All-new Haval GT has sporty pretensions

IT was BMW that came up with the idea first; to have an SUV with a sporty, coupéstyle, rear-end instead of the plump, 'I-canswallow-a-tumble-dryer' boot section.

The X6 was the first and proved to be so popular that Mercedes-Benz and Audi quickly copied the idea, designing their own coupé-styled SUVs.

Since then, Mazda showed us how they think it should be done with the CX-30 and VW too, as with the T-Roc.

Haval is the latest manufacturer to become a member of the 'more-sporty-than-practical' SUV club.

Autodealer drove the new H6 GT to find out what this coupé-style SUV offers.

Sporty

Haval got the styling right.

The H6 GT has that same 'pouncing' stance as the BMW X6 and the SUV being quite large (4.65m long by 1.88m wide and 1.73m high), it has quite a domineering presence, especially with its aggressively-shaped headlights and large frontal air intakes.

It turns heads with two spoilers (roof and boot), the yellow brake calipers visible behind the 19-inch black alloys, and twin exhaust pipes shouting out that this vehicle is not your average SUV.

The Haval H6 GT definitely taks the talk, but can it walk the walk too?

Yes it can!

Under the bonnet the H6 GT runs a 155kW, four-cylinder 2.0-litre which is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sending drive to all four wheels.

Put it in Race Mode and things start happening quite fast, almost too fast.

The exhaust tone gets hoarse to the point where it makes everybody in the immediate surrounds want to find out what car it is, and the gearbox shifts down so quickly that driving in heavy traffic asks for intense driver concentration.

Luckily there's Normal Mode because driving an oversized SUV which wants to be a race car can become tiring after a while.

Loaded

The H6 GT interior exudes class; it’s well appointed with good quality materials.

The leather-trimmed seats with suede inserts are comfortable and give the cabin a premium feel.

Fit and finish appear to be excellent, while the colouring on the stitching matches the finish of the brake calipers (bright yellow in this case).

With the H6 GT boasting the same Super Luxury spec as the top-of-therange 'normal' H6 derivative, it is stacked with niceties such as a wireless-charging pad, Apple Carplay- and Android Auto compatibility, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control and a panoramic sunroof.

The vehicle also comes with just about every modern active and passive safety feature you can think of, such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control with Stop and Go, forwardcollision warning, lane-keep assist and lanedeparture warning.

Verdict

The new H6 GT is Haval's flagship SUV and delivers what it promises; style, luxury plus performance, but it's not quite the bargain preposition that we've come to associate with Chinese-made vehicles over the years.

At R640 000 it's expensive, but you do get a lot for your money when compared to what else is available in that category.

And, to be a bit cocky, the Haval brand has gone beyond being a cheap Chinese alternative.

The cars have become quite desirable and the brand's monthly sales figures reflect that.