Great Wall Motors (GWM) is quickly building a reputation as a reputed SUV manufacturer worldwide. Some of its newly-released SUVs received a lot of critical acclaim from journalists from several prominent car markets.
One of its latest vehicles to draw a lot of eyeballs is the Haval H6 Plugin Hybrid that was revealed at a recent car show in Thailand. Although the design of the vehicle is not too different from the original third-generation H6, except for a slightly more aggressive front fascia, it boasts interesting performance figures.
The H6 Plugin Hybrid will have the familiar turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder petrol engine that makes 167 horsepower (hp) and 285 Newton-meters (Nm) of torque. However, with the output of the electric motor combined, it makes a handsome 326 hp and 530 Nm of torque.
The power is sent to the front wheels only from a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) — a system that uses twin planetary gearsets that modulate power between the engine and the electric motor.
GWM claims an electric-only range of 201 km that has piqued the interest of many car journalists. Industry experts speculate that the H6 Plugin Hybrid will have a 41.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that will allow for the aforementioned range, although GWM has not revealed any official details about the battery pack. Other information, such as launch date and price, is also awaited.
Haval came to Pakistan earlier this year in partnership with Sazgar Engineering Works Limited (SEWL) — the same company that brought BAIC to the local market.
The company launched two of its SUVs — the H6 and the Jolion, both of which were praised by Pakistanis for their styling and features. However, due to the ongoing issues in the car market such as the scarcity of the semiconductor microchip, increased freight charges, and rising costs of raw material costs, etc., the automaker is yet to establish its prominence in Pakistan.
Haval has an interesting lineup of SUVs that could potentially become top-sellers in the local market, if and when SEWL begins offering them as locally assembled vehicles.