Haval (GWM) Cars, What's Your Opinion?

JustASmoothSkin on 10/05/2021 - 20:30
Last edited 02/06/2021 - 10:37 by 1 other user

Howdy, So last week my girlfriend wrote off her 2016 daewoo Holden Barina and we are now in the market for a new car to replace it as her daily. Luckily we have been looking to replace the Barina for the last couple months anyway as the engine is missing at low rpm when under load (like a sharp u-turn) and it felt like a matter of time before it would die. So we have been scoping out cars for a while and originally settled on the Hyundai i30 before deciding to give small SUV's a go for the kerb clearance and utility.

We had then decided on the Hyundai Kona or the Kia Seltos but both are currently difficult to get in WA because of car shortages, So today I stumbled upon a Holden yard and found Haval branded cars. From what I can gather they are Great Wall Motors SUV range of cars and honestly they look pretty alright. We found the Haval Jolion and it ticks all the boxes we have. Comfortable front and rear, Safety features everywhere, Nice colour selection. Only thing I am iffy about is I have never owned a Great Wall vehicle and don't know how well they hold up in terms of reliability and how tedious it could be to deal with anything that may need to be repaired under warranty.

Have you owned a Haval or Great Wall vehicle? What was your experience? Know anything we should know about the Haval brand or Jolion in particular?

Car Specs:
2021 Haval Jolion
110KW 210Nm Inline 4 turbocharge petrol engine (Mitsubishi built engine)
7-Speed DCT Auto Transmission
Front Wheel Drive
Most modern safety features as standard
5 Seater (I am 6'5" and I can comfortably sit in the rear seats behind my usual seating position)
Base model is $27,990 and top model is $30,990 plus $450 for paint if you don't want white.

In my opinion, it's really nice value for what is displayed. Almost self driving with how much "safety" has been jammed in, Audio system sounds pretty great, ride is fairly comfortable if a little bit soft but it has options that change throttle response, shift timing and steering stiffness. Interior is very modern and very nice. Some hard scratchy plastics but most of it is upholstered in faux leather and a carbon fiber-esque finish. Huge clear dash cluster and responsive nicely designed infotainment unit (doesn't appear to have GPS built in but supports apple carplay and android auto) Car seats are fairly plush and sport orientated. 7 Year Unlimited KM Warranty.

Only misgivings I have is cup-holder in the center console is strange as it's one full size cup and a shot-glass holder? Engine is not as powerful as I would personally like (But it doesn't feel under-powered or sluggish) Indicator stalk and wiper stalks are the wrong way around, (Left side has the indicator) Door pockets won't fit anything much larger then a 600ml water bottle and android auto is wire.

I have been invited to come by again Wednesday as they expect to have the new Gen 3 Haval H6, Slightly larger, similar interior but with a 2.0Ltr turbocharged petrol making 150KW 320Nm and all wheel drive which would be nice.

https://gwmhaval.com.au/jolion

UPDATE: Well after going around and revisiting the competition we settled on the Haval H6 Ultra 4X4 in "Energy Green" (More of a sky blue in person)
Glad we did, should have it within the month and now that all the reviews are starting to come in for it we are pretty certain we have made the right choice. Carsguide and Carsadvice are rating it 7.9 and 7.8 respectively.

https://www.caradvice.com.au/948181/2021-haval-h6-review/
https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/haval-h6-2021-revie…

Also for those that don't like to read words (Don't understand how you got to this point considering the words above"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0To2lqgiH8c

Picture of "Energy Green" coloured H6 for those interested. (Not the one we got as we wanted the "Ultra" Spec all wheel drive variant.)

https://imgur.com/a/c4JI6hL

UPDATE: 02/06/21

They have had to modify the chassis as the quoted 2 tonne towing was going to likely be too hard and damaging to the vehicle as it was. Slight delay but glad they are being proactive. They have also fixed Android auto so now that should be something they can update when I pick it up.

Automotive Haval

Comments

  • LFO on 12/05/2021 - 10:03
    +1

    OP: Please ignore ALL comments (except this one, of course)!

    Go and do one or, even better, many test drives.

    Feel the vehicle, inspect, look, analyze and then decide.

    Anything else is just someones personal and opinionated opinion. Great for them, useless otherwise.

    Your vehicle, your decision.
    Happy car hunting!

    • JustASmoothSkin on 12/05/2021 - 10:28

      Cheers, but I kinda want peoples opinions. Was hoping more people would have had or known someone close personally that has/had a GWM/Haval vehicle though and could share their experiences and not just someone else that has written a bad review on the internet.

