Haval ramps up the appeal with new Jolion crossover
Keenly-priced Chinese SUV offers modern vibes and plenty of features, writes Denis Droppa
Haval has bolstered SA’s ever-growing SUV segment with the new Jolion, a compact crossover that has keen pricing, eye-catching styling and high spec levels as its calling cards.
At 4,472mm in length the Chinese vehicle rivals more expensive SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Mazda CX-5, Peugeot 3008 and VW Tiguan in terms of size. In price it is a competitor to smaller SUVs such as the Volkswagen T-Cross and Hyundai Venue.
The Jolion (derived from the Chinese word Chulian which means “first love”), slots between the smaller H2 and larger H6 in Haval’s local range, but will essentially replace the H2 as that vehicle is in its runout phase.
The Jolion is available in five model variants, all powered by a 1.5l petrol turbo engine with outputs of 105kW and 210Nm. They are all front-wheel drives, available in a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dualclutch automatic.
The Jolion offers good value in a hypercompetitive market segment. At a starting price of a snip under R300,000 the baseline 1.5T City model lays on standard features such as cruise control, aircon, a touchscreen infotainment system, keyless entry with push button start, electric mirrors, daytime running lights, electronic parking brake and 17-inch alloy wheels.
The Haval Jolion has not yet been crash tested but standard safety fare includes dual front airbags, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, driver fatigue detection and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Premium spec adds a reversing camera, roof rails, leather steering wheel, downhill assist, automatic headlights and dual-zone aircon.
The Luxury model in addition has electrically-adjustable leather seats, 18-inch alloys, curtain airbags, panoramic sunroof, LED headlights, driving modes (standard, eco, sports and snow) and adjustable steering modes (sport, comfort and light).
The range-topping Super Luxury offers wireless smartphone charging, a larger touchscreen, 360° parking camera, high beam assist, head-up display, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, blind spot detection, traffic sign recognition and pre-collision warning with automatic emergency braking — all for just under R400,000.
Haval — the premium arm of working-class brand GWM — has better build quality than earlier Chinese cars and has garnered good sales as a result. The H2 sold 4,465 units in 2020 to make it the country’s fourth best-selling compact SUV after the Ford EcoSport, VW T-Cross and Hyundai Venue.
The new Jolion ramps up the appeal further with its modern styling and upmarket-looking cabin. The interior is smart and sporty with its soft touch materials, and stitching on the steering wheel and dashboard.
The digitised cabin features a virtual instrument cluster with three visual modes and a floating touchscreen.
The centre console houses a rotary dial shifter in automatic models, and there are charging points for the driver and front passenger as well as for two rear passengers.
Along with a family-sized cabin the boot offers 337l of loading space, expandable to 1,133l with the rear seats folded.
Pricing
Haval Jolion 1.5T City manual —
R299,900
Haval Jolion 1.5T Luxury manual — R332,900
Haval Jolion 1.5T Premium auto — R339,900
Haval Jolion 1.5T Luxury auto —
R367,900
Haval Jolion 1.5T Super Luxury auto — R398,900
Prices include a five-year/ 100,000km warranty and fiveyear/60,000km service plan.