GWM Haval H6 vs Haval H9

What's the difference?

The GWM Haval H6 has always been a value buy as a mid-size family SUV and although it previously wouldn’t have been at the top of my shopping list, this mid-life update has changed my mind.

It’s now more stylish inside and out, has more ergonomic storage and most importantly remains a cut-price offering.

Things aren’t perfect, as you still need to rely on the touchscreen for many key features and the suspension tune isn’t quite right.

There's a lot to like about the Havel H9 - it's great value, practical and spacious, packed with advanced safety tech, and also darn good looking. More comfortable seats would be an improvement and so would a better feel to the cabin materials and switchgear. 

As for the H9's on-road performance - the 2.0-litre engine isn't the most responsive and the ladder frame chassis limits its dynamics.

So, unless you need an off-road SUV the H9 is borderline overkill in the city, where you could step into something without four-wheel drive and with more car-like comfort and handling. 

Although the GWM Haval H6 has only received a mid-life update, it’s rather comprehensive.

At the front there’s a new front fascia that features a grille that's eerily similar to the outgoing Hyundai Palisade.

There’s also a new LED daytime running light signature that features a plunging light strip. You can tell it’s a little tacked on to the headlight unit which remains unchanged, though it’s a nice point of difference.

Around the side GWM has made a big point of removing all the pre-update car’s chrome highlights, which is a great step in the right direction. In its place is a swathe of black finishes. It’s noticeable around the wheel arches and door sills, as well as around the windows and on the roof rails.

At the rear there are more obvious changes, including the removal of the full-width LED light bar. This is fantastic to see because they're being done to death by car brands at the moment.

In its place are two regular LED tail-light units which still look great and inoffensive.

Other changes at the rear include a revised tailgate design that’s now more angular and sharp, plus there’s now ‘GWM’ badging where ‘Haval’ once was.

Inside there are even more changes. In fact, it’s hard to see what has carried over with this update.

One of the most obvious changes is the inclusion of a new cream synthetic leather upholstery option. It’s not to my personal tastes, nor would it be something I’d recommend for someone using this as a family car.

However, it’s a no-cost option and provides a nice point of difference from the drab-looking black synthetic leather that’s standard.

Ahead of the driver is a leather-wrapped steering wheel which now has a thicker rim than before and now features sculpted indentations at the 10 and two o’clock marks.

It’s nice, but I do prefer how the old thinner steering wheel feels in the hand, plus the spokes where the buttons are placed are still too thick and highly placed.

It’s clear GWM is still sticking with the screen-heavy approach with this updated Haval H6. There’s still a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, but a larger 14.6-inch touchscreen multimedia system that sits proudly on the dash like an iPad.

The centre console has been heavily redesigned and it now looks similar to the Leapmotor C10.

The rotary gear selector has been moved to a column-mounted unit behind the steering wheel, freeing up more space.

Overall the Haval H6 continues to present well inside with a wide range of soft-touch materials on the dashboard. There is now also a rubberised section on the centre console which feels modern and fresh for a car that’s so affordable.

The Haval H9 Ultra's design is not pioneering any new style standards but it’s a good looking beast and far more handsome than those rivals I’ve mentioned above.

I like the gigantic grille and chunky front bumper, the tall, flat roofline and even those tall tail-lights. I also like the fact the red background of the Haval badge hasn't been kept in this update.

There are some nice touches you won’t find on rivals at this price such as the puddle lamps which burn a laser projected ‘Haval’ into the footpath.

Okay, it’s not burnt into the ground, but it’s intense. There are also the illuminated door sills. Small things that make the experience a bit special and match the tough but premium exterior looks – like its insides.  

The cabin looks plush and high-end from the floor mats to the panoramic sunroof, but some elements lack a high-quality feel such as the shifter and switchgear for the windows and climate control.

Haval has obviously worked hard to get the look right, now it would be good to see if the touch and feel points can also be bettered.

The H9 is the king of the Haval line-up and it’s also the biggest at 4856mm long, 1926mm wide and 1900mm tall.

As standard both the front seats in the top-spec Haval H6 Ultra have electric adjustment. In particular, the driver’s seat has six ways of electric adjustment, plus adjustable lumbar support.

The driver’s seat itself is comfortable enough, though on longer drives I look for a little more thigh support. You’re unable to adjust either front seat to get more thigh support.

However, there’s both heating and ventilation as standard for both front seats. The steering wheel is also heated which has been a godsend in the cold Melbourne weather.

