2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid Review

As Australians seek to reduce their fuel bill and their environmental impact, sales of Hybrid EV vehicles have increased exponentially due to their convenience, offering a stepping stone for motorists who aren’t ready for a fully electric vehicle. So far, Toyota has been the undisputed king of the hybrid vehicle, with over 20+ years of experience in building them, it’s not hard to see why. What’s puzzling given the huge demand for them, is how few other hybrid vehicles are on the market. Finally we’re starting to see more options – one of which, is the 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid – is the RAV4 hybrid in trouble? 

Great Wall Motors (GWM) saw strong growth throughout 2022, particularly with the Haval range of SUVs. The current generation H6 mid-size SUV launched in Australia during 2021 with the hybrid version following in 2022. We’re always eager to test a new Hybrid to see how different manufacturers put their spin on the hybrid drivetrain, and the H6 hybrid is no different. Read on to find our thoughts after our week with the Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid.

Price & Equipment: 9.5/10

While there are a range of petrol powered H6 models, the sole hybrid variant of the range is based on the top-spec Ultra Hybrid model and only available as a front-wheel drive. GWM Haval doesn’t publish a retail price for the 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra, it’s priced at $45,990 drive away nationally.

For your money, you get 19-inch alloy wheels, automatic all-LED lighting, auto wipers, heated and auto-folding mirrors, keyless entry and start with a power tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, a heated leather steering wheel, interior mood lighting, auto/up down windows, dual-zone climate control with rear seat vents, ‘Comfort Tek’ synthetic leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, eight-way driver’s electric seat adjustment and four-way electric adjustment for the front passenger, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a heads-up display, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and AM/FM radio, an eight speaker sound system, four USB charging ports, a wireless phone charger and a USB port for a dash cam. 

Sporting a five-star ANCAP rating, the H6 Ultra Hybrid features seven airbags (dual frontal, dual front side, centre front and curtain airbags to both rows), auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward collision warning, low-speed manoeuvre emergency braking, secondary collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, lane change assist, lane departure warning with keep and centre assist, rear cross traffic alert with braking, rear collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, automatic parking, a 360-degree camera, tyre pressure monitoring, driver attention monitoring and a burglar alarm. 

There aren’t any options available for the 2022 Haval Ultra Hybrid, apart from colour. Our test vehicle sported the single ‘no-cost’ colour option ‘Hamilton White’. Ayers Grey’, ‘Burgundy Red’, ‘Crayon Grey’, ‘Energy Green’, ‘Blue Sapphire’ and ‘Golden Black’ form the premium paint options, with each costing an additional $495. 

As we’ve already touched on, we consider Toyota RAV4 to be the most direct competitor to the H6 Ultra Hybrid – and price wise the best comparison point would be the RAV4 GXL Hybrid 2WD, which is priced at around $46,900 drive away, depending on location. The RAV4 GXL features satellite navigation, an extra USB charging point, wireless CarPlay (wired only on the H6), a built in modem allowing remote functions through a mobile app and safety features such as an SOS eCall and automatic collision notification, a space-saver spare, trailer sway control and intersection turn assist, which are missing on the H6.

However this pales in comparison with features that the H6 has over the RAV4, including larger 19-inch alloys, a power tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, synthetic leather trim, electric adjustment front seats, heated and ventilated seats, a centre airbag, tyre pressure monitoring, braking for the rear cross traffic alert, a 360-degree view camera, a larger fully digital instrument cluster, a larger infotainment system, a heads-up display, two more speakers and auto-folding mirrors. 

The new Nissan X-Trail in Ti E-Power guise is another competitor, however its drive-away price is well over $12,000 more expensive than the H6 (around $58,600) and comes without much additional equipment, making it far worse value for money.

The H6 Ultra Hybrid is priced and equipped so well that beyond a spare tyre, it’s hard to to suggest any equipment it should have – maybe if we were being picky, then digital radio and satellite navigation. Kudos to GWM Haval for putting together a great value package in the H6 Ultra Hybrid – we just hope it adds a lower-spec hybrid to the range to make it more accessible to more customers. 

Performance & Economy: 8/10

Sitting under the bonnet of the 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid is a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, paired with an electric motor. The petrol engine alone produces 110kW of power between 5500rpm and 6000rpm and 230Nm of torque at between 1500rpm and 4000rpm and the electric motor produces an additional 130kW and 300Nm of torque. Haval quotes a combined figure of 179kW of power and an impressive 530Nm of torque. Haval simply describes the transmission in the H6 Ultra Hybrid as a “Dedicated Hybrid Transmission” and further research suggests it is be a two-speed unit. 

