GWM Haval H6 2023 review: GT Ultra

Having launched back in 2015, China's Haval struggled with market penetration and customer cut-through due to an initial line-up of budget SUV models.

But a soft reboot in 2020 with an onslaught of new-generation products has caused its stock to surge, and the newly-minted GWM Haval is now knocking on the door of Australia's top 10 brands.

Of course, a competitor to the top-selling Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger in the form of the GWM Ute helps, but so does the box-fresh H6 mid-size SUV, which competes in Australia's largest vehicle segment.

Hoping to capitalise on the success of the H6, GWM Haval now serves up a GT version that aims for a more performance-eager buyer thanks to a new look and unique touches.

So does GWM Haval have another hit on its hands?

Read More About GWM Haval H6GT

Another one! A new GWM Haval plug-in hybrid SUV is coming, but will it reach Australia as a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV rival? Sights steady on the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5? 2024 GWM Haval H6 information revealed through Chinese government department Is this GWM's Haval H6 replacement? New B07 EV+ AWD plug-in hybrid SUV revealed with long driving range and huge power to put MG HS PHEV on notice

Price and features – Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

The 2023 GWM Haval H6 GT is available in two flavours, known as the Lux and Ultra, priced at $40,990 drive-away and $46,490, respectively.

This means the GT version commands a $4000 (Lux) and $3500 (Ultra) price premium over the standard H6 equivalents, but aside from the styling tweaks that we will come back to in a bit, what do you get for the spend?

On test, I have the top-spec Ultra grade, which is actually the most expensive mid-size SUV in GWM Haval's stable, positioned even higher than the H6 Hybrid ($45,490), but its Ultra designation denotes a top-spec model that comes loaded with a lot of fruit.

The touchscreen looks wonderful, but can sometimes not register touches, swipes and presses, necessitating multiple inputs that can be especially annoying while on the move. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a powered tailgate, synthetic leather and suede interior, a panoramic sunroof, push-button start, keyless entry, a wireless smartphone charger, heated steering wheel, heated door mirrors, a head-up display, interior ambient lighting, and powered front seats with heating and cooling.

There's also a massive 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen (up from the 10.25-inch unit found in the more affordable Lux) with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto functionality, outputting to an eight-speaker sound system.

It's a comprehensive list of equipment to be sure, but especially at this price point, it makes the H6 GT Ultra a bit of a bargain for those needing all the modern conveniences.

Take for example, the top-spec petrol-powered Toyota RAV4 Edge ($54,520), Hyundai Tucson Highlander N Line ($52,400) and Cupra Formentor V ($49,990) that offer similar levels of equipment at higher price points.

Standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Design – Is there anything interesting about its design?

Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. And for this beholder, at least, the H6 GT is not a beautiful car.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing overtly egregious with the styling, but there's no cohesion to the disparate elements that, to me, makes it look like a grab bag of design trends rather than the vision of a design team come to life.

Let's start at the front.

Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. And for this beholder, at least, the H6 GT is not a beautiful car. (image: Tung Nguyen)

The H6 GT wears a unique fascia thanks to a new grille and bumper, which emphasises sportiness, stance and aggression.

I like the new front-end treatment, especially the bumper cut-outs found above the Haval badge, but the lower elements are too fussy for my tastes.

The profile is heavily informed by the sloping roofline and prominent wheel arch cladding, which – to my eye – looks just fine.

The H6 GT wears a unique fascia thanks to a new grille and bumper, which emphasises sportiness, stance and aggression. (image: Tung Nguyen)

But my biggest problem with the aesthetics is also, unfortunately, the GT's biggest differentiator, the rear end.

The heavily-raked rear windscreen melds into a boot lip spoiler and flat tailgate for a very upright and boxy appearance.

Haval has tried to spice things up a bit with a roof-mounted spoiler, faux carbon-fibre trimmings and a cool LED tail-light design, but it comes across as Maroon 5 edgy, rather than Nirvana edgy.

The H6 GT wears a unique fascia thanks to a new grille and bumper, which emphasises sportiness, stance and aggression. (image: Tung Nguyen)

The rear bumper also features two exhaust outlets and a far-too-large plastic diffuser element, adding to the awkward look.

