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Not content with being China’s biggest auto brand, Haval is trying to win Australia over and is now throwing everything it’s got at us in the form of its H9 flagship SUV.
Think of the H9 as an alternative to seven-seat off-roaders such as the SsangYong Rexton or Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and you’re on the right track.
We tested the top-grade Ultra in the H9 range when it came to live with my family for a week.
The Hyundai Santa Fe is a seven-seater SUV that slips in-between the enormous Palisade and mid-sized Tucson in Hyundai’s line-up.
And while it seemed to be the SUV that had everything, from unconventional good looks to cool tech, there’s never been a hybrid version despite rivals such as the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and Kia Sorento hybrid being on the market... until now.
Yep, 'better late than never' isn’t just the motto of my punctuality-challenged family, it’s also the case with the Santa Fe Hybrid.
In many ways, the Santa Fe Hybrid makes up for its lateness with a drive experience better than the regular Santa Fe - and you’ll save fuel, too.
I’ll tell you how much fuel you’ll save below, along with how much more you’ll pay to own a Santa Fe Hybrid over a regular Santa Fe. I’ll also cover off its safety tech, standard features and practicality.
There's a lot to like about the Havel H9 - it's great value, practical and spacious, packed with advanced safety tech, and also darn good looking. More comfortable seats would be an improvement and so would a better feel to the cabin materials and switchgear.
As for the H9's on-road performance - the 2.0-litre engine isn't the most responsive and the ladder frame chassis limits its dynamics.
So, unless you need an off-road SUV the H9 is borderline overkill in the city, where you could step into something without four-wheel drive and with more car-like comfort and handling.
The Santa Fe Hybrid is a better Santa Fe to drive than the V6 petrol or the diesel variant. It’s also a lot more fuel efficient, but the value isn’t as great at this price. Also keep in mind that the Hybrid has a much lower braked towing capacity relative to the diesel and V6 petrol Santa Fes.
The Elite grade will save you money, and you’re not missing out on many luxuries.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
The Haval H9 Ultra's design is not pioneering any new style standards but it’s a good looking beast and far more handsome than those rivals I’ve mentioned above.
I like the gigantic grille and chunky front bumper, the tall, flat roofline and even those tall tail-lights. I also like the fact the red background of the Haval badge hasn't been kept in this update.
There are some nice touches you won’t find on rivals at this price such as the puddle lamps which burn a laser projected ‘Haval’ into the footpath.
Okay, it’s not burnt into the ground, but it’s intense. There are also the illuminated door sills. Small things that make the experience a bit special and match the tough but premium exterior looks – like its insides.
The cabin looks plush and high-end from the floor mats to the panoramic sunroof, but some elements lack a high-quality feel such as the shifter and switchgear for the windows and climate control.
Haval has obviously worked hard to get the look right, now it would be good to see if the touch and feel points can also be bettered.
The H9 is the king of the Haval line-up and it’s also the biggest at 4856mm long, 1926mm wide and 1900mm tall.
There’s only one way to tell the hybrid version of the Santa Fe from the petrol and diesel variants - the wheels. The hybrid's wheels are smaller and have a sort of ‘cog’ design to them. I’m not a fan of the styling, but they’re supposed to be aerodynamic and save fuel.
Overall, I am a fan of the Santa Fe’s looks which were given a major change in 2020 with a completely different grille and interior.
I like the way Hyundai has moved away from giving all its cars the same face, with each model now having its own visual identity.
The Santa Fe’s wide, cat fish-like gaping mouth grille might not be for everybody, but it sure doesn’t look like the front of any other SUV on the market.
The rear of the Santa Fe is far more conservative but looks prestigious enough to stop short of the boredom threshold.
It’s far from boring inside with the dash sculptured into what appear to be rock pools, with geyser-like air vents and a floating centre console.
Again, no sign this is a hybrid in the cabin either, which is the way it should be, or will be when electric vehicles become the norm.
The cabins of the Elite and Highlander are filled with leather and modern tech. It’s a plush place made even plusher on the Highlander with its Nappa leather upholstery.
The Santa Fe is a big, mid-sized SUV at 4.8m end-to-end, but it’s not as large as a Hyundai Palisade. That's huge at five metres long.
