Buying and selling up from a 2005 Lancer? You’ve most likely thought of a GWM Haval Jolion, proper?
That appears to be the form of story that you simply hear about GWM Haval’s mannequin vary – they make a fairly spectacular impression on the simply impressionable.
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For these upgrading from a clunky previous used automotive to one thing that appears this recent and comes with all this tech, it’s completely comprehensible why you would simply be gained over by certainly one of these flashy however finance-friendly SUV fashions.
The 2023 GWM Haval Jolion Extremely is undoubtedly a kind of vehicles that may wow you in case you are stepping up from a a lot older automotive.
However I urge you to look past the lengthy guarantee, five-star security and low worth, as a result of in the event you do, you will see that a automotive that’s frankly unlikeable to stay with, and nowhere close to nearly as good to drive as its mainstream rivals.
How a lot does the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely value?
You’re going to be drawn in by the value – as a result of it’s very low-cost in comparison with most of its rivals.
Costs are greater lately than they’ve been in years passed by – however the market has moved up for the reason that Jolion launched in July 2021.
The variant examined right here is the Extremely; which, earlier than the costs blew out to their present ranges, was the choose of the vary at $30,990 drive-away. Now it’s $3000 dearer, at $33,990 D/A.
2023 GWM Haval Jolion pricing:
- Jolion Premium: $28,490
- Jolion Lux: $30,990
- Jolion Extremely: $33,990
- Jolion S: $36,990
- Jolion Extremely Hybrid: $39,990
In case you’re questioning about pricing for rivals, the perfect competitor you would contemplate could be the Kia Seltos ($31,690 to $47,690 D/A), whereas it’s straightforward to see why the MG ZST ($27,990 to $33,990 D/A) additionally scores loads of gross sales.
There aren’t many choices for the Haval – it comes properly specced in every grade (see breakdown additional down), however there’s just one no-cost paint possibility, Hamilton White. The remainder value $495, and they’re: Golden Black, Azure Blue, Mars Pink, Smoke Gray and Vivid Inexperienced.
What’s the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely like on the within?
It feels fairly flash while you first see the inside, with a contemporary look, huge display for the media controls and a digital dashboard, it ticks the packing containers for lots of consumers.
Plus in Extremely spec it comes handsomely completed, with faux-leather trim (I’m not the one one who thinks the ‘Haval’ embroidery is naff, proper?), electrical driver’s seat adjustment and heated entrance seats, too.
However a technique wherein the motive force might not be capable to get comfortable is by means of the steering adjustment, as a result of it has tilt / rake solely, however no attain adjustment.
That makes it laborious for anybody with lengthy legs to get into a superb place. I’m 182cm or 6’0” and I discovered it uncomfortable, and a few my taller colleagues have discovered it actually disagreeable.
That 12.3-inch touchscreen is excessive decision and appears terrific while you’ve received smartphone mirroring working, however boy is it a tough factor to get your head round in relation to controls and menus.
There are many completely different controls – most likely too many – and you’ll set the display up with completely different appearances, which may make it a bit extra manageable. However it would be best to get to know the display earlier than you get too far off the lot with the automotive.
There are not any bodily buttons, knobs or dials; however there’s a strip of touch-sensitive controls beneath the display, which is precisely the place you may relaxation your wrist and unintentionally hit a kind of controls, which can in flip change the display away from what you needed to be doing. Grr…
And I do know the response to this from Jolion homeowners can be “simply hit the A/C button after which the A/C menu comes up!”, however the truth of the matter is that you simply shouldn’t want to show off the air-con to regulate it – that’s simply foolish. However that’s what you must do although, as a result of there’s no devoted menu.
And talking of controls, the rotary dial gear selector isn’t like some others – it simply spins, and there’s no finish to the spin, no stopper. Plus the blinkers are WAY too loud – if there’s a approach to repair that by the display, I couldn’t discover it.
Plenty of this will – and hopefully, will – be fastened by GWM with a mid-life replace for the Jolion. And seeing as Australia’s voice is the loudest, because the Chinese language maker’s greatest export market, hopefully this reviewer’s voice can be heard, too.
Now, the opposite stuff.
There are mixed-size cup holders between the entrance seats, and a few slots for unfastened objects – cellphone, pockets, keys – and there’s a wi-fi charging pad in entrance of the shifter too. Beneath that space there’s a huge open storage caddy, which can also be the place you will see that the USB ports and a 12-volt outlet.
There are giant door pockets with bottle holders, an affordable centre console bin. The again doorways additionally rating bottle within the doorways and a pair of Napoli pockets on the seat backs. The flip-down centre armrest additionally has cupholders.
There are directional air vents and two USB ports, and a pleasant flat ground to permit for higher side-to-side lodging.
Certainly, the backseat is among the highlights of the automotive, with arguably large-SUV-like ranges of rear seat house.
