Great Wall Reliable
The GWM brand in SA needs very little introduction. Arriving on local shores back in 2012 the GWM (Great Wall Motors) brand mainly sold passenger cars and bakkies of all shapes and sizes to mixed reception from local buyers.
Related: Top 3 things you need to know about the GWM H6
In 2017 the brand underwent something of a metamorphosis that would see their passenger cars begin disappearing and an SUV-only lineup being offered under the new HAval brand name with the GWM name being used exclusively for their pickups. The reliability of those early vehicles was brought into focus as the specter of their Chinese origin continued to put off local buyers but we are happy to report that even the few that were sold back then are unsurprisingly still going.
Facts and Figures
Getting accurate reliability figures was rather difficult as at the beginning of the brands' local presence the parent company did not divulge parts bins or parts pricing. We scoured the internet locally for any information that would indicate what type of reliability the GWM H6 had and only found anecdotal evidence from a few customers who praised dealerships in helping them with small aftersales service issues surrounding the vehicle, usually related to rattles and sticky locks.
We were unable to determine if the vehicles had any flaws or issues with parts or recalls as the brand was relatively new and unknown until the name change. There is more readily available information about the Haval H6, the second-generation successor of the GWM model,
Verdict
The first GWM H6 models were powered by a 2.0 diesel engine and the later models received the now familiar 1.5 petrol engine with both doing service up until the brand change in 2017. Although we were unable to find any indication of reliability issues we are happy to report that all the vehicles since the brands arrival still enjoy service and parts backup from the GWM and Haval dealership network across South Africa.
The GWM H6 was sold with a 5-year / 100 000km warranty and a 5-year / 60 000km service plan which would by now both be exhausted. A call to a dealer rep indicated that parts and services are on par with what you can expect when doing the same service on the current H6 lineup.
