Haval's H6 marks new era for Chinese cars

Fifty years ago it was Japanese car-makers which had to convince a nervous Aussie market that their vehicles were not second-rate.

Then the Koreans trod the same path, making the quantum step from cheap-and-cheerful machines to accepted, respected brands.

Now it's the turn of the Chinese.

After a handful of years sending their share of oddly-named and odd-looking vehicles to the Australian market, Chinese car makers are now climbing further up the tree.

Haval's new H6 mid-sized SUV will help the ascent. The brand has recently been relaunched under the oversight of a company called GWM - previously Great Wall Motors.

While they've managed to retain an aggressive pricing policy, the new H6 model delivers quality that we've not previously seen from the marque.

Aesthetics, both inside and out, and technology are two shining points of improvement. It is well-designed, well-presented and solidly put together - with quality standards clearly moving up a notch or two from the prior model.

Dynamically, it's quite impressive.

The H6 offers a willing and responsive turbocharged, four-cylinder engine which pumps out a useful 150kW and 320Nm - putting it in the top half, performance-wise, of medium-SUVs on the Australian market.

The engine is generally well-matched to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission which shifts decisively and smoothly when accelerating, climbing hills or shifting down to overtake.

However, the transmission isn't quite as self-assured at low speeds, where it delivers jerky progress when driving in close quarters or when reversing into a tight spot, where constant, delicate throttle inputs are required.

The H6 will be offered in three trim levels, kicking off with the H6 Premium at the aggressive price of $30,990 drive away; the mid-spec Luxury at $33,990 and the range-topping H6 Ultra which brings plenty of bells and whistles for a still affordable $36,990 drive away.

Those prices will make the Haval look like strong value when compared to class rivals including the Mazda CX-5, Honda CR-V and Toyota's RAV4 - where it undercuts the equivalent variant from each brand by up to $4000.

In this young family market, that's quite a difference.

In the base model the inclusions list includes 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with push-button start, single-zone air-conditioning, LED headlights, auto lights and wipers and cruise control.

The mid-spec Lux model adds leather, powered driver's seat (front-row seats are heated), dual 10.25-inch displays for instruments and cabin controls, adaptive cruise control, front parking sensors and 360-degree camera parking assist.

Driver assistance functions include autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-change assist, traffic sign recognition and driver fatigue detection.

An extra $3000 spend brings a panoramic sunroof, premium audio, bigger 12.5-inch display screens and wireless phone charging, among other things, to the Ultra model.

The H6 is well presented with good proportions, enough chrome and bling to catch the eye and decent build quality.

Inside it's stylish and brings its own clean, minimalist aesthetic, with no sense that it's mimicking other more established brands. It's also relatively spacious with the only complaint being poor rear vision thanks to the wide C-pillar and the smallish, oval-shaped rear glass.

There's a touch-screen infotainment set-up at the top of the centre stack which, quite frankly, is ordinary. It's cumbersome, a bit complicated and not vaguely intuitive.

This screen also services climate control functions in perfunctory style, and things like tethering to a mobile phone is more difficult than needs be.

The instrument panel is also all-digital screen and does the job competently, even if it lacks the graphics and functionality offered by other digital instrument panels. Still, it's a pass mark.

However some of the information (such as odometer) is displayed in such minute type it is near impossible to read from the normal seated position.

The H6 is a competent performer on the open road, where it cruises quietly and comfortably without any particular noise intrusion. It's here that the engine and transmission are at their best.

Around town, it's slightly less confident, and we encountered some serious wheel-spin during one uphill takeoff on a damp, slippery road. It begs the question over how effective its traction control and dynamic stability controls would be on other surfaces, although it's possible that the tyres were partly to blame.

The ride is compliant, steering is quite accurate although prone to a touch of understeer when pushed into sharp bends, and road imperfections are soaked up competently. All-wheel-drive is available only on the top-spec model, as an extra, which should do away with any pretence of this being an off-road machine.

Importantly for families, it offers a seven-year warranty with unlimited kilometres, with capped-price servicing at 12-month intervals.

The H6 is one of the top-selling home-grown models in China, where it attracts roughly one million new buyers every year. That's the same volume as the entire Australian motor industry, all on one model.

It won't come anywhere near that many sales Down Under, but its ease of use, space and comfort and generous equipment levels will set the bar higher for other Chinese models to follow.

Before too long, they might just be challenging those Korean and Japanese brands.

GWM HAVAL H6 LUX

* HOW BIG? Comparably-sized to rivals like the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4, it offers a roomy cabin as well as a standard 600L of cargo space, which compares favourably.

* HOW FAST? It's quite a willing performer with more zip than most of its rivals. The dual-clutch transmission is slick and fast-shifting too, affording the H6 plenty of get up and go.

* HOW THIRSTY? Official consumption is 7.4L/100km. While not quite best in class, it is one of the better performers against its competitors. The AWD model is slightly thirstier at 8.3L/100km.

* HOW MUCH? Starting prices for the H6 start at $30,990 drive away, representing good value. The H6 Lux test machine adds plenty of extra kit for $33,990.