2022 Haval H9 detailed: Toyota Prado-rivalling Chinese SUV scores revised look inside and out

Haval’s updated H9 large SUV has surfaced in its home market of China, showing off a new exterior look and a modernised interior, but will the new Toyota Prado-rivalling model make its way Down Under?

Speaking to CarsGuide, GMW Haval Australia marketing boss ruled out the new H9 for local consumption, saying "the facelift unveiled in Chengdu isn’t in our plans", but the nameplate "will continue in its current form here in Australia".

Regardless, the 2022 H9 sports a fresh face thanks to a new vertical-bar chrome grille, updated headlights and fresh bumper with reworked foglights.

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In profile, the new H9 looks largely the same as before, retaining the fake front fender vent, 18-inch wheel design, lower-door cladding, roof racks and creased belt line.

From behind, the new H9 looks the same as the current version, though the Chinese-market version features a boot-mounted spare wheel whereas the Australian-spec car repositions this underneath.

The cabin has also been slightly reworked to accommodate a larger central multimedia touchscreen, though to exactly what size is currently unknown.

As such, the central vents have been moved to below the screen, with the climate controls and central tunnel carrying over largely unchanged.

In China, the H9 makes use of a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine outputting 165kW/324Nm, whereas Australian versions are tuned to 180kW/350Nm.

The current Haval H9.

Paired to the engine is an eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission that sends drive to all four wheels, while off-road equipment including a transfer case, rear differential lock and All-Terrain Control System are featured in the current car.

GWM Haval has ambitions to become a top 10 brand in Australia over the coming years, underpinned by 12 fresh products over the next 36 months.

The deluge has already begun, with the new-generation H6 and H2-replacing Jolion SUVs already in showrooms, while a hybrid version of the former will arrive before year’s end to take on the popular Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

Now with the GWM Ute in its stable, the Chinese brand is also hoping to steal attention away from the market-leading Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger, while plans to introduce the off-road-focused Tank brand are already underway.

Similar in size and design to the new Haval H9 is the recently-revealed Tank 600, with the latter set to pack a 260kW/500Nm punch thanks to a petrol 3.0-lite turbocharged engine.