      Cars are strange beasts, I know most people swear by Toyota's (Myself included) but I have certainly come across some people who have owned Toyota's and had faults (Mostly Hilux's) (Pretty much the only Toyota's I have never really heard a fault about is the 70 series, Camry's and Corollas)

      And because of that while buying a brand like Toyota would likely get you better reliability it's not fool proof, That why lemon laws exist. (In nearly every other country than Australia)

      • LFO on 12/05/2021 - 19:02

        Yes but the problem is that someone with very strong (loud) opinions is judging based in his/her experience. Not the reality for everyone, just their experience.

        I noticed this with the Mercedes Benz Sprinter van. Generally everybody LOVES and approves that van.
        A few had and have problems with the 4X4 engaging. Now, only a minority of Sprinters are 4X4 so the opinion is limited. Also as it is "sooo good and respected" those with issues are reluctant to comment: It must be me doing something wrong …
        Also they are very busy and concerned their $90K new toy is a lemon and nobody will believe them … hey, it is a Merc, cannot be bad!

        For Chinese made vehicles is similar. Those with no experience whatsoever will vomit a negative opinion … because is cheap Chinese, you know … which may or may no be the case.
        Hence my suggestion for a "hands on approach". Listen to the engine. Feel the drive. Experience the gearbox. Open and shut doors. The bonnet. The boot. Look around. Under the bonnet. Under the car. Everything. FEEL the car. Immediately you will have reassurance or the opposite. That gut feeling of "Mmmm … this feels good/ok/acceptable". Or the opposite.

        Back to vans. The Toyota HiAce is the demigoddess of vans. Chatting with a fleet owner confessed he doesn't understand why. He has absolutely nothing positive to say about the HiAces they own. Who do you believe?. I know him personally. I don't know the others. Who is right?

  • Budgewoi on 12/05/2021 - 18:59

    They are shit cars. I work in a Haval dealership.

    • LFO on 12/05/2021 - 19:09

      Exactly and precisely which one car is not a "shit car". On that pricing

      Just for reference.

      • brendanm on 15/05/2021 - 14:59

        Exactly and precisely which one car is not a "shit car". On that pricing

        Asx. Boring as all get out, but not shit.

        • tonyjzx on 21/05/2021 - 12:32

          While I agree with brendan the reality is that most punters out there just want a vehicle that is spacious enough for them and reliable and cheap to run and insure and will get you and your fam from A to B with minimal fuss.

          Most people out there arent enthusiasts, especially the OP and in this price range.

          Most cars these days are boring, especially in the price category.

          People cannot afford cars that are "not boring" generally speaking unless you get up to the $50-$60k and then you trade a lof of the relability aspects for 'fun'.

          A base VW Golf GTI is a 'fun' car.

          You have to put up with VAG quality and of course, you need $50k or so.

          I dont think the chinese have a chance before the petrol car dies in 2030/35 anyway… and we're probably not long behind as a species or as society as we know it.

  • TruthNuke on 14/05/2021 - 15:19
    -1

    If your girlfriend can't drive a Barina, please don't advise her to get an SUV.
    Cheers.

    • JustASmoothSkin on 14/05/2021 - 20:06

      One small rear ender in the 7 years she has been driving, and to top it off she drives almost 70km everyday for work.

      Statistically she is doing pretty good.

  • Budgewoi on 16/05/2021 - 20:48
    -2

    No. Just no. MG for 127 years? No it isn't. Chinese stuff is poor quality. You get what you pay for. Don't do it. I'm a service advisor at a Haval dealer. Haval owners hate me. I don't care because they are idiots.

  • JustASmoothSkin on 21/05/2021 - 21:17

    I cast "animate dead" on this thread.

    • Euphemistic on 21/05/2021 - 21:35
      +1

      It’s only a couple of weeks old. Rigor mortis hasn’t set in yet.

      • JustASmoothSkin on 21/05/2021 - 21:36

        So what your saying is it isn't stiff? Damn

  • Miata9 on 23/05/2021 - 00:44
    -1

    Speaking as a chinese, gwm is an reputable brand for reliability actually, much better than MG statiscally as well.

    However Jolion is selling for A$16k-22k before tax domestically in China. Well if you count various additional costs(7yrs warranty, dealer margin, shipping etc) in Australia the pricing is not too bad. But dont be surprised when it shows some characteristics of a cheap car as it is how it is.

    The car is mechanically reliable but do not expect to be impressed by those hi tech features, they still sucks among chinese brands.

  • tonyjzx on 23/05/2021 - 15:29
    -1

    I kind of do like the idea of the new H6.

    Here's a car that is about 1,500kg but with a turbo 2.0 four that has a good 7 spd dual clutch. It has 150kW and 320Nm.