The Haval H9 Ultra is super practical and that's not just because it's big. There are larger SUVs with far less practicality. It's the way the Haval H9 is packaged that's impressive.
For starters, I can sit in all three rows without my knees touching the seatbacks, and I'm 191cm tall. Headroom is getting tighter in the third row, but that's normal in a seven-seat SUV and there's more than enough space for my noggin when in the pilot's seat and middle row.
Cabin storage is great with six cupholders on board (two up front, two in the middle row and two for the back seats). There's a large bin under the centre console armrest up front and more hidey holes around the gear shifter, a flip-out tray for those in the second row and big bottle holders in the doors.
Entry and exit to the second row is made easy thanks to the wide-opening, tall doors and my four-year old son could climb into his seat by himself thanks to the rugged and grippy side steps.
Third-row seats are powered to lower and raise them into position, too.
There are air vents for all three rows, and controls for the climate in the second row.
Cargo storage is also impressive. With all three rows of seats in place there's enough room in the boot for a few small bags, but fold the third row down and you'll be given much more space.
We picked up a 3.0-metre long roll of synthetic turf and it fit in easily with the right side second-row seat folded, still leaving us with plenty of room for our son to sit in his child seat on the left.
Now the drawbacks. Access to the third row is affected by the 60/40 split of the second row with the larger folding section being on the road side.
Also the side-hinged tailgate makes it impossible to fully open if somebody parks too close behind you.
And there's a lack of charging points on board - with only one USB port and no wireless charging pad.
The Santa Fe is among only a handful of mid-sized SUVs offering seven seats. The third-row seats are really designed to be used occasionally. They’re flat and fairly hard and the passengers back there aren’t fully covered by the side curtain airbags.
The second row offers plenty of room. Enough, even for me at 191cm, to sit comfortably behind my driving position.
And if you’d like more space then the Highlander grade allows you can replace that bench seat with two captain’s chairs in the six-seat version.
Clever cabin storage spaces can be found throughout. I particularly like the floating centre console with an area underneath big enough for a small backpack, and the shelf above the glove box in the dash is also good for throwing a wallet or phone.
Big door pockets, cupholders and a deep centre console storage box are also on board.
For charging devices there are five USB ports (two up front, two in the second row, and one in the third), two 12-volt outlets (front seats and cargo area) and a wireless phone charger.
While there isn’t three-zone climate control. There are directional air vents in all three rows and the Elite and Highlander grades also come with pull-up sun shades for the rear windows.
As for the boot, most of the time you’ll probably have the third-row seats folded flat, and that’ll give you a cargo capacity of 571 litres.
Or, if you are using the third row there’s 130 litres of space left for you to use.
The Ultra is the top grade in the Haval H9 line-up and lists for $44,990, before on-road costs.
At the time of writing you could have the H9 for $45,990 drive-away, and depending on when you’re reading this that offer may still be in place, so check with the dealer.
As a point of reference, the Lux is the base grade H9 and lists for $40,990 before on-road costs.
Coming standard in the H9 is an 8.0-inch screen, ‘eco-leather’ seats, nine-speaker Infinity sound system, rear privacy glass, xenon headlights, laser puddle lights, proximity unlocking, three-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats (with massage function), heated second row seats, panoramic sunroof, illuminated scuff plates, aluminium pedals, matt alloy roof rails, side steps and 18-inch alloys.
That’s a stack of standard features for this price, but you’re not getting a whole lot more by going for the Ultra compared to the Lux.
Really, it comes down to brighter headlights, heated second row seats, power front seats and a better stereo. My advice is if the Ultra is too expensive, fear not because the Lux is extremely well kitted out.
Rivals to the Haval H9 Ultra include the SsangYong Rexton ELX, Toyota Fortuner GX, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX or Isuzu MU-X LS-M. All list for around that $45K mark.
Hybrids cost more than their petrol and diesel equivalents, but how much more depends on whatever the car manufacturer decides you should pay.
Hyundai is charging $6500 extra for the Santa Fe hybrid over the petrol version and $3000 more than the diesel.
Also, for now, you can only get the Hybrid on the Elite and Highlander grades, the two most expensive levels in the Santa Fe line-up.
