GWM Haval H7 vs Ssangyong Rexton

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?

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.