    For $30,990. With 7 yrs. I'm ok with FWD given these are urban cars.

    The Chinese are immune to the tsmc slash texas debacles.

    Its hard to get over that value proposition there. Plus is the CHinese styling seems to be conservative and attractive.

    I do get that its still a risk. Haval is still up there with the questionable support you get from ALL Chinese branded dealers here.

  • ol mate on 27/05/2021 - 11:55

    Glad we did, should have it within the month and now that all the reviews are starting to come in for it we are pretty certain we have made the right choice. Carsguide and Carsadvice are rating it 7.9 and 7.8 respectively.

    https://www.caradvice.com.au/948181/2021-haval-h6-review/
    https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/haval-h6-2021-revie…

    Caradvice and Carsguide are comment-for-money places - for enough money, they'll say whatever you want. There's a reason the founder and former CEO of Caradvice left to create Carexpert after Nine bought it.

    • tonyjzx on 27/05/2021 - 11:58

      I do agree with that however I would say they are in the pocket of Hyundia Kia. These guys know how to market.

      Haval do not. Right now the Chinese are hopeless at "pay for comment" in our media market at least.

      https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-reviews/2021-haval-h6-revie…

      eg. Alborz's 'independent' effort seems to have little difference over the 'tainted' traditional media.

      OVERALL RATING
      7.7
      Cost of Ownership 7
      Ride Comfort 7.2
      Fit for Purpose 7.4
      Handling Dynamics 7.2
      Interior Practicality and Space 8
      Fuel Efficiency 7.4
      Value for Money 8.9
      Performance 8
      Technology Infotainment 8.6

      • JustASmoothSkin on 27/05/2021 - 12:08

        Yeah, been keeping tabs on many of the reviews as they roll in. All off them are hitting mid to high 7's which is promising, nothing negative said by any of the reviews is particularly problematic for us.

        • tonyjzx on 27/05/2021 - 12:12

          yeah look I dont like anything smaller than the H6 and its cheap enough that I dont have to even bother at the "Joilion" (hopeless name) or the H2.

          But the H6 is an outstanding bargain if for nothing less than how the base model at $31k is better equipped than some of the higher end established models at $45k. Further you get some tech that is nonexistent in other cars.

          And you dont have the nonsense of relying on the vagaries of tsmc or samsung for your part shortages.

          Right now it would be hard for me to invest in a H6 but I can certainly see myself is a Series 2 model down the line.

          A caveat would be that all the nice specs and interior electronics and 7yrs is no good if you end up getting shafted by Haval and its dealers… WHICH IS A COMMON THING it seems.

  • snooksy on 02/07/2021 - 08:06

    In China there isn’t really a second hand car market like there is here. Used cars are scrapped and people just buy new cars. I don’t think Havel is made to last 20 years.

    • Mistredo on 02/07/2021 - 09:38

      I cannot imagine any new car lasting 20 years. They are much more complicated and full of electronics that will not last that long. It will be not be economical to keep repairing it.

      • tonyjzx on 03/07/2021 - 19:05

        Yeah I think people are really over thinking car longevity.

        Eg. if Snooksy is a 25y.o male right now, then why the F do you care about if a car is still driveable when you're 45 years old when its 2045???

        Liike WAT? If I'm still driving a 2022 Haval in 2045 then something has really gone wrong.

        The realistic way to think abiout this is the car has a 7yr warranty.

        Think about 5-7 yrs as a realistic ownership time.

        Then maybe the final 7-10yrs as its old age stage where you trade in or pass it to a relative.

        eg. I have a 2014 Xtrail that is most likely going to go to a young person starting out at uni. On the flipside I do expect basic cars like an n/a FWD suv to last 10-15yrs no issue.

        I kind of do not expect a 4wd turbo 2.0 Haval with all that interior screen jazz to also last 10-15ys without issue but then come 2030 plus when there's only EVs for sale….

        • Nugs on 03/07/2021 - 19:14
          +2

          "5-7 yrs as a realistic ownership time"
          I have underwear older than that
          .

        • whitelie on 03/07/2021 - 19:18

          5 years? So say 100,000kms and it's throw away time?
          Sheesh, most cars I've owned are just getting run in by then

          • tonyjzx on 03/07/2021 - 19:33

            @whitelie: As I say frequently, do not judge how WE live our lives versus what the wider community does.

            "Average age of all vehicles registered in Australia was 10.1 years, unchanged since 2015. Tasmanian vehicles reported the oldest average age at 12.8 years, whilst the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory had the youngest fleet with an average age of 9.4 years."

            Why would it be surprising to people that some people get rid of cars at the 5-7-10 yr mark???

