2016 Haval H9 LUX Review | Family-Friendly, But In Need Of A Good Diesel
THE HAVAL H9 IS ALMOST A COMPLETE UNKNOWN TO AUSTRALIAN BUYERS. YET, HERE IT IS TO COMPETE AGAINST ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN 4X4 WAGONS IN THE MARKET, TOYOTA'S PRADO.
What chance has it got, and how do the two converge? Well, the H9 is the same size as the Prado, roughly, it has both high and low 4X4 ranges, and shares the same intended purpose - an up-specced versatile family wagon.
Haval launched in Australia just last year, 2015, and while the brand itself (a division of Great Wall Motors) only came into being in 2001, by 2012 it was China’s number-one selling SUV brand.
Vehicle Style: Large SUV
Price: $50,990 (plus on-roads)
Engine/trans: 160kW/324Nm 2.0 4cyl turbo petrol | 6spd automatic
Fuel Economy claimed: 12.1 l/100km | tested: 13.2 l/100km
OVERVIEW
Haval defines itself as a premium brand. This partly explains why the pricing for the seven-seat H9 range starts at $46,490 (plus on-road costs), rising to $50,990 (plus) for the up-spec H9 LUX tested here.
However, in point of fact, the H9 LUX is the same price as an entry-level Mitsubishi Pajero GLX manual and cheaper than Toyota’s five-seat Prado GX manual base model - almost 'budget buying' in this segment, then - and a long way below the truly premium pricing of the likes of the Land Rover Discovery or BMW X5.