The Headlining Hybrid: 2023 GWM Haval H6 HEV

Do you remember Great Wall Motor (GWM)? Do you remember Haval? Both brands are related with GWM serving as the parent, and Haval serving as the specialist brand for crossovers. If you rewind back a few years, Haval served up a PPV offering in the market, in a bid to compete against the other bigwigs in the industry. However, the outcome of that endeavor didn’t end too well, as the arena was competitive, borderline gladiatorial at some point. 

Instead of fielding products that met the status quo, perhaps it was in GWM’s best interest to stand out and offer products that offer something new to the market, at least from a value standpoint. For this week’s car, let’s dive into the details of the Haval H6 HEV, a parallel-hybrid crossover that’s looking to make a dent in the market. 

Let’s get one thing out of the way, yes, this is a hybrid without any of the prefixes or suffixes. It’s a true parallel hybrid that has a gasoline and an electric motor working in tandem to support each other. There is no fancy wordplay or acronyms to get in the way, instead what you get is a total output of 240 hp and 530 Nm of torque. To put things into perspective, that’s more powerful than some of the PPVs out there like the Ford Everest, with “just” 207 hp and 500 Nm of torque. 

Being a hybrid isn’t without perks, as the H6 can go into a fully-electric mode because the motor is strong enough to pull the weight of the car, a hallmark of it being a true hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The gasoline engine is a 1.5-liter turbocharged motor that is EURO 5 certified for emissions. It’s a clean and relatively green mobility solution and one that is in line with the rest of the industry’s direction when it comes to carbon neutrality. 

The benefit to the end consumer is that the H6 will be more fuel-efficient compared to some of the mild-hybrid vehicles of the same size and it’ll reliably run on gasoline, so no charger is needed, simply gas and go. It’s also interesting to see that the engine has a maximum output of 148 hp and 230 Nm of torque on its own. GWM must be packing in a very powerful motor in that case, as the electric side of the powertrain contributes to 92 more horses and 300 more Nm of torque. 

Immediately after GWM launched the H6, instant comparisons were drawn up based on the size and then based on the price. Competing marques with their hybrid crossovers come close price to this H6 HEV, however, it looks like the Haval is winning in terms of value for money, and features. 

Toyota comes to mind here, and the Corolla Cross is the brand’s best-selling hybrid at this point in time. However, the hybrid model starts at P1,680,000 and tops out at P1,844,000 for the GR-S variant. For context, the Haval H6 HEV is bigger than the Corolla Cross, but it has more features, space, and more power than the Toyota, plus it starts at P1,788,000 and tops out at P1,883,000. 

What about the other competitors? If we include mild hybrids, the Geely Azkarra comes to mind, and that comes in at P1,808,000. The problem is that the model is “just” a mild hybrid, and to charge that much is a bit of a stretch, to say the least. 

For the first time in a while, it appears that GWM is in a bit of a sweet spot in the market. They’re somewhere between prices, nestled between the gaps that other established brands have tried or neglected to fill in. The H6 is interesting in that it offers more than you bargain for, but for a price that is about par for the course when it comes to shopping for hybrids in the about P1,800,000 range. 

We can only try and predict what GWM will bring to the table in the near future. We can only make educated guesses as to how the brand will fare in the market. As the flagship crossover, currently, the GWM Haval H6 is definitely worth a look and is in a great position to do so. 

GWM is brave, to say the least. The model isn’t shy about its features either, with digital gauges, a touchscreen infotainment system that’s supplemented by cameras all around, and also tons of convenience features wrapped in leather and soft-touch materials. On top of that, you also get some of the industry’s “it” features, like intelligent cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and more. 

Really, it seems that GWM’s Haval H6 HEV is very competitive on many fronts. The model’s ace in the hole is its hybrid engine, and what a powertrain it is. At the same time, the car’s bones are built on some good components. The suspension is fully-independent, and the chassis itself is a unibody, so it’s expected to be comfortable. 

It’s a novel entry into the market. This is one of the first times that a Chinese manufacturer is going all-in on hybrids with just one model. Only the Jolion is the transitionary value driver in the lineup sporting both an HEV and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) powertrain. With what the H6 brings to the table, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more hybrids from GWM come up in the market. As the technology matures further, however, and electric vehicles become more mainstream, the question is will GWM take the same approach and take another leap of faith?