            We used to get rid of cars at the 3-4yr mark for the taxation benefits.

            Anyone who runs a business and uses a car as a cost of business knows this.

            I do get people… my daily is either a 2014 or a 2017 and the itch is there to get something newer, nicer.

            And if you have the money then go right ahead. If you dont or dont want to then dont.

            • whitelie on 03/07/2021 - 19:41

              @tonyjzx: 10.1 was the figure about 3 years ago, it's been on the slow rise since then, getting to an estimated 10.6 now.

              It's not surprising that many new buyers turn them over after say 5 years when a lease or loan term is up but it's somewhat confronting if we're becoming that much of a throw away society that they're bound for the scrap heap after 10 years tops. When did this change? When we started seeing driver assistance and things like that? As my daughter's cars for example are 10-13 years old and I'd have every confidence in them going for another 5 without anything major breaking on them. My weekender is a 2002 HSV and even though it's low kms, 20 years under the belt, it still drives like new.

              • tonyjzx on 03/07/2021 - 19:58

                @whitelie: I do get where you're coming from. People turn over there phones every 3 yrs and its been well known Australia sells a million cars a year. They must be going somewhere.

                I have always driven fairly older cars… the 2014 is the first car I've ever had that has a rear camera etc.

                And it comes down to that. We should be driving newer cars with more safety features.

                Of course for me, I dont care… I like rwd manual cars. BUt i would like my kids to drive something with all the safety things.

                I also think there's a lot of natural attriton. Like I rarely see even first 2nd gen VE Commodores any more.

                And if I do its clapped out Omega Evoke models. I feel like 2005-2008 age cars are getting rarer.

                • snooksy on 04/07/2021 - 11:48

                  @tonyjzx: A phone is not a car and I just wrote this message on my iPhone 7plus which is working fine after a battery and screen replacement. Throw away society is horrible for the planet. Don’t get sucked into the ‘now’ generation of wanting expensive new things all the time. Companies make loads of money off people who can’t think for themselves. Buy quality things you can repair and maintain for a long time. I agree 2005 cars are getting rarer though a reliable well made car should last for 200,000km plus and at 10km per year that’s 20 years or 15 years at 15km per year. This is why EVs will take a long time to get significant market penetration in Australia. It will be a long time for petrol vehicles in this country and why they are still opening new petrol stations. New car warranties are how long dealers expect before things may wrong so they don’t have to fix them. The whole dealership model of cars is changing now anyway.

  • snooksy on 04/07/2021 - 11:39

    What a waste to build a car only to last 5-10 years. The average age is 10 years mean there’s loads of older cars on the roads. My last car was 21 years old at 250km when it died. I expect my current German made NA 6 cylinder sedan to last well above 300,000km. It’s a 2013 car with 80,000km on the clock. Yes out of warranty but for all intents purposes a good safe reliable car otherwise. I just drove it from Victoria to NT and back and it’s was a beautiful comfortable car to take. Easy driving. Some Safety features are overrated. Use your eyes and brains. You shouldn’t rely on lane assist technologies, they are there to assist not replace skills. Too much metal and engineering to only expect the thing to last 5-7 years. As others have pointed out if you don’t care about resale value then get a Haval / Great Wall motors vehicle. Airbags save lives, proper crumple protection saves lives. Lane change assist is for lazy people who don’t want to turn their heads. Adaptive speed control the same. For lazy people. A lot of this stuff is marketing and advertising anyway.

    • JustASmoothSkin on 04/07/2021 - 12:18

      Sorry but I gotta disagree about the "lazy" features. Anything that saves lives should be necessary going forward, can't count how many near misses I have had due to people drifting across the centre line on the freeway or people "cruise controlling" till traffic and having to slam their breaks on. Can pretty much guarantee rear enders are the most common major accident on the road and if adaptive cruise control and other traffic detection technology can help stop that from happening then the roads would be safer for everyone.

      As for build quality, ehh. Greatwall have only really been in Australia for 10 years. So of cause the oldest cars would be 10 years old will this last 10 years? Maybe, maybe not. Pretty hard to tell but no reason to not have it for the warranty period which would be about the time we would be able to switch to electric anyway.

      Also unpopular opinion, but if you can't rely on your mirrors to see around you without twisting your head and you can't just have a cursory glance because of the blind spots, your car is horribly designed. Looking at you commodores.

      • tonyjzx on 04/07/2021 - 12:38

        I think here also mix up two different classes of car for 'longevity'.

        I can happily daily drive an e39 bmw m5 or a 1968 mustang fastback or a 2006 Monaro V8 manual given enough money. I want these cars to last a long time and people care about that stuff.

