The GWM brand may be better known for its foray into the world of pickups and bakkies, but it was not too long ago that they produced a variety of passenger vehicles, one of which was the H6. This attractive, compact crossover SUV offers a rather high level of equipment but manages to do so at a very reasonable price.
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May Chinese offerings have been lambasted for their lack of safety equipment, but GWM ensured that the H6 was fitted with a high level of safety equipment as standard, with the cheapest model sporting dual airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX mounting points, and park distance control.
Here are three things that you need to know about the GWM H6 and the GWM brand.
1. Evolution of the H6
The GWM H6 was first unveiled to the South African public at the Durban Motor Show in 2012 but it wasn't until the end of 2013 that the South African public was able to buy the GWM H6. It was initially offered with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, but later received a 1.5-litre petrol engine in 2014.
Later in 2014, a more affordable version of the 1.5-litre model was released. The GWM H6 City still retained many of the safety systems that were found in the Lux version but managed to come in at a lower price point.
In 2017 the GWM H6 was replaced with the second generation and this brought with it a change to the Haval name. The Haval H6 C is the successor to the GWM H6.
The GWM H6 is still able to receive support from the Haval and GWM dealer network that consists of over 60 dealerships nationwide.
2. Global player
You can dispel any concerns that you have around the Haval/GWM brand. The GWM corporation is divided into several brands, each with their own speciality; GWM focusses on pickups, LCVs and bakkies. Wey builds luxury SUVs, Ora is their electric vehicle brand and Haval focusses solely on SUVs for the masses.
Haval recently achieved the milestone of 5-million vehicle sales, making them the first professional Chinese motor manufacturer to achieve this accolade. They have managed to sell more than 1-million vehicles every year for the last 5 years running and look set to continue this trend.
Their R&D facility employs over 1200 engineers from across the world to work on and develop their technologies. This includes engineers with resumes that mention the likes of BMW M-division and AMG.
By concentrating solely on SUVs, they are able to focus all their energy into developing the best product possible, without the distraction of trying to create sedans, sportscars, or other irrelevant body styles.
3. Under the hood
The GWM H6 was powered by a choice of two engines, offering customers a choice of either diesel or petrol. Both engines employ turbocharger technology.
| Model | Code | Power | Torque | Fuel Con. (Claimed) |
| 2.0 TD (Diesel) | 4D20 | 105 kW | 310 Nm | 6.7 l/100km |
| 1.5 T (Petrol) | GW4G15B | 105 kW | 210 Nm | 8.5 l/100km |
All models are fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox and send drive to the front wheels.
The GWM H6 was sold with a 5-year / 100 000 km warranty and a 5-year / 60 000 km service plan.
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