This means you’ll pay a list price of $63,000 for the Santa Fe Elite Hybrid and $69,550 for the Highlander Hybrid.
The standard features for the Elite Hybrid and Highlander hybrid are exactly the same as their petrol and diesel equivalents, except for the wheels. The hybrids have smaller 19-inch wheels (they’re 20-inch alloys on the regular Santa Fe) that Hyundai says are designed to be more aerodynamic.
So, along with those futuristic wheels, also coming standard on the Elite Hybrid are LED headlights and tail-lights, a gesture tailgate, privacy glass, proximity key with push-button start, a 10.25-inch media display, 12.3-inch instrument cluster, 10-speaker Harman Kardon stereo, leather upholstery, heated front seats with a power driver’s seat, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, sat nav, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Highlander Hybrid has all of that, but adds Nappa leather upholstery, a power front passenger seat, ventilated front seats and heated window seats in the second row, a head-up display and a panoramic sunroof.
The Elite and Highlander are both seven seaters, but you can ask for six seats in the Highlander and have that second row bench seat replaced with two captain’s chairs.
The Haval H9 Ultra is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine making 180kW/350Nm. That's the only engine in the line-up and if you're wondering why a diesel isn't offered, then you're not the only one.
If you're asking where the diesel is you're probably wondering how much petrol the H9 uses, and I have the answers for you under the next heading.
Shifting gears smoothly is an eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF, the same company chosen by brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and BMW.
The H9's ladder frame chassis and four-wheel drive system (with low range) are the right ingredients for a capable off-roader. During my time with the H9, however, I stayed on the bitumen.
The H9 comes with selectable drive modes including 'Sport', 'Sand', 'Snow' and 'Mud'. There's a hill descent feature, too.
The braked towing capacity of the H9 is 2500kg and Haval says the maximum fording depth is 700mm.
The Santa Fe Hybrid is not a plug-in hybrid like the Mitsubishi Outlander or Kia Sorento. That means you don’t need to connect the battery to a power outlet to charge it. Instead, the battery charges on the go as you drive it, and through regenerative braking.
Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine and an electric motor. They have a combined output of 169kW/350Nm.
That’s pretty good grunt. Just as a comparison, the V6 makes 200kW/331Nm, while the diesel engine produces 148kW/440Nm.
If you’re planning on towing, then the diesel and petrol are clearly the better choices with their 2500kg braked towing capacity, compared to the hybrid’s 1650kg.
The Hybrid Santa Fe is also all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission shifts gears smoothly.
I travelled 171.5km in the H9 but in my 55km loop of motorways and urban roads I used 6.22 litres of petrol, which comes to 11.3L/100km (the on-board read-out said 11.1L/100km).
That's not terrible for a seven-seat SUV. Admittedly, I was the only person on board and the vehicle wasn't loaded up. You can expect that fuel figure to rise with more cargo and people piling in.
The official combined cycle fuel consumption claim for the H9 is 10.9L/100km, while the tank has an 80-litre capacity.
A pleasant surprise is that the H9 has a fuel-saving stop-start system, but a not-so pleasant surprise is that it needs to be fed a minimum of 95 RON premium fuel.
This is what it’s all about isn’t it? How much fuel does the Santa Fe Hybrid use?
Hyundai says this hybrid will use 6.0L/100km after a combination of open roads and urban driving. That is excellent, but if this was a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that figure could be as low as 4.0L/100km.
Still, the Santa Fe hybrid is much more fuel efficient than the V6 variant which uses 10.5L/100km.
I took a look at the drive history of the Santa Fe Hybrid I tested at the end of the Australian launch.
According to the trip computer the car had travelled 967.2km and had used an average of 7.3L/100km.
About 500 of those kilometres were done by me with peak hour city traffic, country roads and motorways all in there. That’s great fuel efficiency, but a Santa Fe PHEV would do better.
As I said earlier, there’s no need to plug the Santa Fe into an external power supply to charge its lithium-ion battery, it’ll charge itself automatically through normal driving.
The H9's ladder frame chassis will work to its advantage off the road, providing good rigidity, but as with any body-on-frame vehicle on-road dynamics aren't going to be its forte.
