Haval’s flagship SUV, the blocky H9 off-roader has launched in markets outside China, and is on the cusp of receiving a new 2.4-litre diesel engine option from the Cannon Alpha ute.
Despite belonging to the Haval SUV range in GWM’s stable of brands, the H9 is based on a ladder frame and has proper off-road aspirations, with front and rear differential locks, 800mm of wading depth, and significant suspension travel.
It has only been offered in China with a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine (producing 165kW/385Nm) mated to an eight-speed ZF-sourced automatic transmission, but it is now being exported to the Middle East and Russia.
The 2.4-litre turbo diesel engine option also launches next week in China. Already existing in the Cannon Alpha ute, this unit produces 135kW/480Nm paired to a GWM in-house nine-speed torque converter automatic.
Speaking to CarsGuide a local GWM spokesperson said the H9 was very much still an option for the Australian market, but as we already get the Tank 500 it was still considering the business case for yet another off-roader as part of its local line-up.
Previously, it was a hard “no” for the H9 when it was first revealed ahead of the Beijing Motor Show this year, but the local division’s tune changed post-show, with GWM’s local communications boss, Steve Maciver telling Australian media “It’s safe to say we’re impressed with the product. We could have a second seven-seater in our market, but obviously pricing is key to that.”
.jpg)
“There could be some price differential in that the Tank 500 has technology and features the H9 doesn’t need. The Haval SUV strategy is to be capable, but not as capable as the Tank series.”
He also suggested there was a push from GWM HQ to have the H9 as a hero product, even in export markets, and that, if they wanted it, right-hand drive is definitely possible if the business case added up.
.jpg)
On the topic of pricing, the H9 does look set to land in a sweet spot between the H6 family mid-size SUV and the Tank 500 off-roader, with Chinese pricing for petrol versions landing it comfortably in the $50,000 to $60,000 price range, just as predicted. Maciver also indicated the H9 would only be a seven-seat option if it were to launch in Australia, in order for Haval to have a seven-seater as part of its line-up, and for the model to carve out an appropriate niche and set itself apart from the Tank 300.
Maciver previously indicated if the H9 were to launch in Australia, the petrol engine would have been the more likely of the two engine options thanks to the incoming new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES), which make steps to synchronise Australia's emissions policies with European standards by 2030. The company now told CarsGuide diesel was still in the mix thanks to concessions for ladder-frame vehicles built into the laws.
.jpg)
He said there were “no more diesel models to confirm for 2025” aside from the already-locked-in Tank 300 diesel, but the option wasn’t off-the-table going forward for GWM despite the new rules.
“It’s not ‘no’ to diesel going forward, we’re continuing to develop all of those powertrain options, because we want to give customers the choice,” he said.
.jpg)
He also said generally, GWM was in a “relatively good position for NVES” and its position would be further bolstered by a further three to four hybrid variants or models arriving next year.
The over five-meter-long H9 would serve as an affordable alternative for buyers not impressed by the circa-$10,000 increase to the popular Toyota Prado (now from $72,500 before on-roads), offering a more boldly-styled and just-as-capable 4x4 option in the same price-bracket as ute-based SUVs like the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X, and Toyota Fortuner.
.jpg)
GWM will be pushing its advantage in Australia as a comparatively early and now established new player, as it faces new challenges from BYD and its Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute, as well as JAC with its T9 ute and the re-launch of Foton under Subaru importer, Inchcape.