GWM Haval H6 VS Fiat 500X
GWM Haval H6
Likes
- Pleasant design inside and out
- Great price tag and ongoing costs
- Well-equipped for price
Dislikes
- Technology isn't as good as rivals
- Misses out on features that its rivals have
- Driving experience is a mixed bag
Fiat 500X
Likes
- Fun looks
- Good interior
- Great safety package
Dislikes
- Iffy transmission
- Oddball ride
- Slow
Summary
GWM Haval H6
This week I'm road-testing the new GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid, which is the flagship model, and it offers the convenience of a hybrid engine and the space of much larger SUVs, despite only being mid-sized.
But that's not what should worry rivals like the ever-popular Toyota RAV4 hybrid, Nissan X-Trail e-Power and Kia Sportage - it's its price tag.
Read more about
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- Will the 2024 Haval H5 come to Australia to take on the Toyota Kluger, Kia Sorento? New larger Chinese SUV adopts tough styling and turbocharged engines
This Chinese competitor is shaking things up and in this review I'll unpack if it's as good in real life as it is on paper.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.5L turbo |
| Fuel Type | — |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.2L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Fiat 500X
Fiat's indomitable 500 is one of the great survivors - not even VW's recently deceased New Beetle could keep riding the nostalgia wave, partly because it made itself just that little bit out-of-touch by not being a car anyone can buy. The 500 avoided that, particularly in its home market, and is still going strong.
Fiat added the 500X compact SUV a few years ago and at first I thought it was a daft idea. It's a polarising car, partly because some people complain it's capitalising on the 500's history. Well, duh. It's worked out well for Mini, so why not?
I've driven one every year for the last couple so I was keen to see what's up and whether it's still one of the weirdest cars on the road.
| Safety rating | |
|---|---|
| Engine Type | 1.4L turbo |
| Fuel Type | Premium Unleaded Petrol |
| Fuel Efficiency | 5.7L/100km |
| Seating | 5 seats |
Verdict
GWM Haval H67.9/10
The GWM Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid offers an attractive package for those hunting for a medium SUV hybrid that is affordable but well-equipped. Its rivals have a nicer on-road driving experience and better multimedia systems but you get a lot for your money and the H6 has great on-going costs.
Fiat 500X6.8/10
The 500X is a fun-looking alternative to the various options available from everyone else and is - overall - better to drive than its Renegade twin.Â
It packs a very good safety package which you can't ignore but does lose points on the warranty and servicing regime. But it's also built to take four adults in comfort, which not every car in the segment can boast.
Would you choose the Fiat 500X over one its better-known competitors? Tell us in the comments section below.
Design
GWM Haval H6
The Haval H6 is a good-looking medium SUV. It manages to blend the functionality of its size with a sleekness that should make it appealing to a wide audience.
You can tell the hybrid models apart from the pack because the grille ‘bleeds’ into the surrounding panels rather than maintaining the usual rectangular shape of the non-hybrid models. It makes the front look more stylish.
The full suite of LED lights look particularly interesting on the Ultra Hybrid with a focus on the full-width strip at the rear and cute ‘bunting’ styled brake lights.
The cabin exudes a good sense of quality with most of the materials used, like the synthetic leather upholstery and trims as well as soft touchpoints throughout. There are some harder plastics which detract from this general aesthetic but they’re mostly found in the back row and centre console.
The dashboard is stepped and has a lot going on with the chrome accents, shapes, style of vents and tech screens. You might think that would be overwhelming but it just adds nice focal points. The cabin is a pleasant space to be in.
Fiat 500X7/10
Look, I like the 500X, but I know why people don't. It's clearly a 500X in the way a Mini Countryman is a Mini. It looks like a 500, but get closer and you see the difference. It's chubby like a $10 weekend market Bhudda statue and has great big googly eyes like Mr Magoo. I find this endearing, my wife does not. The looks aren't the only thing she doesn't like.
The cabin is a bit more restrained and I quite like the band of colour stretching across the dash. The 500X is meant to be a bit more grown up than the 500, so there's a proper dash, more sensible design choices but it still has the big buttons, perfect for the meaty fingers of people who won't be buying this car.
Practicality
GWM Haval H6
The cabin has loads of passenger space and it feels roomy up front. It’s also an easy car to get in and out of, which I like. I don't love the comfort of the front seats, though, as the seat backs cave too far inwards, even with the lumbar extended. Not conducive to great posture. Â
The back seat is like a lounge, though, and in this instance I'd prefer to be a passenger princess than the driver in this car.
In the back row, the head- and legroom is excellent and middle seaters will be comfortable thanks to the flat floor.Â
Individual storage is very good up front, the centre console playing the hero with its large shelf underneath. There are also two cupholders, a utility tray and a cute little nook for any small items like keys.
The middle console is medium-sized, as is the glove box and both doors have storage bins and a drink bottle holder.
In the back seat, there are map pockets, two cupholders in a fold down armrest and shallow storage bins in each door.
