What's the difference?
Zeekr is making waves in Australia at the moment but it's not because of the car you see before you.
Nope, it’s the 7X mid-size SUV that’s captured a heap of attention and a whole lot of sales. In fact, of the 1832 sales the brand has managed over the first three months of 2026, just 54 were for the X.
But that was the old X and this is the new one. With more power, more performance, faster charging and a whole heap of pretty special equipment, especially for the small SUV segment.
So, is that enough to finally put the X on the map?
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.
It's a good thing in a small package, this Zeekr X, and there are a lot of things I like about it. In fact, the only sticking point for me is the price. But that's all about perspective. If you see this as a newcomer Chinese brand, then yes, there are a lot of more affordable options out there. But if you see it as a premium player, it's really a more affordable version of a Volvo.
Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
New-car buyers wanting a medium-size SUV under $65K are faced with a bewildering choice of makes and models but the H6GT PHEV Hi4 is worthy of consideration.
Its value-for-money drive-away pricing combines a spacious and classy cabin, sporty all-wheel drive persona and rare petrol bowser visits if overnight charging and daily EV-only driving are fully utilised.