The buttons on the new thicker steering wheel now control different functions. There’s no longer a stalk dedicated to the cruise control, instead this is now done on the steering wheel itself.

Also on the right-hand side of the steering wheel there are still buttons that change the volume, but when you click just above the volume rocker it changes their function to altering what’s on the digital instrument cluster. I’m sure you’d get used to this if you owned this car, but initially it messes with your head.

Another thing is given the gear selector is now behind the steering wheel, the wiper controls are now on the indicator stalk. This now also means there’s no proper buttons or stalk to adjust the headlights.

Instead you need to either use the touchscreen or press the ‘auto’ button on the dashboard. Unless you frequently change your headlight settings, this likely won’t be an issue.

The 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster now has updated graphics and looks high-resolution. The interface is still dark, however, and you can only adjust the content on the right-hand side.

Moving across the larger touchscreen multimedia system looks fantastic and is a breeze to navigate thanks to the shortcut keys on the right and the handy swipe-down control centre menu.

There’s now wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality in this car which is fantastic to see. It’s particularly good because if you want to use the wired version of either, the USB-A port to access this is still on the passenger side of the centre console.

However, while you’re using smartphone mirroring you can’t access the handy swipe-down control centre menu. You need to exit and go back to the native interface to use it, which completely undermines its existence.

Another gripe is there still aren’t many physical buttons around the H6's cabin, with only a few for select climate control functions. To change the temperature, for example, you either need to use the touchscreen or the voice assistant, which isn’t always intuitive.

Thanks to the relocation of the gear selector, storage in the centre console has improved massively. There are two cupholders, a wireless charger that now features ventilation to keep your phone cool, as well as another storage nook for your keys.

Other storage highlights up front include a large space under the centre console, a centre console box, a glovebox, as well as big door pockets with bottle holders.

Moving to the second row, this is where Chinese SUVs shine. At a leggy 182cm I have plenty of space behind my own driving position.

The rear bench is reclined a touch and plenty comfortable enough for longer trips. You could easily fit three adults in the back thanks to the minimal centre tunnel intrusion.

Second-row amenities include centre console-mounted air vents, a USB-A and USB-C port, as well as a fold-down armrest with cupholders.

At the back there’s now a hands-free power tailgate that’s standard across the line-up, except for the entry-level H6 Lux petrol trim. It’s very easy to use and particularly handy if you’ve got full hands.

The boot area in the Haval H6 is decent and there’s no load lip, making lugging items in and out a lot easier. GWM claims there’s 560L of boot space with the rear seats upright, which is great for the segment.

There are few boot-related amenities besides a single hook, 12V socket and a cargo blind.

Disappointingly there’s no spare wheel under the boot floor of the H6 Hybrid. Instead there’s only a tyre repair kit, which is surprisingly common among hybrids as the space where a spare wheel would typically go is taken up by the high-voltage battery pack.

The Haval H9 Ultra is super practical and that's not just because it's big. There are larger SUVs with far less practicality. It's the way the Haval H9 is packaged that's impressive.

For starters, I can sit in all three rows without my knees touching the seatbacks, and I'm 191cm tall. Headroom is getting tighter in the third row, but that's normal in a seven-seat SUV and there's more than enough space for my noggin when in the pilot's seat and middle row.

Cabin storage is great with six cupholders on board (two up front, two in the middle row and two for the back seats). There's a large bin under the centre console armrest up front and more hidey holes around the gear shifter, a flip-out tray for those in the second row and big bottle holders in the doors.

Entry and exit to the second row is made easy thanks to the wide-opening, tall doors and my four-year old son could climb into his seat by himself thanks to the rugged and grippy side steps.

Third-row seats are powered to lower and raise them into position, too.

There are air vents for all three rows, and controls for the climate in the second row.

Cargo storage is also impressive. With all three rows of seats in place there's enough room in the boot for a few small bags, but fold the third row down and you'll be given much more space.

We picked up a 3.0-metre long roll of synthetic turf and it fit in easily with the right side second-row seat folded, still leaving us with plenty of room for our son to sit in his child seat on the left.

Now the drawbacks. Access to the third row is affected by the 60/40 split of the second row with the larger folding section being on the road side.

Also the side-hinged tailgate makes it impossible to fully open if somebody parks too close behind you.  

And there's a lack of charging points on board - with only one USB port and no wireless charging pad.

The Ultra is the top grade in the Haval H9 line-up and lists for $44,990, before on-road costs.

