GWM Haval H6 GT 2022 Review

Flashy-looking coupe-style SUVs are becoming increasingly popular with car buyers and Chinese brand Haval is one of the first Asian car brands to jump on the bandwagon with the new 2022 Haval H6 GT.

First thoughts? Well, it looks sharp, is handsomely equipped with loads of tech, it has already proven itself with a five-star safety rating and is smartly priced.

We’ll get to its driving performance in a minute, which tempers our enthusiasm, but there’s no doubt that the GT stacks up well across key areas, just as we’ve found with the regular H6.

When we first tested the Haval H6 wagon in early 2021 we were pleasantly surprised by its build quality and equipment levels, especially given sharp $32,990 drive-away pricing at the entry level. And the same thing applies here.

Although the chiselled H6 GT is more expensive than its conventional SUV wagon sibling, the two-model line-up still delivers compelling value, starting at $40,990 drive-away for the 2WD Lux variant and rising to $46,490 for the top-spec 4WD Ultra tested here.

Both models come with crystal-clear twin digital screens, dual-zone climate control, synthetic leather and suede seats – heated at the front – a powered tailgate and 360-degree parking camera with more angles than a dodecahedron.

Apart from the rakish, slope-backed body style, exterior features include 19-inch alloy wheels, LED lights front and rear, twin rear spoilers, weird side skirt ‘winglets’ and a more aggressive front-end design than the H6 wagon.

The top-spec Haval H6 Ultra 4WD adds grippier Michelin Primacy 4 tyres and a Haldex-based all-wheel drive system.

Inside, the Ultra has a bigger 12.3-inch infotainment system, head-up display, wireless charging pad, ambient lighting, a panoramic sunroof and heated, cooled and power-adjustable front seats. There’s a heated steering wheel, too.

For full equipment details see our Haval H6 pricing story.

Haval has already sold out the first two H6 GT shipments coming into Australia and says its forecast of 400 sales a month may need to be revised upwards, which means it could match the regular H6 that’s averaging 450 per month this year.

The GT is backed by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty plus roadside assistance and five years’ capped-price servicing, adding a little more peace of mind for what might still be a largely unknown brand for many Australians.

Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever comes first), but capped-price costs have not yet been set in stone.

Haval Australia reps told carsales it’s likely to be very similar to the regular H6, given they share the same platform and powertrain, so expect to pay around $1560 over five years, or $312 per annum on average, which isn’t too bad.

Like its wagon sibling, the 2022 Haval H6 GT carries a maximum five-star ANCAP rating achieved under the independent safety authority’s latest testing protocols.

This is helped by a high-strength passenger cell, seven airbags fitted standard and an array of advanced driver assist systems on-board.

The latter includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, emergency lane keeping, traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and driver drowsiness detection.

Some of the systems are very proactive but can be turned off or tweaked, with more control over their sensitivity than some other brands allow.

The lane centring and lane keeping systems are impressive and do a great job of making freeway driving very relaxing, while the adaptive cruise control is pretty good too.

The H6 GT Ultra can also park itself, its driving autonomy possible thanks to the SUV’s 14 radars and five cameras.

Speaking of cameras, the 360-degree surround-view parking camera is one of the best you’ll find this side of a BMW X4, with super-high-resolution visuals on the excellent 12.3-inch central touch-screen display.

There are about 20 different camera angles to choose from, complete with 3D positioning.

The central touch-screen looks fantastic but the menu layout takes some getting used to and some simple operations take a few swipes and taps to find.

While the minimalist interior design is modern, the lack of hard buttons means that adjusting things like the seat temperature and accessing other climate controls is more difficult than it need be (and hard to find at first) as you have to drill down through the menus.

Likewise, the 10.25-inch digital instrument display has excellent customisability and visual acuity but has a small speedo and the interface isn’t as user-friendly as some.

That said, it does have unique vehicle and road tracking visuals that partly show you how the car’s ‘eyes’ and computer brain are interpreting the world around it.

The head-up display is clear and pairs well with the traffic sign recognition system that updates the current speed limit pretty quickly. It can detect stop signs as well and Haval reckons it has a 95 per cent recognition rate.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are wired only, and while there’s two USB-A ports up front and two for back seat passengers, there’s no USB-C fast-charge ports.

On the flipside, the ultra-large wireless phone charge pad is one of the quicker charging systems we’ve tested.

Given the 2022 Haval H6 GT is based on the same platform as the H6 wagon, it comes as no surprise that it shares the same engine and transmission – a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Producing 150kW and 320Nm, the engine develops plenty of turbo-assisted thrust low in the rev range (peak torque arrives at 1500rpm) and propels the 1680kg GT away from traffic lights with reasonable pace.