Inside the cabin, the design largely carries over from the H6, but my test car is also fitted with a number of upmarket touches like suede, fake carbon-fibre and brushed metal-like surfaces.

And while the interior looks nice, things start to unravel when you interact with it.

I like the new front-end treatment, especially the bumper cut-outs found above the Haval badge, but the lower elements are too fussy for my tastes. (image: Tung Nguyen)

The steering wheel, for example, is great in hand, but the indicator stalks are positioned a tad too low, meaning your hands are closer to an unnatural-feeling four and eight o-clock position for operation.

Likewise, the touchscreen looks wonderful, but can sometimes not register touches, swipes and presses, necessitating multiple inputs that can be especially annoying while on the move.

We even had the system freeze on multiple occasions at start-up.

At least the multimedia menu layout is easy to understand, and when it does work, it's a breeze to run through and change settings or climate functions.

Haval has tried to spice things up a bit with a roof-mounted spoiler, faux carbon-fibre trimmings and a cool LED tail-light design, but it comes across as Maroon 5 edgy, rather than Nirvana edgy. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Practicality – How practical is its space and tech inside?

Measuring 4727mm long, 1940mm wide, 1729mm tall and with a 2738mm wheelbase, the GWM Haval H6 GT is on the larger end of the mid-size SUV spectrum – bigger even than a seven-seat Mitsubishi Outlander in all areas barring height.

And as a strict five-seater, this means the H6 GT is afforded a capacious interior and boot.

The legroom in particular is very good, and with a mostly flat floor it means ergonomics in the back are top notch. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Front passengers have plenty of room to stretch out, with storage options littered throughout, encompassing door pockets, a deep underarm cubby and cut-outs in the centre console for drinks, wallets and phones.

However, there's also another storage area underneath the centre console, right where your knee would sit, which houses charging ports and is useful for items you want to keep out of site.

Front passengers have plenty of room to stretch out, with storage options littered throughout. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Move into the second row and space is also generous, even in the middle seat that could totally work for adults over short distances.

The legroom in particular is very good, and with a mostly flat floor it means ergonomics in the back are top notch.

Open the boot and you will find the H6 GT can swallow a sizeable 392 litres of volume despite the more aggressively-sloped roofline. Fold the seats down and the figure swells to 1390L.

Open the boot and you will find the H6 GT can swallow a sizeable 392 litres of volume despite the more aggressively-sloped roofline. (image: Tung Nguyen)

1 / 2

Fold the seats down and the figure swells to 1390L. (image: Tung Nguyen)

2 / 2

Under the bonnet – What are the key stats for its engine and transmission?

Powering the Haval H6 GT is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, outputting 150kW/320Nm, which is paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

This is the same powertrain configuration for all non-electrified Haval H6 and H6 GT grades, regardless of price point or which axle/axles are driven, but our test car being an Ultra, it scores all-wheel drive grip.

Powering the Haval H6 GT is a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine, outputting 150kW/320Nm. (image: Tung Nguyen)

While the H6 GT is more potent than non-hybrid rivals like the soon-to-be-replaced Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Mitsubishi Outlander, Subaru Forester and Toyota RAV4, a unique engine would help stand the GT apart from the standard H6 line-up.

After all, the GT has sporting intentions, so it shouldn't be out of the question to expect a racier powertrain.

Efficiency – What is its fuel consumption? What is its driving range?

Official fuel consumption figures for the H6 GT Ultra are pegged at 8.4 litres per 100km, however, in our time with the car we managed a real-world figure of 10.9L/100km thanks largely to remaining in the inner-city.

This lines up more closely with the official urban cycle fuel consumption number of 10.2L/100km.

And while our fuel economy figure isn't too far off the claim, there's no getting around the fact that the H6 GT is a little thirstier than some rivals that have smaller displacement engines.

The caveat, though, is the H6 GT's outputs are higher than those rivals.

The H6 GT requires only 91RON petrol to fill up and features a 60-litre tank, enabling a theoretical maximum driving range of 811km.

Carbon dioxide emitted is measured at 193 grams per kilometre travelled.

Driving – What's it like to drive?

Just because the Haval H6 GT has an aggressive look and sporting intentions, don't expect fireworks out on the open road.

