Haval H6 due here in September

Haval has announced its H6 model will arrive in Australia during September, offering buyers the company's first product fitted with a dual-clutch transmission.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder, the H6 is expected to sit within the VFACTS medium SUV segment, but rides on a longer wheelbase than likely rivals, the Ford Kuga, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV4.

"We're putting the 'Sport' back in Sports Utility Vehicle with the all-new H6," said Haval Australia Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Smith, as quoted in a press release.

"With 145 kilowatts of power on tap, we wanted to maximise the sporting ability of the H6 with a transmission that perfectly matched it. The Getrag Powershift 6DCT451 transmission will deliver outstanding performance via its ability to change gears in mere hundredths of seconds."

The engine produces 315Nm to complement the 145kW power output, and the six-speed transmission features a wet-plate clutch pack.

"The powertrain in the new H6 represents the continued evolution and refinement by our engineering team. In combination with new levels of dynamic performance, the H6 will set new benchmarks for Haval," said Smith.

"This is just the first of many refinements, improvements and technologies we will see in future Haval product over the coming years."

The H6 is Haval's biggest selling model in China, where it has already notched up over a million sales. Haval launched last year with a three-model range. The H6 will fill a large gap in the range between the H2 and the H8 models already on sale here, and the range will expand again, when the H7 model arrives.