GWM Haval H7 Vanta 2025 Review

At launch, there is just the single Vanta spec, with a range of plug-in hybrid and all-wheel drive versions to come. With drive-away pricing, the 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta is $46,990 – or $3000 more than the similarly equipped GWM H6 Ultra Hybrid.

The Haval H7 Vanta has a clear value advantage over similarly equipped front-wheel drive hybrid rivals such as the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser ($51,410 plus on-road costs), Kia Sportage GT-Line ($57,370 plus ORCs) and Honda CR-V e:HEV RS ($59,900 drive away).

A significant factor that should bolster buyer confidence is Haval’s seven-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and five years of roadside assistance. There’s also a capped-price servicing program that runs for five years and, at an average per-service price of $429, tops out to a total of $2145.

The 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta might look more workmanlike than the urbanised Haval H6, yet it fills essentially the same niche, presenting as something closer to being a premium mid-size five-seat soft-road SUV.

It comes with 19-inch alloy wheels and part-leather seats (power adjusted, heated and ventilated up front with memory settings on the driver’s side). There’s also dual-zone climate control, heated steering wheel, powered tailgate, side window blinds for the rear seats, an auto-sliding driver’s seat to help access/departure and part-powered panoramic sunroof.

The only thing that jars is the use of a tyre repair kit. It doesn’t even get a space-saver spare.

The 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta has seven airbags but currently has no ANCAP safety rating – although, its sibling H6’s 2022 five-star rating bodes well despite being tested under more lenient measures.

In fact, the H7’s safety qualifications shape up promisingly.

It features (low speed) autonomous emergency braking in forward and reverse, pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, front and rear cross traffic alert, post collision braking and steering, driver attention detection, road sign monitoring and auto dipping LED headlights.

A brace of cameras also come into play when the standard self-parking system is in operation.

There’s no surprise that the first thing to be noticed when stepping into the 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta is the predominance of oversized touch-screens.

This isn’t an overly bad thing or confined to the H7. However, it remains a worrying trend as the diminishing number of tactile controls results in the requirement to burrow deeper into the abyss of touch-screen dependency. Even the most unlikely functions require some exploration and are not necessarily located with logic in mind.

Fortunately, there isn’t an abundance of that thinking in the Haval H7. Large touch points on the 14.6-inch centre screen are easy to navigate, although it’s not all perfect, with some operations (such as getting the climate control to work) difficult in the beginning.

Otherwise, the H7 Vanta is generously fitted out with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, eight-speaker audio and, consistent with its premium leanings, a head-up display.

But there’s no integrated sat-nav and only two USB-C points; one in the front and one in the rear.

The 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta’s drivetrain is familiar.

It comes tried, tested and unchanged from the H6 model as a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid, supplying a solid combined total of 179kW and 530Nm of torque. Individually, the ICE (internal combustion engine) powerplant produces 110kW/230Nm and the electric motor 130kW/300Nm.

Surprisingly, given the exterior design, it’s front-drive only. It delivers its hybrid power through what GWM Haval describes as a DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission). It functions similarly to a CVT hybrid system, largely battery-operated at lower speeds, before marshalling up the forces of the turbo four-cylinder when maximum, or close-to-maximum, effort is required.

The manufacturer claims the 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta returns a combined fuel consumption of 5.7L/100km and a CO2 output of 131g/km, making it neither as thrifty or clean as the H6 hybrid, which quotes 5.2L/100km and 120g/km.

Both H6 and H7 hybrids are less environmentally friendly than Toyota’s RAV4 hybrid, which in hybrid Cruiser trim, quotes 4.7L/100km and 107g/km. The hybrid Kia Sportage and Honda CR-Vs do better than the Haval H7 as well.

Our review H7 didn’t get anywhere near the factory fuel consumption figure, recording an average 8.2L/100km during a week of mixed-use driving.

The company wants the 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta to make meaningful inroads into the mid-size SUV segment. From our experience, that wish could be classified as a given, more than a hopeful expectation.

As the quality of Chinese-made vehicles progresses at a rapid pace, with many once-bothersome systems becoming less so, the challenge to traditional market players solidifies.

Below-par presentation and build quality are rarely an issue any more, and questionable active-safety tech is being addressed – usually successfully. Therefore, the H7 Vanta presents with an appealing cabin to the eye, one that’s also spacious and comfortable.

This translates to the rest of the driving experience, too, with a well-judged balance between comfort and handling talent. The latter is aided via quick, well-weighted steering (although the fat rim feels strangely slippery) and the purchase provided by the sizeable 19-inch wheels wrapped in 235/60 tyres.

Accelerating quickly from a standing start with some steering lock applied, or simply planting the boot on a loose surface aren’t exactly a front-wheel drive vehicle’s forte. However, in general use, the H7 feels quite composed and responsive. For an SUV punching out 530Nm and weighing 1810kg, it isn’t too shabby.

The turbocharged ICE powerplant uses an integrated starter-generator (ISG) system to fire it up silently and it’s generally quiet and unruffled on the road, working-in well with the e-motor to deliver torquey, capable performance. The braked towing capacity doesn’t quite match the Haval H7’s rugged persona but it’s useful enough at 1500kg and adequate for a small camper-trailer.

However, there’s a caveat to the overall progress, as the active safety systems in the H7 Vanta still require further calibration to be truly seamless. First up, the driver-attention warnings, both visual and audible, are infuriating at best, punishing you if you dare glimpse away from the road ahead. Additionally, the lane-departure warning can be overzealous, and the directional indicators are often unwilling to cancel despite unending attempts.

The only apparent improvement to driver-aids is the softening of the aggressive steering corrections intended to keep the vehicle tracking in its chosen lane. While not transformational, the driving experience benefits from the updates.

The 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta’s interior is truly appealing.

Its excellent stretch-out space, comfortable seats and ergonomic driver controls bring few, if any, complaints. There’s more back-seat legroom than many of its segment peers, while the general cabin architecture is thoroughly modern with plenty of creature comforts and soft-touch surfaces.

Despite being a bit bigger overall than the Haval H6, the H7 Vanta trades boot space for passenger real estate. It doesn’t have quite the luggage-carrying capacity of the H6, offering a minimum of 483 litres and a maximum of 1362L with the rear seats folded. The H6 will respectively tote 560 litres and 1485 litres.

In-cabin storage is relatively well catered for, with thoughtful touches including a handy incidentals tray above the glovebox and bottle-restraining straps for the receptacles in all four doors.

The 2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta is likely to end up jostling for space in the mid-size SUV segment with its capable H6 stablemate. Haval is surely envisaging the H7’s suggested toughness will appeal to different, less urban-oriented customers.

However that pans out, the new Haval H7 is a well-considered package with plenty of strengths in terms of presentation, capability and value for money. With the steady improvements in flawed driver-assist aids, it is proof that Chinese car-makers are nothing if not quick learners.

As for whether it suits customers more than the Haval H6, which is already a sales success in the mid-size SUV segment, that could end up being a simple matter of where the buck stops.

2025 GWM Haval H7 Vanta at a glance:
Price: $46,990 drive-away
Available: Now
Powertrain: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol electric
Output: 110kW/230Nm (electric motor: 130kW/300Nm)
Combined output: 179kW/530Nm
Transmission: DHT (Dedicated Hybrid Transmission)
Fuel: 5.7L/100km
CO2: 131g/km
Safety rating: Not tested

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