        I dont care about 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander nor do I want to drive one for 5yrs let alone 10yrs let alone 20yrs. Talk about goddamn torture.

        So in that regard I do not expect some avg. people to keep their cars for long. Why? If you have the money then change them.

        I think some people are happy in a 2005 Corolla for ever and good on them.

        I would also think that some people like "tech". I admit I do to a degree. I have a car w/ cvt and its an n/a four. I'm tired of this combo.

        I want a new driving format. If its the H6 where its a optional 4wd 7 spd dct w/ Haldex then surely this is a good upgrade???

        I dont want to be stuck with the same car for 5yrs 10yrs if there's new tech that I can afford.

        Its different if it was a rwd sports saloon since you can like that sort of thing forever.

      • Euphemistic on 06/07/2021 - 11:05

        Sorry but I gotta disagree about the "lazy" features.

        I agree they are lazy features. All of that stuff makes it easier to drive and takes away from your need to concentrate. There are many studies showing that an under occupied human mind quickly switches off or diverts off task. If the machine makes half the decisions for you, you eventually don’t bother looking there. Knowing your car will slow down if someone is in front of you and beep (or worse correct you) when you lane drift means you can keep your eyes off the road playing with the radio for a lot longer, which means you aren’t ready for emergencies the ‘safety gimmicks can’t cope with.

        • tonyjzx on 06/07/2021 - 11:18

          ITT I hear that making it "easier to drive" is a bad thing.

          While I may agree with this guy on many things the reality is we are trying to "ice skate up a hill" so to speak.

          The governing bodies, the ADR, the UNECE have decided with manufacturers that this is the path we're going down and if you dont like it then, that's bad luck for you.

          What is one to make of upcoming self driving that has by many multitudes less accidents than man. Bad thing I guess people not dying.

          • Euphemistic on 06/07/2021 - 11:56

            @tonyjzx:

            ITT I hear that making it "easier to drive" is a bad thing.

            It’s a weird paradox. Making the machine make decisions removes the human error. Sure, these safety features work, but while we transition to full automated we’re in a crossover point where people think the vehicle will do the work but reduced concentration is a bad thing because it’s not automated enough.

            Sure, I love my reversing camera and sensors but it’s made me lazy. As an example Ive backed into a trolley because I couldn’t see it in my mirrors and I assumed the screaming beeper was giving a false reading on the tree nearby. There are crashes on ‘autopilot’ because the driver is supposed to be alert to problems the computers can’t cope with but driver has been asleep etc.

            • tonyjzx on 06/07/2021 - 23:51

              @Euphemistic: Look I do agree with you. Its like once you have a calculator you never do long division with pen and paper again. I wrote my last 2,000 essay back in…. lets say HSC year… I went to university and graduated pre internet.

              Once you experience a convenience you cant do without it.

              I have learned to embrace rear park cams and keyless entry and cruise control and most of the modern stuff.

              Funnily enough I was 'lucky' enough to spend 30 mins with a H6 and the tech was overwhelming to me.

              And I'm a network engineer by trade. Thing is we either learn to live with it or stick with older cars or buy base model cars without that stuff.

              At this point I cant go back but I'm unsure I'm able to go to a H6 world let alone a Tesla world.

  • athk on 17/01/2022 - 14:22

    @JustASmoothSkin Any update? Did you purchase the H6 or Jolion?

    Apologies if I missed the post where you mentioned this, lots of hate on Chinese cars here…

    • JustASmoothSkin on 17/01/2022 - 18:23
      +1

      Yeah, we got the H6 Ultra. Works great, did have a issue with the heater core leaking about a month after we got it though. Got it fixed under warranty but did take a while for the dealership to get the part. Been perfect ever since.

      I like the car, but have found dealing with the dealership we went though to be stressful. We did get it serviced last week at a different dealership and they did a fantastic job. Even fixed some issues that the other dealership said were non issues.

      • athk on 17/01/2022 - 19:52

        Thanks for replying! We’re thinking about the Jolion. In comparison to other similar small SUVs we just keep coming back to it in terms of features and obviously cost.

        The engine doesn’t bother us, we’re not race car drivers….

        I have a Great Wall Steed 2019 and it’s been really good so far. Except for the service centre down here at Albion Park they’ve been …. Really horrible in terms of service…..

      • bryanYan on 18/01/2022 - 10:49

        Can you pm me the name of the dealership? H6 Ultra is a great car at the price, I am considering getting one. Thank you.

  • Blandford on 29/11/2022 - 19:49

    Hey mate. Any update on this? Saw the last comment about what had gone wrong. Considering the Jolion myself now.

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