence, this is a fully-equipped Prado competitor, but with a mid-level Fortuner price tag.

If Haval can provide a painless ownership experience, with good aftersales support, competitive reliability and reasonable running costs, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be able to sell a few hundred H9s every month. Rather than just being “good for a Chinese vehicle”, it’s a genuinely good vehicle in its own right: easily the best Chinese product we’ve yet encountered, and able to stand proud in a very competitive class. Open-minded buyers should take a very good look at this newcomer, because it offers a combination of features, space, build quality and ability which is very hard to beat – and all of that at a relative bargain price.