What's the difference?
Another new mid-size SUV from China has landed in Australia, but this time from a brand you might already be familiar with.
The GWM Haval H7 is the third Haval-badged SUV to land in Australia built on the unfortunately-named LEMON platform, following the Jolion small SUV and the H6 mid-size SUV.
Speaking of unfortunate names, 'H7' seems a little dull when you consider its native name in China is ‘Big Dog’.
GWM says the H7 lands between the family-friendly H6 and the more rugged Tank 300, but with only a single front-wheel-drive variant available, is this dog more bark than bite?
Hybrid campers tread the line between caravan comfort and camper trailer-manoeuvrability and are touted as somewhat of a new thing; almost an evolution of comfort as more people look for a perfect camping experience.
But camper-trailers like the Cub Longreach LE prove that the concept has been around for decades.
It hasn't always been called the Longreach, but this high-walled, super-sized, off-road camper-trailer was one of the first to offer caravan-like comfort and space in a product that'll go anywhere off-road*. (* In terms of reasonable use and having obviously scrutinised your camper's warranty conditions before setting off to make sure you're covered for that sort of usage.)
The 2019 LE takes the comfort levels even further, so we grabbed one for a night to check it out.
The H7 might struggle to secure a big chunk of the mid-size SUV market, which is probably why GWM is only offering one variant, but if you like the way this Big Dog looks, there’s a decent SUV underneath the boxy surface.
While it’s no dynamic masterpiece, there are no big issues in day-to-day driving, and even though the boot space is small it’s an otherwise decent interior to live with, if you don’t mind the busy design.
Being just a little more expensive than the more traditional looking H6 means the H7 feels well-placed to find itself in the driveway of those few buyers who want their family car to look a little more rugged, even if the car doesn’t have the off-road chops to back it up.
This isn’t the camper for everyone – my guess is that plenty of people look at this and find it too sparse, too basic. I kinda get it.
But there are very few campers which offer the same amount of open, internal space, or that are as easy to set up.
That the Longreach, albeit with a few different names, has lasted so long on the Cub Campers' product roster is a testament to its versatility and ability to accommodate a small family on off-road camper trips.
It's arguably one of the forerunners of the hybrid camper scene, and it's now starting to evolve with campers' desires for more comfort.