GWM Haval H6GT vs Ssangyong Rexton

What's the difference?

GWM’s Haval H6 competes in the highly congested ‘Medium SUV under $65K’ segment of Australia’s new car market where a staggering 22 brands and more than 30 models compete for buyers.

GWM recently released the latest MY26 generation of its Haval H6GT PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle), which replaces the original H6GT introduced as GWM’s first PHEV in 2025.

The new H6GT PHEV heralds the introduction of GWM’s ‘Hi4’ intelligent hybrid all-wheel-drive technology along with an upgraded interior design, which now aligns with the broader H6 range and is headlined by integration of the Chinese brand's latest Coffee OS multimedia system.

We recently spent a week aboard this sporty premium model of the H6 range to see if it ticks the right boxes to win buyers in this competitive market segment.

Aussie buyers could be excused for being wary of SsangYong, given the marque’s chequered history involving numerous ownership changes, crippling debts and in 2021 its rescue from the jaws of receivership by Korean industrial conglomerate KG Group.

However, the KG Group’s corporate rehabilitation of the troubled carmaker was completed in 2022, allowing the renewed SsangYong Motor (renamed KG Mobility in Korea) to hopefully focus on its core business of producing 4x4 SUVs and pick-ups, with increasing use of electrification planned for future model development.

As part of this renewal, in late 2023 SsangYong Australia announced MY24 updates to refresh its local 4x4 Musso ute and Rexton seven-seater SUV ranges, which, combined with a Merv Hughes-hosted marketing campaign, is aimed at building brand appeal and sales through its 70-plus national dealer network.

We were recently handed the keys to the latest Rexton, which competes for buyers in Australia’s fiercely competitive ‘Large SUVs under $80K’ segment that hosts more than 20 rivals.