The powertrain is inoffensive around town, when commuting and on family duties in the suburbs, although we did notice hesitation from the gearbox a couple of times when kicking down gears, after full-throttle requests.

The sportier-themed GT does have paddle shifters, allowing for more control over gear selection, but when you step on the accelerator looking for a quick turn of speed, the engine lacks refinement.

There are seven drive modes – Normal, Sport, Eco, Snow, Sand, Offroad and Race, the latter engaging an active exhaust system that Haval says is designed “to further enhance the sporty feeling”. It jacks the revs up to make the H6 GT feel faster, alters the digital instrument panel and delivers an unexpectedly sonorous exhaust acoustic as the revs rise.

Fuel economy is rated at 8.4L/100km but our average was 11.4L/100km, corroborating our previous tests that show this engine to be thirstier than many of its competitors. It will tolerate the cheapest petrol flavour (91 RON) and has a 60-litre fuel tank.

An electrified version would be really cool but Haval says the H6 hybrid powertrain won’t be fitted to the GT.

Driving the 2022 Haval H6 GT is an exercise in effortlessness. It motivates quickly thanks to the responsive engine and, with light steering, is well suited to daily driving duties.

The well-equipped and comfortable cabin has plenty of space and the high ride height ensures above-average front and side visibility, although rearward vision is poor due to the thick rear pillars and tiny elevated rear windscreen.

Given the sportier pretensions of the H6 GT – as found in the evocative nameplate, striking design, bi-modal exhaust, tyre specification, etc – we took the SUV for a spin on some challenging roads and it failed to excite.

The Michelin Primacy 4 tyres deliver good grip levels and don’t screech when pushed, but the GT’s front-end feels vague at best and confused at worst.

The steering is devoid of feel or feedback, despite three different settings – Light, Comfort and Sport – and the vehicle has a distinct lack of body control during swift directional changes.

The H6 GT simply doesn’t feel confident tracking through corners at higher speeds, and while that’s not a huge issue as far as regular SUVs are concerned, this one has ‘GT’ badges everywhere and a sporty coupe-style body shape that encourage exploration of its dynamic performance.

A cynic would decry ‘false advertising!’

What’s more, the GT transmits more noise into the cabin from cracks and bumps in the road compared to the standard H6 wagon.

The sporty Michelin tyres can take some of the blame here, but the way the GT bounces over speed humps then takes time to settle is most certainly due to the suspension tuning.

What it might lack in outright sportiness on the road, the 2022 Haval H6 GT impresses with its cabin fit-out.

The supportive front seats look and feel good (despite the Comfort-Tek faux leather feeling a bit rubbery), with GT logos and microfibre-trimmed upper sections adding a bit more razzle-dazzle.

The use of soft-touch dash plastics and soft suede-like microfibre finish on the centre console and door arm rests is unique to the GT, and help create an upmarket vibe in the cabin.

There are some cheaper-looking materials around the rotary gear shifter, some of which appear to mark easily, but overall the plastic materials are well integrated.

Incidental storage up front is very good, with twin spring-loaded cup holders, a sizeable central storage bin and large storage shelf underneath the transmission tunnel, which is good for throwing wallets, phones, cables, handbags and so on. It’s also where twin USB-A ports are located.

Rear seat occupants get the same flashy upholstery as the front only with ultra-soft cushions that you sink into and provide a great place to snooze. There’s also plenty of legroom, so-so headroom, twin USB-A ports, reading lights, a fold-out arm rest, auto up/down electric windows and two ISOFIX child seat anchorage positions.

A powered-operated tailgate reveals an average-sized boot which is long but not very wide and has a high floor. In total it offers 393 litres of cargo space which is around 33 per cent less than the H6 wagon’s 600 litres, largely because of the redesigned rear-end.

Fold the rear seats down and you do get a more respectable 1390 litres, while amenity is pretty par for the course, with a 12-volt socket, one bag hook, an LED light, soft cargo cover and a space-saver spare wheel.

The 2022 Haval H6 GT delivers impressive value for money in terms of interior real estate, equipment levels and integration of technology.

It looks the goods, and occupies a unique position in class with no other mainstream brand going down the coupe-style SUV path in the mid-size category.

As we’ve found, choosing the GT over the regular H6 wagon is really a matter of taste rather than a means to obtain a higher level of engine or dynamic performance.

It’s not meant to be a bona fide rival for the likes of the BMW X4 and Audi Q5 Sportback; luring buyers from the premium class would be about as likely as Chinese New Year celebrations without firecrackers.

More to the point, the new H6 GT stands as another solid showing from Haval that offers loads of showroom appeal but ultimately needs more work before threatening to take down the leading players in this segment.

How much does the 2022 Haval H6 GT Ultra 4WD cost?
Price: $46,490 (drive-away)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 150kW/320Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 193g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2022)