Early facelift for 2027 GWM Haval H7 as the mid-size SUV gets a more appealing look to better take on 2028 BYD Sealion 8 and Chery Tiggo 8

GWM is set to replace the controversially designed H7 hybrid mid-sized SUV sooner than expected with a variation of a Chinese-market alternative.

Offering completely different styling, three-row seating availability and a tech-heavy plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) system, it is expected to launch in Australia later this year as the 2027 H7.

It is based on the Menglong – which translates to Raptor in China – that launched back in 2023 in China, rather than the second-gen Big Dog of the same vintage that Australia knows as the existing H7. The 2027 H7 has been recently facelifted with a new nose treatment as well as the addition of a long-wheelbase version known as the Plus.

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Whether that suffix transfers over is yet to be confirmed. The Menglong/H7 is also known as the V7 in some other markets.

According to a GWM spokesperson speaking to Australian journalists at the China Auto Show in Beijing, we should expect to see both the five-seat and seven-seat models in time.

“We will probably see the long-wheelbase model as well as the short-wheelbase version of the (Menglong),” he said.

In China, the Menglong/H7 Plus features GWM’s latest Hi4 PHEV powertrain, with a four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, two electric motors for all-wheel drive and a large battery pack underneath offering decent EV-only range of at least 140km.

GWM Haval H7 Big Dog

2026 GWM Haval H7 Plus

This would make it a direct rival to other seven-seater SUVs, like the BYD Sealion 8 PHEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Kia Sorento PHEV and Chery Tiggo 8 PHEV, suggesting a starting price north of $60,000.

In contrast, the Big Dog-based H7 as sold in Australia right now is a smaller five-seater SUV with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol hybrid system driving the front wheels only, despite its chunky styling suggesting 4x4 capability. It's offered as a single grade only, that currently starts from $46,990 drive-away.

Like the latter, the Menglong/H7 Plus is a monocoque-bodied SUV (related to the H6) with a transverse engine layout, meaning it will probably be a largely on-road-only proposition, though with some off-road clearances and additional technology for light 4x4 duties in line with its boxy, rugged styling.

This makes sense for GWM, since the visually similar Tank 300 and its larger 500 cousin are proper 4WD SUVs with tough body-on-frame construction, meaning they appeal to a different type of consumer compared to the more urbane H7 Plus.

The availability of a seven-seater PHEV model also opens the Haval up to a broader audience, so it should prove more popular than the existing model.

With just 369 sales in the first four months of this year in Australia, the current H7 trails the H6’s 5000-plus result by a considerable margin.