Driving the third generation Chinese built Haval H6 mid-size SUV today, as I said earlier offering incredible value compared to its big selling Japanese competition, the mid-spec H6 Lux front wheel drive at $34,990 drive-away stacked with safety, comfort and convenience features and surprisingly well finished for the money. But how does it drive?

The muscular 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine links to a slick seven-speed automatic, the performance strong but lacking a little refinement under load plus I found it hard to achieve the quoted combined cycle fuel consumption of 7.4L/100km, managing a best of 10.4L/100.

A pleasant driver on road though with a great ride quality but it comes at a cost in stability leaning into corners and lacking the steering and suspension tune of its Korean and Japanese competitors. But the Chinese are learning quickly and the Haval H6 shows much improvement in many areas over its predecessor.

In value terms its offers much, the mid-spec H6 Lux features a stack of equipment including the latest active and passive safety elements plus a fabulous 360-degree parking camera. If you don’t mind some aspects of its driving refinement then it’s well worth a look, well protected by a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty and capped price servicing at $1,560 across the first five years or 70,000 kms.

I’m David Berthon.

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