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Arrival of the plug-in hybrid makes it the most powerful Haval divisional product now available in South Africa.
Inclusion of the PHEV makes the H6 GT the most powerful Haval divisional model on-sale in South Africa today. Image: GWM
An unexpected debutant at its annual dealer prize giving conference in February this year, Great Wall Motors (GWM) provided the media with a brief teaser of the revised Haval H6 GT at the official launch of the standard H6 in Cape Town last week.
Serious shock
Only experienced on a private racetrack, the drive solely involved the new flagship plug-in hybrid (PHEV) that slots-in above the conventional combustion variant GWM stated will remain available due to its ongoing popularity and price credit.
Officially the most powerful Haval divisional product now available in South Africa, the H6 GT PHEV combines the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the Jolion with a 35.4-kWh battery pack powering a pair of electric motors.
ALSO READ: GWM approves P500 PHEV for South Africa, prices Haval H6 GT PHEV
Hooked to a two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), the setup develops a combined 321kW/762Nm, which results in a claimed 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds. No top speed figure was revealed.
Effectively four-wheel-drive as per the pair of electric motors, the H6 GT PHEV has a claimed all-electric range of 180 km and a combined range of 1 000 km when taking the combustion engine into consideration.
Supporting DC charging up to 48 kW will require a waiting time of 26 minutes from 30-80%, or six hours when using the on-board 6.6 kW AC charger.
Prevailing petrol
By comparison, the conventional H6 GT, which received a series of minor updates in November last year, continues to make use of the 2.0 T-GDI producing an unchanged 155kW/325Nm.
As with the PHEV, drive goes to all four wheels, but without any electrical assistance and through a conventional seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. No performance figures were revealed.
Inside
Largely unchanged from the conventional GT outside, bar the secondary flap hiding the charging port on the right rear wing, the newcomer’s interior also remains as is, bar hybrid specific readouts and graphics within the 12.3-inch infotainment system and 10.25-inch instrument cluster.
Worth noting is that neither GT receives the redesigned interior as the standard H6, consisting of the new steering wheel, steering column-mounted gear lever and infotainment system.
Spec
In terms of spec, both the H6 GT and GT PHEV are fitted as standard with the following:
- 19-inch alloy wheels;
- wireless smartphone charger;
- dual-zone climate control with rear vents;
- folding electric mirrors;
- LED headlights and fog lamps;
- eight-speaker sound system;
- keyless entry;
- push-button start;
- heated and electric front seats;
- electric tailgate;
- panoramic sunroof;
- rain sense wipers;
- Head-Up Display;
- tyre pressure monitor;
- 360-degree camera system;
- front and rear parking sensors;
- Rollover Mitigation;
- Driver Attention Alert;
- Adaptive Cruise Control;
- Automatic Emergency Braking;
- Blind Spot Monitoring;
- Traffic Sign Recognition;
- Lane Departure Warning;
- Traffic Jam Assist;
- Lane Keep Assist;
- Corner Brake Control;
- Lane Centring Assist
Besides its powertrain, the PHEV’s added specification items consist of launch control, a hands-free opening electric tailgate, sport seats at the rear, ventilated front seats and Automatic Park Assist.
In addition, the PHEV’s drive mode selector consists of six settings: Eco, Normal, Sport, Mud, Snow and 4WD versus the combustion model’s Eco, Normal, Sport, Race, Sand and Off-Road.
A further three settings have been included as part of the hybrid system, namely the default Hybrid, full-electric EV and what GWM calls EV Priority.
Clearer picture later
While the short drive on the damp circuit came with little lag and immediate response from the electrified powertrain, little could otherwise be determined given the caution that had to be applied in the less-than-ideal conditions.
Colours and price
On the colour front, both GTs can be had in one of five hues: red, matte grey, Hamilton White, Sun Black and Atlantis Blue.
As with the H6, the H6 GT’s price tags include a seven-year/200 000 km warranty, a seven-year/75 000 km service plan and, in the case of the PHEV, an eight-year/150 000 km battery warranty.
- H6 GT 2.0 T-GDI Super Luxury 4WD DCT – R665 950
- H6 GT PHEV Ultra Luxury 4WD DHT – R799 900
