Haval distances itself from Great Wall

Haval is the latest brand to enter the Australian market, joining the 51 other brands selling passenger, light-commercial and sports utility vehicles here.

The Chinese brand specialising in SUVs, is owned and marketed by Great Wall Motors, known here for its range of pick-ups and the X Series SUV. But Haval will be a stand-alone brand in Australia, and staff are under instructions not to discuss Great Wall with local media.

Great Wall, formerly distributed here by Ateco Automotive, has been engaged in arbitration with its Australian distributors for unspecified reasons. Neither Haval Australia MD Parker Shi nor his Chief Marketing Officer Tim Smith was in a position to discuss the matter during the star-studded reception for dealers and the media at Albert Park last night.

"We have some issues with our previous distributor, Ateco" Shi said. "But I don't want to talk too much about these issues."

However, the Haval MD hinted that "someone" had a "short term vision" for the brand and had a hand out asking Great Wall for financial support.

In response to a follow-up question, Smith said: "No one's walking away from Great Wall."

It has been rumoured, in fact, that factory distributor Haval will assume responsibility for distributing the commercial vehicles and X Series in the future. If Haval – actually a Great Wall sub brand in China – were to become the principal brand name in Australia, it would leave the distributor free to drop the Great Wall name, which has been tarred by recalls to remove asbestos from cars sold here.

In the meantime, Haval has officially announced four founding dealers for the network. These four are based in Geelong, Perth, Sydney and Berwick – an outer suburb of Melbourne. Before year's end, five more dealers will be appointed, and the brand intends to have a 25-strong dealer network by the end of 2016.

Stocks of the H2, H8 and H9 models are in the country and are on sale, with pricing announced for all three at the media reception.

The brand kicks off with the H2, a small SUV measuring 4.3 metres in length. Powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder, the H2 is rated at 110kW and 210Nm. Available in front- or all-wheel drive form (manual only for the latter), the H2 is offered with both manual and automatic six-speed transmissions. Two trim levels – Premium and LUX – are offered, with the entry-level model priced from $26,490.

Standard features across the range include electric power steering, four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated front), auto-on/off headlights, rain-sensing wipers, sunroof, leather-bound multi-function steering wheel, trip computer, cruise control, keyless entry/start, 60:40 split-fold rear seat, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, Bluetooth with audio streaming, seven-inch infotainment touch screen, electric windows and air conditioning.

Additionally, the H2 LUX features a man-made faux-leather upholstery with six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, front-seat heating, two tweeters, fold-in mirrors and dual-zone climate control.

Waiting for production of the H2 automatic transmission variants to reach Australia had delayed the local launch of the brand until now.

Measuring 4.8 metres long, the H8 is Haval's answer to the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Exuding style not unlike the Volkswagen Touareg, the H8 is priced from $41,990 for the Premium (base) rear-wheel drive model. Driven by a longitudinally-mounted ('North/South') turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder, the H8 produces 160kW and 324Nm. Two levels of trim are offered, Premium or LUX, with the all-wheel drive H8 exclusively available in LUX trim.

The H8 features standard sunroof, alloy wheels (18-inch for H8 Premium), leather-bound multi-function steering wheel, Bluetooth, shift paddles, leather seat upholstery, electric front-seat adjustment, rear parking sensors, reversing camera, keyless entry/start, tyre pressure monitoring, satellite navigation, electric windows and three-zone climate control. Extra features offered in the higher grade H8 LUX include 19-inch alloys, heated front/rear seats, position memory for driver's seat, front-seat ventilation/massaging, upgraded (Infinity) audio system with separate amplifier and adaptive headlights.

As the bespoke Prado rival, the seven-seat H9 is built on a full chassis and is priced from $46,500 for the Premium grade, or $50,000 for the LUX grade. Power is supplied by the same turbocharged four-cylinder as the H8, producing the same output. Just one transmission is available, a six-speed automatic transmission.

Both levels of trim come equipped with alloy wheels (17-inch for H8 Premium), leather-bound multi-function  steering wheel, trip computer, 60:40 split-folding second-row seat, front/rear parking sensors, keyless entry/start, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control, electronic parking brake and three-zone climate control. Added features in the H9 LUX comprise 18-inch alloys, leather seat upholstery, heated electrically-adjustable front seats with position memory, front-seat ventilation/massaging, electrochromatic rear-view mirror, electronic off-road traction control system, Infinity audio system and adaptive headlights.

Prices are as follows:
H2 Premium 2WD manual – $26,490
H2 Premium 2WD automatic – $28,490
H2 Premium AWD manual – $28,990
H2 LUX 2WD manual – $28,490
H2 LUX 2WD automatic – $30,490
H2 LUX AWD manual – $30,990

H8 Premium 2WD automatic – $41,990
H8 Premium AWD automatic – $44,490
H8 LUX AWD automatic – $48,990

H9 Premium 4WD automatic – $46,490
H9 LUX 4WD automatic – $50,990

Options consist of two-tone paint/seat trim combinations for the H2 ($750), heated/ventilated/massaging front seats ($1000, Premium grade) for the H8, and rear DVD ($1500) for the H8 and H9.

Pictured: Parker Shi, Haval Australia MD, Channel 10 celebrity 'Bachelorettes' with Haval H8