The result is a very competent hybrid system. We were quite impressed by how smooth the change between petrol and electric was, with near Toyota levels of refinement. The Haval hybrid system seems to stay on electric only longer than most Toyota systems, however once the petrol engine comes on, it shuts off less frequently. The H6 Ultra Hybrid while not a speed demon, manages a 0-100km/h sprint in around 7.5 seconds, or around half a second faster than an RAV4.

The substantial 530Nm of torque, combined with the electric motor’s instant torque delivery makes the H6 Ultra Hybrid feel spritely – it never feels underpowered. It’s quick at getting up to and cruising at city speeds. Pushing the throttle hard does invoke a bit of a ruckus from the petrol engine, but perhaps that’s just amplified by how quiet the experience is when the petrol engine isn’t running.

At highway speeds, the H6 Ultra Hybrid, the drivetrain is not as refined as at suburban speeds, but it’s still more than acceptable. During our week with the 2022 Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid, we were unable to match the claimed 5.2L/100km fuel consumption and instead after a week of both highway and suburban driving, we returned 6.7/100km, which isn’t too bad, but we’ve definitely been able to achieve less (around 5.3L/100km) in previous testing of the RAV4 Hybrid.

With a 61-litre fuel tank, a range of 910kms should be possible based on the fuel consumption we achieved. Based on the claimed fuel consumption, CO2 emissions are rated at 120g/km. 

Ride & Handling: 7/10

The 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid rides reasonably well, with acceptable suppression of road imperfections, though the ride can get quite unsettled with smaller bumps. Larger imperfections are soaked up better. The H6 is decidedly soft, and has a very floaty feeling to its ride at times, which can be a bit disconcerting. Noise suppression even up to highway speeds is quite good – tyre roar does become apparent, as does wind noise, but it’s more than acceptable. Unfortunately there isn’t much steering feel, with the driver feeling a sense of disconnection between the steering wheel and what is happening on the road, however the steering is light which makes parking and manoeuvring around the city easy.

Pushing the H6 Ultra Hybrid around corners will quickly reveal a fair bit of body roll, though like we’ve said before, most buyers aren’t going to be racing their mid-size SUV. The aforementioned high torque figure translates to a bit of torque steer when full throttle is applied, so drivers should be aware of this if they’re punching the accelerator. The active safety driving aids can be overly sensitive and we think need some revising, particularly the lane keep assist which at times felt a little possessive. Visibility through the front and sides was excellent, though the tailgate glass, as with many other mid-sized SUVs compromised visibility out the back. Overall the ride handling balance in the H6 would benefit from some tuning, but we think most buyers will find it to be perfectly acceptable. 

Interior & Practicality: 7/10

The interior of the 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid is a throughly modern and interesting place to be. It carries an ambience of quality, as there is thoughtful use of soft touch materials throughout the front of the cabin such as on the top and front of the dash, the centre armrest and upper sections of the door cards. The leather steering wheel feels nice to grip, though we wish the screw holes on the rear of the wheel were better hidden. There are harder and scratchier plastics particularly in lower levels of the cabin, but things are pretty good for this price point.

Speaking of materials, the H6 features enough different types of materials, sticking and inserts to break up the design and add interest. A particular favourite of ours was the interior ambient lighting embedded in the dash, which by daylight is invisible, but at night lights up a pattern, which is definitely a clever and unique touch. Apart from the steering wheel controls, switchgear throughout the H6 is pretty good, giving good tactical feedback when used. 

The seats are nicely finished with an interesting perforation pattern and are quite comfortable to sit in, with eight ways of electric adjustment allowing for most drivers to find a comfortable position. We however would like to have seen a little bit more bolstering and under thigh angle adjustment to better keep the driver in situ. The front seats also feature both ventilation and heating, however the ventilation is on the weak side, even on the highest setting. 

Ahead of the driver sits a fully digital instrument cluster. The display itself is of great quality, with a high resolution and good refresh rate which makes everything look fluid and crisp. Unfortunately there are some questionable design choices in the layout of data, and the display is barely customisable which defeats the purpose of having a digital cluster. We’d like to see GWM Haval redesign the instrument cluster software to be better laid out, more consistent and to have customisable options – after all the hardware is there already to support it.