The other amenities in the back row are okay and you get directional air vents and reading lights.
You get a good storage capacity with the 600L boot and the level loading space makes it easy to slide gear in and out. The back seat has a 60/40 split if you need to boost your storage capacity. There’s no spare tyre in this model, just a tyre repair kit but you do get a powered tailgate.Â
The practicality of the cabin is hurt by the usefulness of some of its tech, which is a shame since the cabin on a whole is fairly good.
The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system looks great and is fairly easy to use but the screen can occasionally lag. There are a lot of functions buried in the system and I miss having physical buttons for this reason. I sometimes don't bother with the heat and ventilation functions for the front seats because it isn't simple to access them.
You don’t get built-in sat nav or digital radio in this model but you do have wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. I have beef with the CarPlay as the USB-A port for it is on the passenger side, not the driver's side. The CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity also dropped out a lot, which I found frustrating, especially when I was using it to navigate.
Charging options are okay with each row getting two USB-A ports. The front also features a wireless charging pad and a 12-volt outlet but you miss out on faster USB-C sockets.
Fiat 500X7/10
At just 4.25 metres, the 500X isn't big, but makes the most of what it's got. The boot impresses at 350 litres and with the seats down, I think you could reasonably expect to triple that figure, though Fiat doesn't have an official number that I can find. For added Italian feel, you can tip the passenger seat forward to get really long things in, like a Billy bookshelf flat pack from Ikea.
Rear seat passengers sit high and upright meaning leg and kneeroom are maximised and with that tall roof, you won't scrape your head.Â
The doors each have a small bottle holder for a total of four and Fiat has got serious about cupholders - the 500X now has four.
Price and features
GWM Haval H6
The H6 has six variants and our model on test is the flagship Ultra Hybrid, which is priced from $45,990, drive-away. That makes it way more affordable than similarly equipped rivals, the closest drive-away price tag being over $10K higher, at $56,206 for the Toyota RAV4 Cruiser 2WD Hybrid.
Pricing goes up from there with the Kia Sportage GT-Line HEV priced from $60,496 and the Nissan X-Trail e-Power Ti-L from $63,200 (drive-away prices based on a NSW, 2000 postcode). So what do you get on the top-model hybrid H6?
For premium features, expect to see synthetic leather upholstery and trims, a panoramic sunroof, a handsfree powered tailgate, dual-zone climate control and a head-up display.
The front seats are electric, with the passenger side featuring four-way adjustment and the driver's side eight-way, as well as powered lumbar support. They sport heat and ventilation functions for added comfort.
Technology is high-quality with the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system. There is wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is good because unlike it's rivals, you miss out on built-in satellite navigation and digital radio in this model.
The exterior boasts a full suite of LED lights, including DRLs. Rims are 19-inch alloy but this hybrid model only gets a tyre puncture repair kit.
For the price tag, the kit is well-rounded and most creature comforts are assured.
Fiat 500X7/10
I drove the Pop Star, which is the second of the now-two model "regular" range, the other being the, er, Pop. I drove a Special Edition in 2018 and it's not clear if it is Special as there's also an Amalfi Special edition. Anyway.
The $30,990 (plus on-road costs) Pop Star has 17-inch alloys, six-speaker Beats-branded stereo, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, keyless entry and start, active cruise control, sat nav, auto headlights and wipers, leather shifter and steering wheel and a space-saver spare.
The Beats-branded stereo speakers are supplied with noise from FCA's UConnect on a 7.0-inch touchscreen. The same system is in a Maserati, don't you know. Offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, UConnect loses points by shrinking the Apple interface into a lurid red frame. Android Auto properly fills the screen, for some reason which is ironic given Apple owns the Beats brand.
Under the bonnet
GWM Haval H6
The Ultra Hybrid is powered by a (110kW/230Nm) 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine and 'two-speed' (130kW/300Nm) electric motor with drive going to the front wheels only. The motor is powered by a relatively small 1.8kWh lithium-ion battery and GWM Haval quotes combined petrol-electric outputs of 179kW/530Nm.
Clearly that 530Nm torque figure is the result of simply adding the engine and motor's peak numbers together, which is 'unusual' because other brands quote a blended torque output and that's a massive amount of pulling power. In comparison, the RAV4 produces 160kW/221Nm and the Sportage 169kW/350Nm.
Question marks hovering above specification calculations aside, on the road the Ultra Hybrid is no slouch and you can easily keep your speed consistent on hills.
Fiat 500X7/10
Fiat's rather excellent 1.4-litre turbo MultiAir does duty under the stubby bonnet, making 103kW and 230Nm. Rather less excellent is the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, which sends power through the front wheels only.
It's rated to tow a 1200kg braked trailer and 600kg unbraked.
Efficiency
GWM Haval H6
The official combined cycle fuel figure is just 5.2L/100km and my real-world usage is 6.0L/100km after mostly open road driving. I would expect that figure to be lower in an urban setting.
