HAVAL H6 C 2,0T 2WD LUXURY 6DCT

AS Nicol said, the annual festive season break offers an opportunity to relax and spend important time with family and friends, but it also means an extended period of time driving only one vehicle, something which is not often possible in this profession. The Haval H6 C proved a competent and impressively comfy companion through a series of planned day trips with my excitable children; the only souring of the mood in the back seat was when the parking sensors muted the audio system during all reversing exercises.

I’ve commented previously on the ease of access to the rear seats afforded by the H6 C’s wide-opening doors but a further boon in terms of comfort and versatility is the presence of a flat floor area ahead of these seats. This not only allows for greater freedom of movement when, for example, loading three people in the second row, but also the potential to store items that might be called upon while in transit (including baby wipes). On the subject of the wide-opening

doors, the small grab handles on the front door cards can be difficult to reach when seated.

While the H6 C’s overall ride quality is impressive, a local section of gravel road occasionally tackled at the urging of my offspring has unearthed some crashiness, particularly through the front suspension. This is not aided, of course, by the standard 19-inch rubber fitted to this topof-the-range derivative.

I’m happy to report my average fuel consumption has finally dipped (just) below the 11,0 L/ 100 km mark, likely a combination of accumulated mileage and the ever-impressive workings of the H6 C’s Getrag-sourced dualclutch transmission.

While continuing to field questions about what make of car I’m driving, followed by the inevitable “what’s it like?”, it’s worth noting the H6 (including the new model as yet unconfirmed for SA) is Haval’s bestselling vehicle globally and helped this leading Chinese brand to recently record its five-millionth sale.