Haval H2 1.5T Luxury Auto

By Chad Lückhoff

After recently sampling the new Haval H6 C and walking away suitably impressed with my preconceived perceptions of Chinese motoring well and truly changed, I was keen to sample its smaller brother, the Haval H2. The H6 C that I drove was an entry-spec model and despite this, I was suitably impressed with the drive and base spec level. The H2 though promised to be even better, being a top-of-the-range 1.5T Luxury model with an automatic gearbox.

Sadly, where the H6 C had set the bar quite high, the H2 only managed to saunter over and collect the bar right between the eyes with not so much as a hop to try and clear it. And this leaves me with a disapproving look on my face and sadness in my heart.

I really wanted to believe that Haval had completely turned the notion that Chinese cars are underdeveloped and poorly engineered, but the H2 reminds you of the time where this was the norm. It's largely a case of you get what you pay for, rather than a value-for-money proposition.

It's not all doom and gloom though.

The H2 has many redeeming factors, factors that cannot be ignored and are very much worth noting here. The first is the price; at R309 900 it's competitively priced with the Ford EcoSport and smaller Renault Captur, but well below the mark for the similarly specced Hyundai Creta, Fiat 500X and Toyota C-HR.

Following suit with the Korean business model, Haval packs their cars with tech and convenience for the very same list price that you will see advertised, no hidden options lists here that can get you into trouble. As such, the H2 Luxury is fitted with power steering, electric windows, dual-zone digital climate control, heated electric mirrors with an auto dim rearview mirror, cruise control and multi-function leatherette steering wheel, keyless entry and push-button start, electric drivers seat with lumbar support, auto light and auto wipers, tyre pressure monitoring system, park distance control at the rear with two cameras, one rear and one for the passenger side.

The reverse camera is displayed on a large, TFT touchscreen infotainment system that sounds surprisingly good. While not as refined as the unit in the H6, the audio system plays with respectable clarity and the interface is user-friendly enough. The system accepts USB, SD Card, Aux input and has Bluetooth connectivity. While it is missing navigation, this is a small omission that is perfectly acceptable in this price range.

The interior is considerably spacious and the materials used in the construction have a welcoming soft touch to them. Our test unit, despite only having 9000km on the odometer, was already showing signs of wear though, with the painted trim flaking off in areas and a few elusive rattles presenting themselves. The aforementioned squeaks and rattles were amplified by the lack of exterior noise permeating the cabin, showing that the underlying build quality is of a decent standard. There was minimal road noise and only a little intrusion from the engine when pressing on.

It's in this area that some work is still needed as the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine is a rather thirsty power plant for the power output and indeed, the size of the vehicle. Its high-strung nature means that many revs are needed to get the turbo spooled up and the engine creating enough poke to get you moving with traffic. This naturally hurts the fuel consumption, which, while quoted at 9l/100km (a mark that is already high for a 1.5 turbo), hovered around the 10l/100km mark with mixed driving.

This is not all the engine's fault and most of the blame here should, in fact, be placed on the gearbox. My biggest gripe and the most irritating aspect of driving the Haval H2 is the gearbox's propensity to select second gear almost immediately and remain there, irrespective of throttle position. This sees you crawling along, out of boost, at a less than pedestrian pace, causing a nuisance of yourself to other road users. As a result, intersection crossings become dangerous and this is most apparent when the engine and gearbox are cold, soon after startup. It can be remedied though by placing the gear selector in the manual position and holding first gear until about 3000rpm.

Aside from this, the rest of the drivetrain seems presentable enough, with anti-lock brakes (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, and stability control all working together to keep you on the black stuff. In fact, safety rates quite high in the H2, a very welcome change from the spill of sub-par offerings we have come to expect from mainland China over the past few years. Six airbags find their way into the cabin and the H2 has a 5-star ANCAP (Australasia New Car Assessment Program) rating, ensuring us that more thought was placed into safety than was put into the programming of the gearbox.

As for the styling, the H2 is in no way as attractive as the H6 C we tested, but that's not to say that it is unattractive. While we may have been able to lament the Chinese offerings to be blatantly copying other manufacturers in the design of their cars, Haval offers up something a little more generic, but in no way offensive. One feels that they took the safe approach when it came to the sheet metal, but managed to give it a decidedly European flavour. This could comfortably have sat in an Audi dealership not too long ago – and that's a good thing.

I know it sounds like I hate the H2, but I don't. When compared to its larger stablemate, the wonderful H6 C, the H2 just falls somewhat short. It's only lifted again by the reminder of the low price and ridiculously high spec level that manage to make the quirks and issues a moot point. At R309 900, I would personally save that little bit more and spring for the entry-level H6 C at R329 900.

The Haval H2 1.5T Luxury Auto retails for R309 900 and comes with a 5-year / 100 000km warranty, a 5-year / 60 000km service plan and a 5-year / Unlimited km roadside assistance plan.