I have to say that I have a massive soft-spot for the Haval H6 GT, a coupe-style SUV that offered sporty looks and an absolutely outrageous “Race” mode that made it sound incredibly aggressive, but actually didn’t make it go any faster in the slightest.
It was such a disconcertingly fun experience to drive a car with pretty much average-for-the-segment performance sounding like it was belligerently pounding over the top of the mountain at Bathurst that I really didn’t care that it was, well, slow.
Now, in an equally disconcerting twist, GWM has released a plug-in hybrid version of the H6 GT that totally flips the script by offering almost no sound whatsoever, but truly ferocious performance.
You see, the Haval H6 GT PHEV is one of the new breed of PHEVs that uses a massive battery, a small petrol engine and a very complex dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) that mixes and matches the power sources for the most efficient or, in the case of the H6 GT, most insanely powerful results.
The H6 GT PHEV packs a 110kW/230Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine that spends most of its time acting as a generator to charge the 35.4kWh battery which powers the two electric motors; a 130kW one on the front axle and a 135kW one on the rear. And, before we go any further, yes, that battery is bigger than a first-gen Nissan Leaf EV.
A two-speed DHT combines all of this in whatever it considers to be the best way, with the upshot being the H6 GT is, like all PHEVs with DHTs, extremely seamless and EV-like to drive with the petrol engine popping its head up only occasionally - and almost imperceptibly - under normal use.
Ask more of it, however, and everything chips in to help propel you towards the horizon at a rate you truly don’t expect from a mid-size family SUV. With a combined maximum power output of 321kW and 762Nm, GWM says the H6 GT PHEV will scamper to the open road speed limit in 4.9 seconds, but it actually feels somewhat faster than that, to be completely honest.
But this straight line acceleration isn’t actually where the H6 GT PHEV is at its most impressive - drop it into Sport mode when it is up and running, and the mid-to-high range punch out of corners and when overtaking is astounding. Yes, the H6 GT is on the softer side of things when it comes to suspension, so there is quite a bit of leaning hard on the outside front tyre through corners, but the various systems do an impressive job of reining in the potentially wayward combination of softer suspension and serious power.
You can treat it like an EV for the vast majority of the time; even only plugging it in once a week would be enough for the average commute.
So why doesn’t this silly-fast family SUV have an outrageous (and, admittedly, fake) engine noise as it hammers along? Well, that comes down to that hybrid powertrain and DHT - with no perceptible gear shifts, any sort of fake angriness would simply descend into an irritating CVT-style shouting match. Yes, GWM could have programmed in fake shift points or some kind of pseudo-sci-fi roar, but I am personally very happy they didn’t.
When delivering everything from both electric motors and the petrol engine, you can hear the ICE working away, but it isn’t intrusive and you are so busy laughing at the frankly silly performance this mid-size family-hauler offers you don't really hear it anyway.
Oh yeah, speaking of more mundane things like, y’know, everyday family-style usability, the H6 GT PHEV is quite remarkable there too offering a claimed 180km of EV-only range from its big battery.
This means you can treat it like an EV for the vast majority of the time; even only plugging it in once a week would be enough for the average commute. It also has DC fast-charging (well, fast-ish - it will only take up to 48kW) for charging on the go, but then you also have a 55 litre fuel tank to take up any slack there.
Daily driving almost never sees the ICE chime in and because I have access to a charger at the office and a DC charger at my nearest supermarket, keeping it electric-only during the week is a no-brainer. And, most importantly, no effort whatsoever.
As with all "sporty SUVs", what's the point? It really doesn't need to be that fast.
While this does almost make the combustion engine redundant, its addition does mean the H6 GT has a total electric and petrol range of more than 1000km (admittedly calculated using the outdated and wildly positive NEDC cycle), which will be handy to some people, while to get the same sort of serious performance from a pure EV would require a much bigger battery, which would add a lot more to the cost.
But... it is an SUV after all, so does it really need that performance? If it wasn’t an SUV, I would almost certainly love the combination of serious performance and utter ease of use the H6 GT PHEV offers, but because it is an SUV, it all just seems a bit unnecessary.
But then that's probably more to do with my lack of comprehension about sporty SUVs (why, exactly, do we need a tall sporty vehicle?) and it doesn’t stop the Haval H6 GT PHEV being a remarkably impressive package, offering excellent build quality, comfort and searing performance at a frankly ridiculously low price.
How much is the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV?
The plug-in hybrid version of the H6 GT costs $58,990, which is a $12k jump over the standard car, but brings that huge all-electric range and startling performance. So it's really quite a bargain.
What are the key statistics for the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV?
The H6 GT PHEV, as its name suggests, is powered by a "super hybrid" power train that consists of a 110kW/230Nm 1.5-litre turbo petrol four-cylinder engine, a 35.4 kWh battery and a pair of electric motors pumping out a total of 321kW and 762Nm. Which is just silly.
Is the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV efficient?
Oh yes, but the actual numbers are... complicated. GWM quotes 0.2l/100km for when the H6 is operating in EV mode (and the engine is topping up the battery) and 5.4l/100km for when it is operating in hybrid mode (and actually using the engine more), but then also quotes a combined fuel consumption of 0.8l/100km calculated using the outdated NEDC driving cycle, which is used for ADR81/02 figures for Australia.
Which is confusing, but we saw an average of 2.4l/100km during our time with it and that included a very spirited blast on a winding road in it. So still very frugal.
Is the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV good to drive?
The H6 GT is a nicely comfortable family SUV that also happens to be ridiculously fast when you want, so overall, yes it is rather good to drive. It isn't exactly sports car-dynamic through the corners, but it is more than capable, while its urban behaviour is excellent.
Is the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV practical?
With plenty of rear legroom the H6 GT is practical enough for a small family, but the boot space is lacking a bit at only 392 litres.
What do we like about the Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV?
The fact that it is essentially an EV, but with the extended range and replenishing convenience of an ICE SUV is the H6 GT PHEV's USP, and makes it impressive on both a long trip and in daily commuting. Plus that performance is stupidly hilarious...
What don’t we like about the GWM Haval H6 GT Ultra PHEV?
As with all "sporty SUVs", what's the point? It really doesn't need to be that fast. Also while its 180km all-electric range and a combined petrol/electric range of over 1000km is impressive, they aren't really achievable in the real world thanks to them being calculated using the wildly optimistic NEDC cycle.
What kind of person would the GWM Haval H6 Ultra GT PHEV suit?
Anyone who wants electric daily running combined with the convenience of petrol-assisted long range cruising. If you do travel from Auckland to Wellington and back on a regular basis and don't like stopping, then this could well be the perfect vehicle for you.
