Well, actually, I guess Haval is actually doing a good job, because the drive.com.au review give the earlier Haval H2 a
REALLY BAD review just two months ago
2016 Haval H2 Premium new car review
Chinese SUV makes an overpriced and underwhelming debut.
Competition is a beautiful thing.
Australia's cutthroat car market offers more choice than just about anywhere else on the planet, as well as cars that present strong value compared with foreign lands.
The H2 is available with two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive. Photo: Supplied
Haval, the premium SUV spin-off to China's Great Wall Motors, introduced a new marque to Australia as well as a family of three SUVs when it arrived late last year.
The H2 is the smallest car in the trio, a compact SUV that isn't as petit as a baby SUVs such as the Mazda CX-3, but not quite as spacious as larger models like Toyota's RAV4.
We tested the entry-level Haval H2 Premium, a car priced from $26,490 plus on-road costs as a front-wheel-drive, six-speed-manual proposition. Opting for a six-speed automatic transmission will set you back an extra $2000, while an all-wheel-drive version is available for $28,990 plus on-road costs.
Haval's interior looks attractive at a glance, but a closer inspection reveals quality concerns. Photo: Supplied
The H2 Premium has a decent level of standard equipment. It's loaded up with a sunroof, rain-sensing windscreen wipers a reversing camera, cruise control and twin electronic displays – one in the driver's instrument binnacle and a 7.0-inch screen on the dashboard. It even has a parking coach that gives (somewhat condescending) advice when backing into a space.
There are front and rear fog lamps, LED daytime running lamps and automatic headlights as well as basics such as air conditioning and power windows. The Haval rides on 18-inch wheels with a clever tyre temperature and pressure monitoring system writ large on a digital dashboard display that can show almost anything but the vehicle's speed.
A better-specified H2 Lux sits $2000 above the H2 Premium, adding "eco leather" seat trim, electric driver's seat adjustment, a side-view parking camera, heated front seats and a rear centre armrest.
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The only option is a $750 dress-up pack that brings two-tone paint and interior trim that ranges from conventional charcoal tones to an eye-catching cherry red and beige treatment. But you can't have active cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot or lane departure warning systems at any price, the latest safety features that are available on some of its key rivals.
The H2 has front, side and curtain airbags, with the latter extending to the second row. Haval claims a five-star Chinese C-NCAP crash rating for the H2, though that's not necessarily something to crow about. Unlike testing from mature markets, results from the Chinese crash scheme are not accepted by Australia's ANCAP body as C-NCAP uses a more lenient test regime that does not meet local standards. Buyers should take Haval's five-star claim with more than a pinch of salt until the brand offers up a car for local crash testing.
The H2 has a familiar if slightly derivative style to it bodywork and an interior that impresses at a glance. Our test example's two-tone charcoal and cream interior felt light and spacious, helped by sizeable front windows and the overhead sunroof. The H2's mix of metallic charcoal and silver-painted trim present nicely, and it has a mix of soft-touch and hard-wearing plastics throughout the cabin.
The Haval H2 is let down by an ordinary engine. Photo: Supplied
Haval's "leather wrapped" steering wheel feels hard and suspiciously unnatural, though it is adjustable for reach and rake. That isn't helped by fiddly buttons on the front of the wheel that include an uncomfortable dummy button on the right hand side that has no effect on the car.
The central infotainment display has a dated look and feel that isn't helped by four tinny speakers that lack clarity. The dash also has toy-like buttons that, if a piece of missing dash trim was any indication, may not be the last word in longevity. Likewise, folds in the fabric of its A-pillar lining and a loose centre console and gearshift surround raises questions of the build quality of the car. Haval's five-year warranty could prove to be a handy feature.
A button-operated electronic parking brake leaves space for twin central cupholders that join door pockets, a glovebox and centre console as storage solutions.
Haval's cloth seats are supportive if a little artificial and unpleasant to touch, though there is plenty of space for back seat occupants. Cargo storage is a little tight thanks to a high boot floor that hides a full-sized spare wheel.
That's always a welcome sight, particularly for SUVs that hint at having off-road ability. That's not likely to be the case in this H2, which has just 133mm of ground clearance along with approach and departure angles of just 22 degrees at both ends.
The Haval is also let down by a truly disappointing engine. Its 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit makes 105kW of power at 5600rpm, at which point the driveline broadcasts a harmonic thrum through the cabin that cannot be ignored. A compact turbocharger contributes to 210Nm of torque available between 2200 and 4500rpm, though it lacks the on-demand tractability of modern turbocharged units. Laggy and unresponsive, this is an old-school arrangement that requires time to build boost and power, frustrating drivers keen to make rapid progress.
Forward momentum is hamstrung by a significant torque hole following every gearchange. Shift the long-throw gearlever from first to second and you'll have to wait more than a few moments until the motor is percolating once more. It's a similar story moving away from rest, where the lack of instant torque at low engine speeds results in tardy getaways. Stopping is interesting thanks to brakes that lack feel at first, and not helped by a long and spongy brake pedal, before clamping hard onto four-wheel discs. Three of our testers admitted to having dorky braking moments at the wheel of the H2.
Any hope the engine trades fun for frugalism is lost at the bowser, where its official 8.2L/100km fuel figure becomes closer to 8.5L/100km – at least 20 per cent more than class leaders.
The Haval's driving experience is not a lot better on the open road, where its noisy and imprecise nature is magnified at speed. Slow steering and an excess of cabin noise conspire against it, though the car's ride is impressively settled.
Our week with the Haval included plenty of wet weather that challenged mediocre grip offered by 235mm-wide Kumho rubber. The machine readily relinquished purchase of the road, and its stability control system did little to stop it running wide during boisterous cornering that better tuned cars can comfortably reel in.
This Haval is an unimpressive car at any price, but its official sticker of $26,490 plus on-road costs is well more than buyers should pay for an ordinary example of the SUV breed. There are many better options on the market - some available for significantly less than what the Haval costs to buy.
Holden's mid-sized Captiva 5 is currently on sale from $24,990 plus on-road costs, Kia's runout Sportage is available for $25,990 drive-away and Mitsubishi's (albeit smaller) ASX is $25,000 drive-away in manual or automatic form.
Special deals aside, the Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson and Toyota RAV-4 all have recommended prices of less than $28,000. The $700 jump from a Haval H2 Premium to Mazda's entry-level CX-5 represents one of the easiest decisions a buyer could hope to make.
Competition is indeed a beautiful thing.
Haval H2 Premium pricing and specifications
Price: From $26,490 plus on-road costs
On sale: Now
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 105kW at 5600rpm
Torque: 210Nm at 2200-4500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 8.2L/100km
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I mean, an upgrade from that to mediocre in a little more than 2 months is actually not bad
