GWM Haval H6GT vs Kia Niro

What's the difference?

New-car buyers wanting a medium-size SUV under $65K are faced with a bewildering choice of makes and models but the H6GT PHEV Hi4 is worthy of consideration.

Its value-for-money drive-away pricing combines a spacious and classy cabin, sporty all-wheel drive persona and rare petrol bowser visits if overnight charging and daily EV-only driving are fully utilised.

The Kia Niro S Electric is a solid little SUV that has decent space inside and some nice specs, but it's more expensive than its nearest rivals. The EV powertrain can take a little getting used to and I would have liked a smoother ride, but the 460km driving range is good.

For first-time EV owners, this wouldn’t be a bad option if you wanted to dip your toes in the water but it will suit urban dwellers and smaller families, like mine, best. This gets a 7.5/10 from me.

My son wasn’t in love with this one. Not enough buttons for him to press and he did comment on how bumpy the ride was in the back. He gives it a 6.0/10.

Although the premium GWM Haval H6GT PHEV range shares much of its underpinnings and cabin design with the regular H6 line-up, the GT has a unique and distinctly sporty persona with its coupe-style roofline and more engaging suspension tuning and steering feel.

The interior blends soft-touch surfaces, synthetic suede and exposed stitching with satin chrome and faux carbon fibre highlights resulting in a sumptuous cabin design with strong visual and tactile appeal.

In terms of wheelbase (2738mm) and overall length (4727mm) the H6GT is among the physically largest of competitors in the medium-size SUV segment, which contributes to the cabin’s roomy ambience that defies expectations that a coupe compromises interior comfort.

This effect is enhanced by the panoramic sunroof and column-mounted gear selector that frees up space on the centre console for additional storage and functionality.

It’s a compact SUV with a footprint that's 4420mm long, 1825mm wide and 1570mm tall. But while small, I wouldn’t call it cute. It’s boxier than its sibling and without any of the swoopy design elements that make the EV6 look cool. 

I do like the way the two-tone body panelling, which is seen most prominently on the C-pillar, breaks up the ‘blocky-ness’ and creates areas of interest. As do the high-mounted rear LED lights. 

Speaking of lights, the base model makes do with halogen headlights, which unfortunately stand out against the LED daytime-running lights. You’ll notice the dimmer light at night, too.

The 17-inch alloy wheels are thick for better aerodynamics but the clever two-tone colouring stops them from looking unfashionable.

The interior has a lot style cred with the curvature of the door panelling blending in almost seamlessly with the dashboard.

The gently sloping panelling that houses the multimedia systems and switchable touchscreen interface for the controls creates a very pleasing cabin space.

There are some harder plastics mixed in here but enough soft touchpoints that you won’t be bothered by them. 

Our test vehicle’s 2045kg kerb weight and 2495kg GVM (how much weight it can legally carry) allows for up to 450kg which could easily be consumed by four large adults and some light luggage.

It’s also rated to tow up to 1500kg of braked trailer which would be handy for those with recreational activities in mind like towing a light camper or bike trailer, but GWM does not publish how much weight our test vehicle can legally carry and tow at the same time.

It also offers up to 3.3kW of V2L (vehicle to load) capability using a charging port adapter to provide electricity for numerous domestic appliances, from laptops and power tools to camping equipment.

There’s ample space for the driver and front passenger along with storage including a bottle holder and bin in each door, a single glovebox and an overhead glasses holder. There’s also a two-tiered centre console with the top level providing open storage, wireless phone charging, two cupholders and a lidded box while the floor level adds more open storage plus a 12V socket and USB port.

Rear seat passengers also enjoy generous space, including tall people given I’m 186cm and when sitting behind the driver’s seat set in my position I still have 80mm of knee clearance and 80mm of head clearance. It’s a similar story in the centre seat, enhanced by a virtually flat floor with no transmission hump to straddle.

There’s also a storage bin in each rear door plus pockets on both front seat backrests. The centre seat backrest folds forward to serve as an armrest for two complete with cupholders, while the rear of the centre console provides adjustable air vents and two USB ports.

