Haval H6 2022 review: Ultra - long-term

Let it not be said that we at CarsGuide don't go above and beyond to answer the hard questions nobody else is brave (or stupid) enough to tackle. 

Need an example? What happens if the car you're driving has keyless entry and push-button start, but once you've got the engine running, you remove the key from the car?

Will it drive 500m or so and then stop? Will it somehow alert you that the key is missing? Or will it simply refuse to move away from the key at all?

As it turns out, the answers to those questions are, sadly, no, no and definitely not.

The Ultra is priced at $38,990 drive-away. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

I know because my Haval H6 Ultra has the aforementioned push-button start (part of a heap of cool tech features this SUV arrives with), and I accidentally, and unwittingly performed this exact experiment.

My wife and I were heading out on an errand, and she had the key in her bag. But once I'd loaded up the destination and she saw it was about a 30-minute drive away, she promptly bailed on me, taking her bag with her.

Cut to me driving off, the engine happily running, and me blissfully aware that anything was amiss. And that's how I stayed, until completed my cross-city mission, killed the engine, and went to lock the car. 

No key. The car wouldn't restart. And the only solution was to send a very expensive - and a little confused - Uber to collect said key and deliver it to me. 

Up front are LED headlights. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

Now, is any of that Haval's fault? Nope. You can't idiot-proof everything, and, as it turns out, I'm a special kind of idiot. Still, it's handy to know, right?

Still, it was a mere speed bump in an otherwise fairly happy month with the H6 Ultra, which is a seriously value-packed SUV considering its sub-$40k drive-away price point.

Our Ultra sits second from the top in the H6 family, above the Premium and Lux variants but below the Vanta. It's yours for $38,990 drive-away, which - given the standard kit - presents pretty good value in this segment. 

As is often the case with Haval products, you really don't want for much in the way of standard features here. While all H6 models get 18-inch alloys (save the Vanta, which gets 19-inch wheels), LED headlights, tail lights, DRLs and rear fog lamps, and Apple CarPlay, springing for the Lux adds things like front LED fog lights, a leather steering wheel, roof rails, dual-zone climate, faux-leather seats that are heated in the front and adaptive cruise.

All Haval H6 models, exclusion the Vanta wear 18-inch alloy wheels. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

Our model, the Ultra, ups the equipment game further still, adding a big sunroof, an electronic boot, a bigger 12.3-inch touchscreen and a head-up display, heating and ventilation for the front seats and wireless charging for your mobile phone.

That's plenty of kit, and given the H6 Vanta really only adds the bigger alloys and some blacked-out style bits (but also only costs $1000 more), either of the top-tier models will deliver everything you really need or want.

And that's probably the thing I've enjoyed most about this Haval over our first month of ownership – it looks and feels like a nice place to spend time.

The interior especially is nicely done here. The materials all feel nice under touch, there's a nice and premium-feeling blend of colours, patterns and materials, and a kind of angle, sharp-edged design to the dash layout that really works here.  

The Ultra features a large sunroof. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

All H6 models share the same lightly underwhelming engine, though – a 2.0 litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 150kW and 320Nm. It pairs with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and powers the front wheels. 

It's not a big engine, and while it feels far more dynamically sorted than the smaller Haval Jolion, our H6 still has the irksome habit of delivering all of its power in one fat lump, causing much front-tyre wheel spin when you're too heavy with the throttle. It's more embarrassing than anything else, as heads tend to whip around as though some hoon is cutting labs of suburbia every time those front tyres light up. 

Inside are faux-leather seats. (image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

There's also a ragged edge to the rear suspension, which is interesting because it soaks up minor imperfections with little to no stress. But when you hit a bigger, sharper bump, there can be audible thump from the rear axle, like the suspension is knocking against its limit. 

Still, it's big (think 600L seats up, 1485L seats down), comfortable and loaded with kit, and that was enough to keep me smiling over our first month together. 