Based on the combined cycle number and the 61L fuel tank, expect a driving range of up to 1173km for this model. Great for road tripping adventures. GWM recommends a minimum 91 RON 'standard' unleaded petrol to be used.
The Ultra Hybrid is not a plug-in hybrid. Instead, it uses its engine and regenerative braking to recoup battery percentage while you’re driving. After 230km I was only down to 91 per cent for the battery, which means it’s pretty darn efficient in that recouping process.Â
Fiat 500X6/10
Fiat rather optimistically suggest you'll get a combined cycle figure of 5.7L/100km but try as I might, I couldn't do better than 11.2L/100km. What's worse, it demands 98RON fuel, so it's not the cheapest car to run. This figure us consistent with past weeks in the 500X and no, I wasn't thrashing it.
Driving
GWM Haval H6
The Ultra Hybrid has a good well of power to dip into and the switch between the petrol and electric functions is pretty smooth but occasionally when you’re getting up to speed on a highway you get some loud noises as it switches over.
Power delivery is well balanced but you lose traction in the front if you accelerate too quickly from a standstill, particularly if you’re doing it on an incline.
When you’re braking on a hill, there can be a quick sliding sensation as if its slipped out of gear, which I did not like at all.
The ride comfort is a mixed bag for me, mostly because the front seats are uncomfortable on a longer journey but the suspension is compliant enough that you don’t wince when you hit bumps. There is some roll when you hit corners but otherwise you don’t really feel jostled in the Ultra Hybrid which is good.
Around town and at lower speeds, the engine noise is virtually nil and that creates a more refined on-road experience but road and wind noise are noticeable at higher speeds.
With the steering wheel feel set on ‘Comfort’ the H6 manoeuvres responsively in the city but can feel a little clunky in a tight car park because of its larger 12m turning circle.
The 360-degree view camera system is super clear, though, and you also get front and rear parking sensors so I didn’t find the H6 hard to park.
Fiat 500X6/10
Again, I shouldn't like the 500X but I really don't mind it. It's flawed, which might be why.
The dual-clutch transmission is dumber than a box of loose cogs, lurching from start and looking the other way when you expect it to shift. We know the engine is a good one and I think part of the reason it's so thirsty is the confused way the transmission goes about its business. I'd love to drive a manual to see what it's like.
The 500X initially feels worse than its Jeep Renegade sibling-under-the-skin, which is quite an achievement. Part of that is to do with the ride, which is very choppy below 60km/h. The first 500X I drove wallowed about but this one is a bit tauter, which would be good if you weren't punished with this bounciness.
The seats themselves comfortable and the interior is a good place to hang out. It's reasonably quiet, too, which is at odds with the old-school silliness of its conduct. It feels like Labrador let out of after day kept inside.
And that's where the car I shouldn't like is a car I do like - I really like that it feels like you're on Roman cobblestones, the type that make your knees hurt when you walk on them for a day. The steering wheel is too fat and is at a weird angle, but you kind of square up to it and drive the car like your life depends on it. You have to take it by the scruff, correct the shifts with the paddles and show it who's boss.
Obviously, that's not for everyone. If you drive it really gently, it's a very different experience, but that means going slowly everywhere, which is no fun at all and not at all Italian.
Safety
GWM Haval H6
In this grade level the H6 has a great suite of safety features, including a biggie like rear cross-traffic alert, which is only available on the higher Ultra grades. The lane keeping aid is quite sensitive, though, which can lead to a jerky on-road feel.
Other standard safety features include driver attention alert, tyre pressure monitoring, rear collision warning, LED lights, lane departure/keeping aids, emergency lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, child safety locks and a 360-degree camera system with front and rear parking sensors.
A windshield mounted USB-A port for a dashcam, is also standard.
The H6 has a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022 as well as seven airbags including a front centre airbag.
It has high individual assessment scores for adult and child protection at 90 and 88 per cent, respectively.
The H6 features AEB with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection which is operational from 5.0-85km/h (150km/h for car detection).
There are two ISOFIX child seat mounts and three top tether anchor points. Three car seats are likely to fit.
Fiat 500X8/10
Out of the box, you get seven airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward collision warning, high and low speed AEB, active cruise control, rollover stability, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, blind spot sensor and rear cross traffic alert. That's not bad for a $30,000 car full stop, let alone a Fiat.
There are two ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchors for baby seats.Â
The 500X scored a five-star ANCAP rating in December 2016.
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Ownership
GWM Haval H6
Affordability is extended to the ongoing costs for the H6 because it comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, which is above average for the class.
The hybrid battery is covered by an eight-year warranty and there is a five-year capped priced servicing program where services average $330, which is very competitive for the class.
Servicing intervals are every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first and you also get complimentary roadside assistance for five years through Allianz Global Assistance.
Fiat 500X6/10
Fiat offers a three-year/150,000km warranty, along with roadside assist for the same period. It's not great as more manufacturers shift to five years.Â
Service intervals arrive once a year or 15,000km. There is no fixed or capped-price servicing program for the 500X.