GT might mean Gran Tourer and elicit excitement in Audi, Ford and Porsche buyers, but in the Haval H6 it's more in line with Good Times.

With the same platform and engine as the H6 mid-size SUV, the up-rated Brembo brakes and Michelin tyres were never going to be enough to turn the GT into an enjoyable corner carver.

Does it brake and handle better than standard H6? Yes, the extra performance bits help in this regard.

But there is pronounced body roll when turning the car with some speed, jostling occupants as it resettles itself after a bend.

However, this is a family SUV, which means those moments will be few and far between.

In regards, to hauling the family, the H6 GT is comfortable enough, but, again, the suspension feels a little wobbly.

Going over bumps and humps can transmit jolts into the cabin, and if you accidentally come at a speed bump too fast, passengers are in for a rocky time.

While the interior looks nice, things start to unravel when you interact with it. (image: Tung Nguyen)

I'd like to see a tauter, better resolved suspension set-up in a future update that could dial in the sportier characteristics of the GT to match its styling.

But as it stands now, it's definitely not a deal breaker for those after a daily family runabout that is most comfortable in daily activities.

The engine and transmission do a fine job when behind the wheel, but its only just adequate.

The 150kW/320Nm outputs are fine when puttering around town, especially at speeds below 80km/h, but this H6 needs a bit more steam when travelling at freeway speeds.

The seven-speed dual-clutch is also a competent one, suffering the same foibles as most other DCTs with jerkiness at low speeds but is smooth enough when things get moving along.

But let's talk safety systems, because the H6 GT has all of them and they are invasive and annoying.

Even think about straying from a lane, and the lane-keep system will kick in with a big bong.

I also had the front collision avoidance system kick in when there was ample room between the car and a bollard, jerking the car to a complete stop.

Look, these systems could use some refinement and fine-tuning, but it is much better that these safety systems are there and overly cautious than not there at all.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty

7 years/unlimited km warranty

---

ANCAP Safety Rating

Safety – What safety equipment is fitted? What is its safety rating?

The 2023 GWM Haval H6 GT wears a maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP, despite not being specifically assessed by the independent body.

ANCAP did however, crash-test an H6 (which features a different front fascia and roofline) and says the results are applicable to the H6 GT.

ANCAP notes that, “Safety ratings do not automatically extend to variants that have different body styles, engine configurations, driven wheels or occupant restraint systems” but “considers technical evidence submitted by manufacturers before deciding on the extension of a rating to additional variants of a model."

Therefore, the GWM Haval H6 carries over the same scores as the H6; 90 per cent for Adult Occupant Protection, 88 per cent for Child Occupant Protection, 73 per cent for Vulnerable Road User Protection and 81 per cent for Safety Assist.

Let’s talk safety systems, because the H6 GT has all of them and they are invasive and annoying. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Standard safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alert and a surround-view monitor.

And while the H6 GT ticks all the boxes in terms of safety features, the implementation of some of these features could use some polishing.

For example, the AEB front and rear can be a little aggressive, and stopped the car suddenly a few times when we were slowly manoeuvring into a parking space or backing out from our driveway.

The lane-keep assist was also overly keen in warning us that we were straying from the lane.

However, despite these niggly things, it is much better that these systems are included and are too aggressive, than not there at all.

Ownership – What warranty is offered? What are its service intervals? What are its running costs?

Like all new GWM models, the H6 GT comes with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty – matching Kia but falling short of Mitsubishi's conditional 10-year offering.

However, this still affords it a longer assurance period than that offered by big name brands like Ford, Hyundai, Mazda and Toyota.

Scheduled service intervals for the H6 GT are every 12 months or 15,000km, barring the first one, due at 10,000km.

Like all new GWM models, the H6 GT comes with a seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. (image: Tung Nguyen)

Pricing for the first service is $225, the second is $280, the third is $500, the fourth is $550 and the fifth is $225 for a five-year total of $1780.

For comparison, that's higher than a Toyota RAV4 ($1300 for five years), but lower than the Mazda CX-5 ($2115).

Pricing & Specs Insurance Quote

Verdict

Pricing Guides

$40,165

Based on 97 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.

LOWEST PRICE

$32,905

HIGHEST PRICE

$44,485

See all GWM Haval H6GT pricing & specs