So, the ride is soft and comfortable (the rear multi-link suspension set up would be a major part of that) the overall driving experience can be a little agricultural. These aren't show-stopping issues, and you'll find the same in a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport or Isuzu MU-X.
More disappointing are the things Haval could easily fix. The seats are flat and not the most comfortable, the steering is a little slow, and that engine has to work hard and isn't particularly responsive.
There are also some strange quirks, too. The altimeter read-out said I was at 8180m driving through Marrickville in Sydney (Everest is 8848m) and the auto parking system is more of a guide which tells you how to park rather than doing it for you.
Imagine being 16 again and being coached by your mum or dad and you've got the idea.
That said the H9 handled life with my family without breaking a sweat. It's easy to drive, with good visibility, great insulation from the outside world and excellent headlights (the Ultra gets the brighter 35-watt xenons).
So while it's not the most adept and comfortable car on the road, I feel the H9 could be better suited to off-roading adventures. As I mentioned earlier, I only tested it's on-road performance, but keep an eye out for any future off-road tests we do with the H9.
You’re not just getting better fuel economy in the hybrid version of the Santa Fe, you’re getting a better SUV to drive.
That’s what I found when I tested the Santa Fe Hybrid at its Australian launch. The ride is more comfortable and the steering feels more responsive and lighter than the V6 petrol or diesel Santa Fe, both of which I’ve driven extensively.
The better ride I think comes down to the stabilising effect of extra weight situated low from the batteries (they’re located under the driver). Hyundai told me the front suspension had been revised to deal with the added weight, too.
So, I feel the ride is now more comfortable, less jittery with a smidge more planted feeling to the handling.
The lighter and better steering feel may have something to do with having a smaller engine in the nose of the Santa Fe. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder weighs less than the 2.2-litre diesel engine and the V6 petrol. That lighter font end now has a more ‘pointable’ feeling.
That said, the electric motor would add more weight to the Santa Fe hybrid’s nose, too.
Another difference to the way the hybrid drives is the take-off acceleration. It’s quite sudden and forceful for a family SUV in this class and that’s due to the 350Nm of torque, available from 1000rpm.
That’s great for moving away out of a car space and quickly blending into traffic, or accelerating away from traffic lights.
Visibility as with the regular Santa Fe is excellent and parking is easy, too, given this isn’t a large SUV.
When the Haval H9 was tested by ANCAP in 2015 it received a four-star rating from a possible five. In 2018 Haval updated the safety tech on board and all H9s now come standard with lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane changing assist, AEB and adaptive cruise control.
It's great to see that this equipment has been added, although the H9 has not yet been re-tested and we're yet to see how it would score with the updated tech.
Also coming standard are front and rear parking sensors.
For child seats you'll find three top tether points and two ISOFIX mounts in the second row.
A full-sized alloy wheel is located under the car - as you can see in the images.
The regular Santa Fe scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2018. You don’t need me to tell you the world was a different place back then, as it was in terms of automotive safety requirements.
New advanced safety tech has been added to this SUV over the years and this Santa Fe hybrid comes equipped with all of it, too.
There’s AEB which works at intersections, too, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assistance, rear occupant alert, auto high beam headlights and adaptive cruise control.
The forward AEB will bring the vehicle to a complete stop for cyclists and pedestrians at speeds between 10km/h and 65km/h or 75km/h for vehicles.
Above the speeds the vehicle will slow as much as possible in an attempt to avoid a collision.
The Highlander adds even more tech in the form of a surround view camera, blind spot monitor, and rear AEB.
This top grade also boasts remote parking that allows the you to drive the Santa Fe in or out of tight parking spots using the key fob as a remote control. It sounds incredible but it’s real. I’ve demonstrated this feature in the video above.
On a super serious note be aware that even though this is a three-row SUV, the curtain airbags don’t completely cover the third row windows.
The Santa Fe isn’t the only SUV with this airbag inadequacy - the Kia Sorento has the same problem.
The Haval H9 is covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing is recommended at six month/10,000km intervals.
The Santa Fe Hybrid has the same warranty as the rest of the range at five years/unlimited km. The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty, which is pretty standard for hybrids.
Servicing is required every 10,000km/12months, however, the costs were yet to be finalised at the time of publishing.