Acquired: February 2022

Distance travelled this month: 822km

Odometer: 3501km

Average fuel consumption for February: 12.2L/100km

It’s not easy trying to make a name for yourself in the medium-SUV segment. There are some seriously good, and seriously popular, models in there, like the Subaru Forester, the Mazda CX-5, and the all-conquering Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

All of which come from brands that have a long and proud history in Australia — and some, like Mazda and Toyota, that we kind of, almost, think of as actual Australian brands.

The point is, it's not an easy nut to crack, and even less so when the model you want to do it with, the H6, belongs to a lesser-known (though quickly growing in popularity) Chinese brand in Haval.

The Haval H6 has the value, space and practicality proposition bang-on. (Image: Andrew Chesteron)

You pronounce that as if it rhymes with gravel, by the way. Just in case someone asks you at a BBQ.

So what does the H6 bring to the party? Simple. It promises to do everything those big-name models can, but with more fancy equipment and for less money.

It's a big ask, I know, but having now spent three months behind the wheel of the Haval, I can tell you that its certainly got the value/space/practicality proposition bang-on, even if it's lacking in some driving refinement and dynamic prowess.

Upfront of the H6 is a big 12.3-inch touchscreen. (Image: Andrew Chesterton)

And I guess that sums up my time with the H6 better than anything else. Great at some stuff, not so great at others, with the biggest variable being where its potential owner's priorities lies.

Honestly, the value stuff is super impressive, and if you're stepping out of an older vehicle you'll for sure be wowed by all the shiny stuff that's included. Like the big 12.3-inch touchscreen, head-up display, heated and ventilated front seats, wireless charging, etc.

Then there's the 18-inch wheels, the LED lighting, the premium-feel puddle lights and all the rest. And all of that for $39,990 drive-away for our Ultra model.

It's a mid-size SUV, but there's large SUV space on offer here. (Image: Andrew Chesterton)

So value? Tick. Practicality? That's a tick, too.

It's a mid-size SUV, sure, but there's large SUV space on offer here, whether you're transporting people or passengers, and the 600 litres of boot space with the rear seats in place (1485 litres with them folded flat) is plenty for just about everything you'd need to carry. Including, as it turns out, two adult-size push-bikes, with space to spare.

Honestly, its the thing I probably appreciated most over my time with the Haval. No matter what transporting challenge we faced, the H6 was up to it. If yours is a growing family, then you'll be impressed by the cargo room on offer here.

The Haval H6 has a generous 600 litres of boot space with the rear seats in use. (Image: Andrew Chesterton)

Safety? Yep, five stars. But we've covered all that, haven't we?

Okay, what about peace of mind? Again, it's a tick. While Chinese car brands are more mainstream now than ever before, it's undeniable that there are some out there cautious about taking a chance on a carmaker that hasn't been in Australia as long as the big Korean or Japanese marques.

Haval counters that with a pretty strong warranty, offering full seven-year, unlimited-kilometre coverage, which is definitely ahead of some of its mainstream competitors.

The H6 is a solid offering, depending on what you're looking for from your SUV. (Image: Andrew Chesterton)

Your first service is due at 10,000km, then it's every 12 months or 15,000km after that. And the brand’s capped-price servicing plan should see your costs come out at $1760 for the first five years.  That's around $350 per year, on average.

With all of that in mind, the H6 is a solid offering, depending on what you're looking for from your SUV.

Driving dynamics are not a strong suit here. Not that it feels rotten to drive, more that it lacks some of the composure on offer from other brands.

Haval offers a full seven-year, unlimited-kilometre coverage on the H6. (Image: Andrew Chesterton)

The power delivery isn't the smoothest, either. And I reckon the suspension could benefit from an Australian tune, just to smooth out some of the edges.

So, at the end of all that, it all comes down to what you value in a vehicle. Because if it's value you value, you'll find plenty of it here.

Distance travelled this month: 657km

Odometer: 4980km

Average fuel consumption: 12.6L/100