The rear luggage area offers side bins, another 12V socket and up to 392 litres of load volume with the 60:40-split rear seat backrests upright, which is ample for a weekly grocery shop. This increases to 1390 litres (almost 1.4 cubic metres) with the seats folded flat to create an extended load area.

It’s surprisingly roomy inside and all passengers will enjoy decent leg and headroom, but taller passengers will find the backseat cosier than the front.

As such, two child seats will fit best but you do have ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard positions and three top-tether points, if you need them.

The synthetic leather/cloth seat trim cleans well and is nice to touch. The seats themselves, front and rear, are well-padded and super comfortable.

The backs of the front seats can double as coat hangers and have hardened kickplates, which are always practical for little feet.

The front row gets the most amenities and tech. The 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system has clear graphics but is different to other Kia’s I’ve sampled recently. It seems to have been simplified but you’ll get used to it quickly.

There are plenty of charging options available, too, with a USB-A and C port, plus a 12-volt socket. Not needing a cable for the wireless Apple CarPlay is a bonus, too!

The front row also has the most storage space with two retractable cupholders, dedicated phone tray, glove box, middle console and skinny drink bottle holders in each door.

Back seat passengers enjoy two USB-C ports, reading lights, drink bottle holders in each door plus an armrest with two cupholders. As well as, a standard three-pin socket in case you need to run electrical gear or charge anything up on the go.

The windows are wide and offer good visibility but I really like the 150mm ground clearance. It was super easy for my six-year old to climb in and out, plus he got a good view this week!

The boot is good for this size SUV with 475L of capacity available. It does look more like a hatchback, because while you can readjust the floor to sit lower, the back still slopes up.

However, it was fine for my weekly grocery and school run. The 'frunk' storage is small at 20L, which is just big enough for a charging cable.

You don’t get a spare wheel but you do get a puncture repair kit. And being the base model, it’s not a powered tailgate but it’s not heavy to close.

There are two variants for the Niro, our base model, the S, and the range-topper GT-Line.

Despite being the base model, the Niro S will still set you back $65,300, before on-road costs. Which makes it about $5K dearer than the equivalent Kona Electric, and $20K more expensive than the ZS EV.

There is a hybrid Niro (also available in two grades), if you’re not quite ready to commit to a full EV life. The price isn’t as eye-watering, either, being just $44,380, before on-road costs.

The Niro is well-specified, though, and the driver will enjoy an electric seat with adjustable lumbar support while the passenger side remains manual.

The regenerative braking is customisable (levels 0-3), there’s an 'iPedal' function, a dual-zone climate system, reversing camera and the backs of the front seats even double as coat hangers.

The tech is also good, with an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia system, 10.25-inch digital instrument panel plus wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto all coming as standard equipment. More on the tech below.

The plug-in hybrid drivetrain in the H6GT comprises a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 110kW of power between 5500-6000rpm and 240Nm of torque across a broad rev band from 1800-4000rpm. It drives the front wheels and serves as a generator as required to maintain battery charge.

This is paired with individual electric motors on the front and rear axles, with the front motor producing 80kW and driving the front wheels while the rear motor produces 135kW and drives the rear wheels, resulting in all-wheel drive on demand. 

The combined output is rated at 321kW and 642Nm.

The automatic four-speed DHT (dedicated hybrid transmission) intelligently combines outputs from the petrol engine and electric motors to continuously optimise efficiency and performance between them, in any of the three driver-selectable power mode settings comprising EV (battery only), EV Priority (minimal engine input) and HEV (full hybrid).

The DHT also offers a selection of drive modes including ‘Normal’, ‘Sport' and ‘Eco’ plus numerous 4WD settings tailored to enhance performance on snow, sand, mud and when towing.

The Niro is a full EV and has a front-wheel drive drivetrain with a maximum output of 150kW/255Nm. It’s not as powerful as its stablemate and only has the single-motor which is powered by a 64.8kWh lithium-ion battery but going from 0-100km/h can still be achieved in 7.8 seconds. With specs like those, this is most suited for an urban setting.