There is also a heads-up display which presents useful information to the driver, including turn-by-turn directions from CarPlay, which was impressive. Unfortunately, early on in our test period, the directions froze, and spent the rest of the week showing an irrelevant direction – we’ve had this issue on other H6 models, so it seems some bugs need to be ironed out. Storage in the front of the H6 Ultra Hybrid is good, with a spacious centre console box, a large space under the centre console, a large open storage area ahead of the gear selector, big door bins, a reasonably sized glove box and and good sized drink holders. 

Infotainment in the H6 Ultra Hybrid is handled by a substantial 12.3-inch touchscreen display. Similarly to the instrument cluster, the display is sharp and has a good refresh rate making animations smooth and content looks great. The system features wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto alongside the standard AM/FM radio plus Bluetooth and USB inputs. Digital radio and satellite navigation are missing, though phone mirroring can substitute for both, most of the time. Unfortunately, the infotainment system isn’t laid out particularly well with inconsistent menus, and no physical or persistent software home button. It’s not particularly intuitive either – changing settings involves searching through poorly designed menus with settings effectively buried.

Other functions like heating and ventilation can only be controlled through the display, which is again distracting and not particularly user friendly. The whole system needs some bug fixing as phone mirroring would often just cut out completely while driving, requiring a complete reset or restart of the infotainment system. The eight-speaker sound system is a bit disappointing, we found it to be lacking clarity as well as being tinny and distorting bass. In much more positive news, the reversing camera and panoramic view monitor are both of great quality which make them a pleasure to use.

The H6 Ultra Hybrid features four USB charging points throughout the cabin, two of which are upfront – one of these doubles as the infotainment input. There’s also a wireless charger for the front seat.

The rear row of the H6 Ultra Hybrid is a pretty good place to be. The two outbound seats are quite comfortable and feature ample leg, knee and headroom even for taller adults. The centre seat isn’t quite as spacious, with a small transmission tunnel eating into foot room and a narrower base. Two adults can travel in good comfort for extended trips in the H6 Ultra Hybrid – a third adult will be comfortable enough on shorter trips. While the rear seats aren’t quite as comfortable as the front row, they’re still more than acceptable. In terms of rear seat amenities, there is a fold-down centre armrest with two cupholders, reasonable door bins, air-vents, two USB charging ports and two map pockets. 

Opening the rear tailgate in the 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid reveals a large 600-litre space, which expands to 1,485L when the seats are folded. Speaking of the rear seats, they fold flat which provides a helpful load area. Otherwise the boot is fairly simple without hooks or any other organisational tools. Under the rear boot sits a tyre repair kit. We really would have liked to see a spare tyre of some type, given how bad the roads in Australia are. 

Service & Warranty: 8.5/10

The 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid has quite a compelling warranty and service package. A seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty is offered by GWM Haval – by comparison Toyota provides the RAV4 Hybrid with a five-year warranty, which extends to seven years of coverage for the drivetrain if servicing is completed by the logbook. The battery warranty is extended by Toyota to 10 years if an annual hybrid battery health check is carried out as part of logbook servicing. The H6 comes with five years of included roadside assistance, compared to no included roadside assistance for the RAV4. 

The H6 Ultra Hybrid has an odd service interval scheme – the first service must be completed at 10,000km or 12 months (whichever comes first), but after the first service the interval stretches to every 15,000km or 12 months (whichever comes first). Servicing is capped for the first five years/70,000km (whichever comes first) to a total of $1,650. By comparison, the RAV4 Hybrid has service intervals of 15,000kms or 12 months (whichever comes first) from the beginning. Toyota caps servicing for the first five years/75,000km (whichever comes first), which comes to a slightly lower total of $1300. 

The 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.0/10

GWM Haval has done what every other carmaker has seemingly been unable to do: create a viable alternative to Australia’s favourite hybrid vehicle – the RAV4. The 2022 GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid has a great value equation – it’s priced well while it’s also been packed full of standard equipment. It has quite a refined hybrid system, a modern and spacious interior and a compelling service and warranty package. 

What lets the H6 Ultra Hybrid down is an average ride and handling balance, in addition to glitchy technology and an interior which is poorly designed in terms of human interaction. Efficiency could also be improved compared to the RAV4, though it is more than acceptable for a vehicle of this size. Despite these negatives, the 2022 Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid is definitely worth a look for anyone who buying a Hybrid RAV4 – especially those who might not want to wait over two years for delivery.