What's the difference?
The SUV craze is such that high-riding wagons are increasingly being tasked with also doing the job of sports cars, despite the immutable laws of physics clearly working against them.
While the results have been mixed, Mercedes-AMG has some serious form in this area, so much so that it’s been confident enough to unleash the second-generation GLE63 S.
Yep, this large SUV is looking to do its best impersonation of a sports car, so we’re looking to find out if it’s a convincing Jekyll and Hyde. Read on.
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?
There’s little wonder the GLE63 S is back for a second go around, after clearly putting the frighteners on the Audi RS Q8 and BMW’s X5 M Competition and X6 M Competition.
After all, it’s a large SUV that sacrifices little in the way of practicality (especially the wagon) in its pursuit of high performance.
And for that reason, we’re itching to go for another drive – with or without the family.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel and meals provided.
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.