GWM Haval H7 tipped for big sales

GWM Haval H7 is potentially set to become the most popular of five medium SUVs GWM Australia will have on sale by autumn 2027.

GWM execs say up to 150 orders are currently being placed for the H7 each week and the ambition is to reach 1000 sales per month. That, combined with other metrics such as website traffic, boosts their confidence it will be a strong performer.

“It (H7) has the potential to be our best-selling mid-sized SUV,” GWM Australia marketing and communications chief Steve Maciver confirmed.

The H7 would sit at the head of a GWM medium SUV line-up that also currently includes the Haval H6 and H6GT, and will add in early 2027 the BEV and PHEV Haval Jolion Max and Ora electric SUV that’s now been confirmed with the name Ora 5 Plus.

All up, the Chinese auto giant is aiming for 2500 medium SUV sales per month as it aims for a record-breaking 60,000-plus sales in 2026, a place in the top five in 2027 and a top-three sales spot in Australia. Via combined sales of its four brands – Haval, Tank, Ora and Cannon – it is currently ranked seventh year to date.

“This car (H7) brings something that we talk about a lot for GWM and that is choice,” Maciver explained. “Choice of a different body style, different powertrains.

“And we believe it's going to be a car that's going to help us achieve our ambition of a top five position here within Australia.”

A popular medium SUV means big business as this is the biggest-selling segment in Australia, growing 22 per cent in 2026 to claim 28 per cent of all sales.

The key rival in the category – and one of Australia’s most popular cars – is the Toyota RAV4, which is averaging 3593 sales per month. The Haval H6 has averaged 1172 sales per month.

A little more than 12 months after the original H7 launched in Australia as a single Vanta-spec front-wheel drive hybrid, GWM has replaced it with an entirely different car offering both hybrid and plug-in hybrid power with standard all-wheel drive.

It comes as both Lux and Vanta and is priced between $45,990 and $53,990 drive-away, including a $1000 launch offer on Lux until November 30.

According to GWM figures, HEV sales in medium SUVs have grown five per cent in 2026 while PHEV is up a massive 169 per cent, from a much lower base. Interest in the H7 is split two-thirds in favour of the PHEV, it says.

“From when this car was unveiled at Everything Electric just a few weeks ago, we've had record levels of pre-launch interest in this car like no other. We track that across a number of different metrics.

“And those metrics are telling us today that we're on to a winner with this car. And we definitely believe that's going to be the case.”

Figures to support that, issued by GWM after the H7 debut at the Everything Electric show, include 1500 expressions of interest in just over three weeks, a quadrupling of website traffic compared to the old H7 and 90,000 views of a walkaround video after one week.

Meanwhile, with this week’s launch of the H7, final spec and equipment details are now revealed.

This includes service costs of $460 for each of the first seven services, which are scheduled at 10,000km for the first visit to the workshop and then every 15,000km or annually after that.

All four H7s get a panoramic sunroof, a 220-volt outlet, over-the-air updates and a transparent chassis view for the 360-degree camera.

Laminated acoustic glass for the windscreen and front doors, a dedicated off-road mode switch and a lighting design with 122 LEDs per headlight and 230 per tail-light are also on the specs list.

The PHEVs include a portable mains charger.

Two new off-roading numbers are offered: 210mm of unladen ground clearance and the diff lock deactivates at 40km/h.

The hybrid is specified for the first time with a 1.53kWh ternary lithium battery.

The H7’s app allows remote locking, scheduled cabin cooling, window and sunroof operation, geofencing and fuel or charge checks. It also lists scheduled charging for the PHEV and remote seat heating or ventilation where fitted.

GWM specifies a 9.0-inch head-up display and three levels of front-seat heating and ventilation for the Vantas.

If you think five medium SUVs is a lot for one brand to offer, there is still a chance GWM will expand further.

There is a seven-seat version of the H7 sold in China and it is under study for Australia.

“It's on our radar,” confirmed Maciver. “We haven't made a final decision on it yet. The team are doing the market equations and doing the sums right now.

“Would we like another seven-seater? Absolutely. The only car that we've got as a seven-seat option right now is the Tank 500.

“We've got the H7 as a seven-seat option, there are other seven-seat options on the radar for us as well, we've just got to think about complexity, what we bring in.”

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au