GWM Haval H6 vs Lexus IS300H
What's the difference?

GWM Haval H6

$34,490 - $49,490

2026 price

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Lexus IS300H

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2021 price

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Chery Tiggo 8 PRO MAX

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz EQ-Class

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mercedes-Benz G63

Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class

Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class

Mini Countryman

Mitsubishi ASX

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Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Summary

2026 GWM Haval H6

2021 Lexus IS300H

By Jack Quick

By Tom White

Safety Rating

Engine Type

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Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

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Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

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4.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Still very affordable
Even more standard kit
Better storage spaces

Sleek and efficient hybrid drive
Graceful ride
Spec improvements

Dislikes

Reliance on touchscreen
Wallowy ride
Disappointing rear visibility

Slow
Busy interior design
Fiddly and over-complicated software

2026 GWM Haval H6 Summary

GWM’s Haval H6 has been a solid budget-oriented mid-size family SUV for years now, but now it might be a better package than ever.

This current model has just received a mid-life update that brings new looks inside and out, new powertrain options, as well as a revised trim level structure.

Competition in the mid-size SUV segment is hotter than ever with fierce rivals like the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson.

Is the updated GWM Haval H6 worth considering? Read on to find out.

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2021 Lexus IS300H Summary

One question frequently discussed in the skunkworks of the CarsGuide office is: What exactly does Lexus stand for?

When the brand debuted its original export-market IS sedan in 1999 the messaging was more or less clear: Toyota’s premium sub-brand was here to be a Japanese BMW.

The brand even employed Nobuaki Katayama – chief engineer on the iconic Corolla AE86 program – to again take the reins of its small rear-wheel drive sedan program.

As the years went on though, Lexus changed. Fundamentally geared toward the US market, the second-generation (wild IS F aside) became a bit more sedate and softer around the edges, while the third generation strayed even further from the sedan’s performance-inspired roots, leaning into a plush interior, hybrid drive, and even CVT transmissions.

This brings us to today’s Lexus IS. Essentially a heavy facelift of the third generation (which arrived back in 2013), the brand has “reimagined” its core sedan with a tweaked design and updated technology for 2021.

Is it enough to keep it relevant against its ever-present European rivals and the newly arrived threat from Hyundai’s Genesis G70? I took a signature IS300h hybrid for a week to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 GWM Haval H6 2021 Lexus IS300H

Verdict

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.

Verdict

Smooth, cosy, quiet, the IS looks and feels better than ever, but without a doubt this hybrid version is a car best suited to cruising the dense metropolis of Chiba at midnight more than it is carving up a bunch of S-bends in the Australian countryside on the weekend.

While that might still limit its appeal for fans of German sports luxury sedans and place it further from the original IS’s ambitions, it does offer an intriguing efficiency and luxury focused alternative, without the compromises brought by rivals with more sporting intent. In a way then, the IS 300h perhaps inadvertently best embodies what Lexus is as a brand.

GWM Haval H6 vs Lexus IS300H What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

GWM Haval H6 vs Lexus IS300H
What's the difference?