The H6GT PHEV offers a comfortable and spacious position thanks to its combination of a flat-bottom steering wheel providing easy access and plenty of torso room, along with powered seat adjustment and a big left footrest. However, some rake adjustment in the base cushion would be welcome for better thigh support on longer drives.

Ride and handling benefit from GWM’s local chassis tuning input. The steering is nicely weighted and responsive, albeit best appreciated with the active lane-keeping function switched off given its tendency to harshly tug the wheel when making its steering corrections.

The hybrid drivetrain has vigorous response thanks to more than 600Nm of near-instant torque providing enough shove to accelerate rapidly from a standing start to triple-digit speeds in less than five seconds. We found the ‘Sport’ drive mode the most engaging and enjoyable but the ‘Normal’ and ‘Eco’ modes are fine for daily commuting.

Our other gripes from a driver’s point of view are that the base of the rear window is positioned quite high in the tailgate, resulting in the solid tailgate area below it restricting vision of vehicles travelling close behind when viewed through the central mirror.

We also found that the pedestrian warning sound, which automatically starts at speeds under 30km/h, is too loud inside the car and becomes annoying when crawling along in heavy traffic, negotiating tight inner-city streets or parking.

This is a pretty simple car to drive but it doesn’t feel as fun as some other EVs I’ve driven. It can even feel sluggish when you accelerate from a full stop and that makes it feel laggy in stop/start traffic.

Once you’re on your way, the acceleration is fairly responsive. You feel confident overtaking on the open road, too.

The car feels connected to the road with minimal shuddering through the steering wheel. The car responds in a timely manner when you have to make sudden moves, which I like.

Sometimes, the lane keeping aids make it feel jerky and I turned it off in some situations.

The regen braking delivers a big physical presence like the EV6 but isn’t as refined and can feel almost ‘bunny hoppy’ at times.

You can customise it up to four levels, zero being low regen and four being the iPedal. I’m not overly fond of the iPedal, so didn’t use it that much this week and kept it at level 3.

You do have to change up how you drive an EV, so this wasn’t that surprising and something I’m sure you’d get used to.

The ride comfort is pretty mixed. Around town, it’s good but there’s quite a bit of passenger movement in this. You kinda feel like you’re bobbing along sometimes, which is jolting.

You also feel the road but the seats are so comfortable, they stop it from feeling too rough. 

Surprisingly, the cabin gets very loud with wind and road noise. You can still chat but you won’t forget that it’s there, which is a shame.

I didn’t notice much difference between the drive modes, so it was kept on 'Normal', too. 

This is very easy to park! It’s a good size for even a tight car park with a 10.6m turning circle and the reversing camera is super clear, which is great. 

However, I would have liked to have seen front parking sensors, as well as the rear sensors. You can get them on the GT-line though.

The GWM Haval H6GT PHEV was awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP rating under 2022 protocols, and has seven airbags for protection in case of a collision.

It also comes standard with:

• autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and crossroads detection
• lane-keeping
• rear cross-traffic alert with autonomous braking
• front/rear parking sensors
• Surround-view parking cameras
• tyre pressure monitoring
• traffic sign recognition
• adaptive cruise control

On top of these features, the rear seat has two ISOFIX child seat anchorages and three top-tethers.

The Niro EV S has a good list of safety features, with the following being standard: LED daytime running lights, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a reversing camera (with dynamic guidelines), rear parking sensors, driver fatigue alert, check rear occupant alert and adaptive cruise control (with stop/go function).

It has auto emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as junction turning assist, which is operational from 5.0-85km/h. 

The Niro was recently awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating in 2022. It has eight airbags and that does include the newer front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the rear outboard seats and three top tethers, but two seats will fit best. And while there will be room for a 0-4 rearward facing child seat, it will encroach on front passenger comfort.

The ongoing costs are great on the Niro. It comes with Kia’s ‘better-than-average-for-the-market’ seven-year/150,000km warranty, which also covers the battery.

You get a seven-year capped-price servicing plan and services average $250 per year, which is good.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a petrol car at every 12 months or 15,000km. It’s usual to see those intervals doubled on an EV but it’s still reasonable.