New Haval H6 here early next year

The third-generation Haval H6 has been launched in China and will offer cutting-edge tech and luxury equipment for mainstream prices when it arrives in Australia in the first half of 2021.

Haval claims the new H6 will deliver three world-first features for a non-EV SUV, including over-the-air (firmware) vehicle updates, 5G compatibility and, for the first time in non-premium SUV, automated reversing assist.

It also rides on an all-new multi-billion-dollar platform architecture dubbed LEMON. See below for more details on why the Chinese car-giant went with the fruity name.

Unlike the current Haval H6 which uses older technology, the updated model could be the brand’s first serious competitor for top-selling mid-size SUVs like the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Tucson.

Sporting a contemporary new look with LED lights front and rear and big 19-inch alloy wheels, Haval will be hoping its new H6 mimics the MG3’s dominance of the light-car segment by offering an attractive, feature-packed machine for a fraction of the price of its Japanese rivals.

Set for Australian release by mid-2021, the new Haval H6 will come with a range of whiz-bang features, including 5G connectivity with over-the-air vehicle updates that to upgrade more than 40 key modules in the vehicle, a 9.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel.

A full-length panoramic sunroof, heated steering wheel, self-parking system, power-adjustable leather-trimmed seats, dual-zone climate control and rear air-vents are also expected to be on offer.

The Haval H6 also claims to offer Level 3 autonomous driving functionality (which means no hands, feet or eyes are required) thanks to its 'Mobile Eye Q4 autonomous driving chip' that computes visual processing algorithms fed by a whopping 14 radars and six cameras dotted around the vehicle.

Haval says the new H6 will have "class-leading full-scenario" automatic emergency braking (AEB) that detects vehicles, pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists and "crossings under different situations" in part thanks to infrastructure (V2X) communications.

In China there are three versions of the Haval H6 but the Aussie range is likely to mirror the current model's two-variant strategy, with Premium and LUX grades priced at $29,990 and $33,990 respectively.

Expect pricing of the new model to follow suit, while adding more features and delivering improved refinement, luxury and build quality.

The Haval brand is huge in China, where it sells more than one million SUVs per annum.

More than three million Haval H6 SUVs were sold globally last year and the Chinese car-maker claims the H6 has been a top 10 best-selling SUV for the last five years.

Haval is owned by Great Wall Motors (GWM) and with its modern design, high standard equipment levels, the latest safety and tech, a long seven-year/unlimited-km warranty and pricing in line with the rivals like the RAV4 and CX-5, the new H6 could well be the vehicle that puts Haval on map Down Under.

The new H6 is based on Haval parent company GWM’s $4 billion L.E.M.O.N. global modular platform architecture.

Short for "Lightweight, Electrification, Multi-purpose, Omni-protection and Network", the new LEMON platform will underpin loads of new vehicles from the Chinese brand, spanning large, medium and small SUVs, cars and people-movers.

The new LEMON platform will deliver full EV powertrains and hybrids but the Haval H6 models that come to Australia early next year are expected to get a similar 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (140kW/340Nm) as current Chinese-market H6 models.

According to GWM’s chief technical officer, the LEMON name is no misprint.

“To name an automotive platform LEMON is definitely untraditional and bold move with negative connotations in English, but it is the exact flavor GWM have tasted during the past 30 years of globalization,” said the brand's CTO in a press statement.

“It might taste bitter and sour at the beginning just like no one believes China could even make cars 30 years ago, but now Chinese market is the largest and most competitive automotive market in the world with the largest production capacity in the world, and Chinese OEMs are making world-class quality cars.

“GWM is confident that it will rise. There is a saying in English as well, if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade. GWM upholds the corporate spirit of “improving little by little”, starting from scratch, GWM will be able to take all the bitterness and sour comments and critics and use the efforts to make a refreshing and pleasing lemonade.”

Pitched as a luxury SUV for the price of a mainstream machine, the current Haval H6 is looking dated compared to its competitors yet has still seen a 77.9 per cent increase in sales so far in 2020, with a modest 395 sales. By comparison, the overall new car market in Australia is down around 20 per cent.

Haval currently sells three models in Australia, including the H2 small SUV, for which a replacement could arrive later next year, and the big H9 large SUV which is expected to soldier on as is for the foreseeable future.