More safety for Haval H9

The Haval H9 receives a big safety uptick this month with the addition of autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning and adaptive cruise control as standard for both LUX and ULTRA model variants.

The new radar-based safety features are in addition to other electronic safety aids Haval added to the H9 in January 2018, namely blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane departure warning.

There’s no word as yet about whether the H9’s augmented safety spec will see an uprated ANCAP score to five stars (from the 2015 four-star result), but the added equipment does come at no additional cost.

The Haval H9 LUX remains at $41,990 and the premium ULTRA at $45,990 (both drive-away).

Meanwhile, Haval has once again added equipment and shaved the price with its H2 small SUV, following the addition of an entry-level manual ‘MT’ model last November.

The MT has now been renamed City and a new entry-level six-speed automatic City version joins the H2 range for $20,990 drive away, while the top-spec LUX has had a $1000 price shave and now costs $25,990 drive-away.

The Haval H2 City is powered by the same four-cylinder 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine as the $22,990 Premium and $25,990 LUX models.

Standard City features include electric windows, Bluetooth, tyre pressure monitoring, 18-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, keyless entry and start system and privacy glass.

Two-tone paint and two-tone interiors are available at extra cost. The H2 scored five stars in its ANCAP crash-safety test.

This is the fifth time the H2 has been fettled in terms of price and/or spec since its launch in late 2015, when the range started with the $26,490 2WD Premium manual and topped out with the $30,990 AWD LUX auto.

Haval, which will launch a new marketing campaign next month, has struggled to make an impression in the Australian market with its trio of SUVs marketed here -- the small H2, mid-size H6 and large H9.

VFACTS figures show a 10.8 per cent drop in Haval sales in 2018 -- from 710 to 633 units – despite keen pricing and generous after-sales provisions.

Haval Australia offers a seven-year/unlimited-km warranty for private buyers and a seven-year/150,000km warranty for commercial users. Five years of roadside assist is part of the package.

Haval H2 and H9 pricing (drive-away):
H2 City manual -- $19,990
H2 City auto -- $20,990)
H2 Premium auto -- $22,990
H2 LUX Auto -- $25,990
H9 LUX -- $41,990
H9 ULTRA -- $45,990