GWM Haval H6 vs Kia Stonic

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.

Unlike a lot of rivals in this segment, the Stonic's actually quite a bit of fun to drive, and that alone earns it a tick from me.

Yes, it can feel underpowered in places, especially when you're trying to do high-speed overtakes or if you're on a really engaging road and on and off the accelerator. But just cruising around, the little powertrain gives you plenty to get around the city.

And I guess that is the point. This does feel like a very city-friendly vehicle, even if it is undeniably showing its age in places.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with meals provided.

Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics (https://www.carsguide.com.au/ethics), and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.

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.

I'm not gonna spend too much time on the exterior design, because from most angles it largely looks a lot like a Kia Stonic, right? The big exterior change occurred up front, where the old Kia 'face' was retired, and replaced with an LED-trimmed front-end more in keeping with modern Kia models.

It is a tale of good and bad in the cabin of the Stonic. The good is the fact that it all feels very familiar and very Kia, which isn't a bad thing.

Th bad is some of the door materials aren't just cheap and hard plastic, but they feel a bit flimsy in places as well. Same with the centre console plastics. There are some elements where you could definitely lift up the ambience in the interior.

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.

In the GT-Line trim, you get the twin screen setup, which looks sharp, and I do like Kia's multi-function control bar, which takes care of things like navigation and media on the one digital screen.

It really is feeling a little bit old school in places. There's no wireless phone mirroring, for example, so you need to plug in. And even then you need to plug in with a USB-A rather than a USB-C, despite having both plugs at your disposal.

The other thing is that the GT-Line is almost $36k before on-road costs. And there are places where it just doesn't feel like that much money.

It's a case of what you see is what you get in the back seat of the Stonic. And what you see is... not that much.

There are two USB-C ports in the more expensive trims. There are bottle holders in each of the doors, but no cup holders, and no pull-down seat divider. It is a fairly sparse back seat experience.

What you do get, however, is the luxury of space. Sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I had absolutely no problem with knee room and no problem with head room. In fact, even as an almost full-size adult, I reckon I could sit back there pretty comfortably, even on longer road trips.

The big news is the addition of a 48-volt mild hybrid system, and that 48-volt battery is under the boot floor. But because it's hidden under a flat partition, it actually doesn't impact boot space.

Kia is still claiming 352 litres with the rear seats in place and 1155 litres with the rear seats folded flat. You do, however, miss out on some under-boot storage. And there's no spare wheel to speak of, just a tyre repair kit.

You can have your Stonic in three flavours, the S, Sport and GT-Line, with retail pricing stepping from $28,180, to $32,290, to the range-topping $35,740 respectively.

The S is pretty basic in terms of kit, riding on 16-inch alloys, nabbing LED lights and daytime running lights, cloth seats, manual air-con and a six-speaker stereo. Tech comes via an 8.0-inch central screen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (but make sure you pack a USB-A cable to make it work, which feels very old school), as well as a 4.2-inch driver display and a smart key with push-button start.

The Sport packs in plenty more. Your alloys are now 17 inches, you get LED front fog lights, and your cloth seats now have synthetic leather trim. You also get centre console storage, single-zone climate control, a better feeling steering wheel and shifter, and rain-sensing wipers. You also get a bigger 12.0-inch central screen, extra USB-C ports and access to the Kia Connect app and over-the-air updates.

Finally, the GT-Line rides on a unique 17-inch alloy wheel design, and nabs a sunroof, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and ambient interior lighting. It gets the full Kia twin-screen treatment, with two 12.3-inch displays handling infotainment and driving data, and you get a wireless charger.

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.

All Stonics get the same powertrain. A clever three-cylinder, 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 48-volt mild hybrid assistance. That means 88kW and 172Nm (up from 74kW). It has a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

We don’t have an official zero-to-100km/h time, but I’m estimating in excess of 10 seconds.

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.

The 48-volt system helps drop both fuel use and C02 emissions, with the Stonic pegged at 5.0L/100kms on the combined cycle and 116g/km for emissions, both of which are lower numbers than the last model.

The Stonic’s 45-litre tank could theoretically deliver a circa-900km driving range.

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.

It is a really interesting drive proposition, this Stonic.

First and foremost, it does feel really well sorted in places. The steering has a nice weight to it. It's nice and direct. The ride is comfortable. It can get a little bit crashy over the harsher bumps, which actually isn't all that common in Kia products – like if you hit a cat's eye at speed, for example, you can definitely feel it in the cabin – but generally it's an engaged and comfortable drive.

Similarly, going around corners, even at speed, there's not a huge amount of body roll. The tires grip up pretty well, and it's really not a bad thing to throw around corners.

Where it gets interesting, though, is in its power delivery. At city speeds, so 50 or 60km/h, it's nice and easy and quiet. If you're gentle with the accelerator, and patient, it accrues speed in quite a calm, considered manner, without feeling overly sluggish.

Where it does start to fall apart a little bit, which is when you're at speed, say on a freeway for example, and you pull out to overtake and really plant your foot, and find there's really not a lot there. It can mean overtaking takes a lot longer than you might think. 

If you're on a really challenging road and you're kind of on the gas, on the brakes, on the gas and on the brakes, it can feel a little bit wheezy and uncertain, too, which is no doubt a byproduct of that relatively tiny powertrain.

We're definitely not talking rocket ship acceleration, and nor is it all that quiet in the cabin when you really start to wring its neck, which you will do occasionally.

But I think I've really stepped away from what this vehicle is supposed to be and what it's supposed to do. If you are easy with the accelerator, it can be a really calm, quiet cabin experience. And if you do find yourself on a twisting road, it actually sits and grips better than you might be thinking as well.

But there is no doubt the Stonic shines brightest in the city.

There’s no immediate plan to crash test the new Stonic, meaning its five-star rating has now expired.

All models get things like lane keeping assist with lane follow assist, and blind spot collision avoidance and front and rear parking sensors. The S also gets auto emergency braking (AEB) with car, pedestrian and cyclist avoidance, but the Sport and GT-Line both add junction turning to the system.

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 Stonic is covered by Kia’s seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty, with capped-price servicing covering the warranty term.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000kms, and all seven services will set you back $3780 combined.