At the time of writing you could have the H9 for $45,990 drive-away,  and depending on when you’re reading this that offer may still be in place, so check with the dealer.

As a point of reference, the Lux is the base grade H9 and lists for $40,990 before on-road costs.

Coming standard in the H9 is an 8.0-inch screen, ‘eco-leather’ seats, nine-speaker Infinity sound system, rear privacy glass, xenon headlights, laser puddle lights, proximity unlocking, three-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats (with massage function), heated second row seats, panoramic sunroof, illuminated scuff plates, aluminium pedals, matt alloy roof rails, side steps and 18-inch alloys.

That’s a stack of standard features for this price, but you’re not getting a whole lot more by going for the Ultra compared to the Lux.

Really, it comes down to brighter headlights, heated second row seats, power front seats and a better stereo. My advice is if the Ultra is too expensive, fear not because the Lux is extremely well kitted out.

Rivals to the Haval H9 Ultra include the SsangYong Rexton ELX, Toyota Fortuner GX, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX or Isuzu MU-X LS-M. All list for around that $45K mark.

Unlike the petrol and the soon-to-be introduced PHEV variants, the GWM Haval H6 Hybrid’s powertrain remains unchanged with this update.

It’s still powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that runs the Miller cycle, as well as a single electric motor that’s fed by a 1.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Total system outputs are a massive 179kW of power and 530Nm of torque.

This is mated to a Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) with drive sent to the front wheels only.

It’d be great to see an all-wheel-drive version of the Haval H6 Hybrid because it would be better able to harness the amount of power and torque better than the front-wheel-drive version can.

The Haval H9 Ultra is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 180kW/350Nm. That's the only engine in the line-up and if you're wondering why a diesel isn't offered, then you're not the only one.

If you're asking where the diesel is you're probably wondering how much petrol the H9 uses, and I have the answers for you under the next heading.

Shifting gears smoothly is an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF, the same company chosen by brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and BMW. 

The H9's ladder frame chassis and four-wheel drive system (with low range) are the right ingredients for a capable off-roader. During my time with the H9, however, I stayed on the bitumen. 

The H9 comes with selectable drive modes including 'Sport', 'Sand', 'Snow' and 'Mud'. There's a hill descent feature, too. 

The braked towing capacity of the H9 is 2500kg and Haval says the maximum fording depth is 700mm.

GWM claims the Haval H6 Hybrid consumes 5.2L/100km on the combined cycle (ADR 81/02).

During my testing I matched this figure, according to the trip computer, which is surprising as not many hybrid cars actually achieve their fuel consumption claims.

All Haval H6 variants, excluding the PHEVs, have a 61L fuel tank and require a minimum of 91 RON regular unleaded petrol.

GWM claims you can travel 1000km on a full tank of petrol in the Haval H6 Hybrid, but using my as-tested fuel consumption you can theoretically travel up to 1170km.

I travelled 171.5km in the H9 but in my 55km loop of motorways and urban roads I used 6.22 litres of petrol, which comes to 11.3L/100km (the on-board read-out said 11.1L/100km).  

That's not terrible for a seven-seat SUV. Admittedly, I was the only person on board and the vehicle wasn't loaded up. You can expect that fuel figure to rise with more cargo and people piling in.

The official combined cycle fuel consumption claim for the H9 is 10.9L/100km, while the tank has an 80-litre capacity.

A pleasant surprise is that the H9 has a fuel-saving stop-start system, but a not-so pleasant surprise is that it needs to be fed a minimum of 95 RON premium fuel.

Starting the GWM Haval H6, it’s generally quiet, but if the engine is bone cold it’ll fire it up to get the fluids warmed up.

Once the engine reaches an operating temperature it’ll typically switch off allowing you to drive around on electric power alone.

Depending on how much charge the battery has and also how cold the weather is, it can be surprising just how electric-heavy the H6 Hybrid can be. There were times where I accelerated all the way from standstill to 60km/h on pure electric power, then others where I was travelling along at 80-90km/h and the engine would shut off.

When you’re driving around in EV mode the car is super quiet. Under 20km/h though the car emits a noise that’s meant to alert pedestrians. You’re able to choose from two different noises and while neither bothered me, they did frustrate my passengers.

When the battery charge starts to deplete, or when you push the accelerator a little harder, the engine does naturally turn on. You can’t feel any drop off in terms of acceleration, though you can hear the engine turn on and start whirring away under the bonnet. Thankfully it’s nowhere near as loud and droney as a RAV4 Hybrid, for example.

With a massive 179kW and 530Nm, that’s a lot for a car that’s just front-wheel drive. In practice however, acceleration is rather linear, though if you do punt the accelerator the front wheels can get overwhelmed. It’s by no means a sports car.

There are three levels of regenerative braking available, including an additional one for one-pedal driving, which is quite rare for a hybrid car. For the majority of my driving I used the normal regen mode because it felt the most natural.

Unlike some hybrids, there’s no awkward interaction between the regenerative braking system and the traditional friction brakes. It can sometimes be a little jerky navigating in tight spots, but slowing down to a stop generally feels linear and normal.

There are also three settings you can choose for the steering feel. Although I sampled them all, the middle Comfort setting felt the most natural as the Light setting was too light and Sport was too firm.

Unlike some Chinese SUVs, the Haval H6’s steering feels like it has some connection to the wheels, though it’s not the most direct or fun to steer.

This feeds into the suspension. It’s clear the Haval H6 is still tuned for comfort because while it does iron out a lot of bumps, it gets overwhelmed easily with harsh or more continuous bumps. When this happens it can jostle and wallow around a bit, making it feel a bit like a boat.

Hopefully GWM is working on something for this because it did hire ex-Holden Lead Engineer of Vehicle Dynamics, Rob Trubiani, earlier this year as a Product Engineering Manager.

On the parking front, the Haval H6 comes with front and rear parking sensors, as well as a surround-view camera with fantastic quality. There’s also a handy semi-autonomous parking assist and a reversing assist.

Despite this, the Haval H6 is on the upper limit of what’s typically regarded as a medium SUV and it feels like it. This isn’t helped by its wide turning circle, meaning you’ll likely have to do some three-point turns in tight carparks.

Visibility has always been a sore spot for the Haval H6 and this remains the case with the update. Although you have an elevated seating position, the bonnet sits high, making you feel like you’re sitting in the car, rather than on it.

This continues with the rear visibility as the rear window is quite small.

It’s nice GWM has gone to the effort of reducing the amount of bings and bongs the safety systems make in this updated Haval H6. There’s one for the speed limit assist, though it only chimes once and not very loudly.

However, when you activate or deactivate adaptive cruise control the car talks to you with an artificial Australian woman’s voice telling you it's either on or off and to pay attention. This feels a little unnecessary.

The H9's ladder frame chassis will work to its advantage off the road, providing good rigidity, but as with any body-on-frame vehicle on-road dynamics aren't going to be its forte.

So, the ride is soft and comfortable (the rear multi-link suspension set up would be a major part of that) the overall driving experience can be a little agricultural. These aren't show-stopping issues, and you'll find the same in a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Isuzu MU-X.

More disappointing are the things Haval could easily fix. The seats are flat and not the most comfortable, the steering is a little slow, and that engine has to work hard and isn't particularly responsive.

There are also some strange quirks, too. The altimeter read-out said I was at 8180m driving through Marrickville in Sydney (Everest is 8848m) and the auto parking system is more of a guide which tells you how to park rather than doing it for you.

Imagine being 16 again and being coached by your mum or dad and you've got the idea.

That said the H9 handled life with my family without breaking a sweat. It's easy to drive, with good visibility, great insulation from the outside world and excellent headlights (the Ultra gets the brighter 35-watt xenons).

So while it's not the most adept and comfortable car on the road, I feel the H9 could be better suited to off-roading adventures. As I mentioned earlier, I only tested it's on-road performance, but keep an eye out for any future off-road tests we do with the H9.

When the Haval H9 was tested by ANCAP in 2015 it received a four-star rating from a possible five. In 2018 Haval updated the safety tech on board and all H9s now come standard with lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane changing assist, AEB and adaptive cruise control.

It's great to see that this equipment has been added, although the H9 has not yet been re-tested and we're yet to see how it would score with the updated tech.

Also coming standard are front and rear parking sensors.

For child seats you'll find three top tether points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row.

A full-sized alloy wheel is located under the car - as you can see in the images. 

The GWM Haval H6 continues to be covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while variants with a high-voltage battery pack have that covered under an eight-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.

There’s also five years of complimentary roadside assistance and the first five services are capped priced.

Logbook servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, though the first service is required after 12 months or 10,000km.

During the five five years of ownership, servicing the updated Haval H6 Hybrid costs a total of $2145, which averages out to around $430 per service. That’s not bad but a Toyota RAV4 and a Honda CR-V are cheaper to service.

The Haval H9 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended at six month/10,000km intervals.