Seated behind my very own driving place, I had inches in entrance of my knees, heaps of toe room and glorious head room as properly. The again seat can also be fairly flat and large, so three throughout is a risk.
If in case you have kids, there are twin ISOFIX factors and three top-tether mounts as properly. My daughter preferred the large panoramic sunroof, too.
The boot is first rate however not class-leading. There’s 430 litres of cargo capability, which is sufficient for a pram and a few procuring baggage, or simply sufficient for a weekend’s price of bags in the event you don’t have a pram.
There’s an area saver spare wheel underneath the boot ground, and a few storage spots alongside the false ground, too.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
The core Jolion vary is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, producing 110kW (5600-6000rpm) and 220Nm (2000-4400rpm).
It comes as commonplace with a seven-speed dual-clutch computerized transmission, and front-wheel drive. Go for the S model of the Jolion and also you rating an additional 20kW of energy and 50Nm of torque (130kW/270Nm), plus a multi-link rear suspension setup.
There’s additionally a dearer hybrid mannequin, which makes use of a non-turbo 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, a giant electrical motor and battery pack that permits it a mixed output of 139kW/375Nm. It’s front-wheel drive too, however makes use of a difficult two-speed hybrid-specific transmission.
Have to tow? The vary is able to a most braked towing capability of 1500kg. Unbraked trailers high out at 710kg for non-hybrid and 750kg for hybrid.
How does the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely drive?
“Haval Jolion – rediscover the enjoyment of driving” – that’s the tagline on the GWM Haval Jolion webpage.
However this factor left me actually chilly. Technically it’s ample at some issues, however it’s additionally not nice at others.
The suspension doesn’t get too flummoxed by huge or small bumps, and whereas there’s a little bit of physique roll to take care of, it’s cosy and soft sufficient for a compact household SUV.
The steering wasn’t too horrible both, at the least while you’re going above 20km/h or so – the rack is sluggish, so you’ll be able to simply understeer by roundabouts since you really wanted to wind on extra lock.
However whereas most vehicles I drive I discover to be okay to park, the steering on this automotive – together with its dismal dual-clutch auto and laggy turbo engine – made me really feel like a rank beginner.
I pulled up alongside a parked automotive, able to reverse right into a spot. The nostril of the automotive was dealing with downhill on a comparatively steep gradient. After I shifted to reverse, the engine and transmission lagged, then surged to life on the identical time the steering loaded up as I turned the wheel to pivot into the spot.
Thank goodness for the (really fairly glorious) encompass view digicam system and all-around parking sensors. It was a recreation of millimetres, and slightly than a “one and accomplished”, I took three makes an attempt to get it proper, whereas annoying passing site visitors on the identical time.
What I’m saying isn’t that I would like extra parking apply – it’s that this automotive proved one of the troublesome autos I’ve parked in a decade in that form of scenario. It wasn’t practically as unhealthy on flatter surfaces, however it wasn’t nice, both.
A lot of it’s to do with the lagging and lurching of the transmission. My accomplice drove the automotive too, and whereas she’s not a automotive reviewer, she stated to me that the Jolion was “actually laborious to determine when it’s going to speed up or not”.
As with most dual-clutch transmissions, it’s higher at greater speeds. However it could actually nonetheless be overactive, swapping cogs as a substitute of counting on the torque of the engine. There’s a little bit of zest to the engine, which has a punchy nature in the correct moments – it’s simply that it doesn’t have that many good moments.
The braking response additionally caught me off-guard a couple of times. The pedal had a spongy really feel and shudder to it too, notably at greater speeds and extra typically when descending hills. I let GWM’s fleet group know, as a result of that shudder isn’t one thing I’ve seen in different examples of the Jolion.
And whereas I’ll let you know the main points of the security tech within the part beneath, I’ve to say simply how irritating the methods are on this automotive.
At occasions they’re overbearingly aggressive to cease you driving in a pure manner. There’s an intervention system that cuts in when you will have the adaptive cruise management on, and it’ll sluggish the automotive down in the event you flip the wheel to take a sweeping bend.
Additional, in the event you go away the steering help on – I didn’t, except I forgot to disable it, which it’s essential do each time you drive the automotive… and it’s not only a press and maintain button, it’s an annoying sequence of two or three display presses – it’ll actively regulate the road of the automotive, at occasions with out purpose.
After which there’s the facial recognition system, which can give you a message “Hey, don’t stray!” in the event you look away from the highway for a time period. You understand what? Having a display flashing up a message and the stereo beeping an alarm at you is arguably extra distracting than no matter is occurring outdoors the automotive.
Security tech is necessary. However getting it proper and making it habitable for the consumer is extra necessary.
What do you get?
The GWM Haval Jolion is a really properly geared up automotive, which is undoubtedly a part of the explanation there are such a lot of round.
And, like I stated, in the event you’re upgrading from one thing older, it’s going to really feel such as you’ve been given a brand new boarding move that sees you getting out of financial system and into first-class.
Jolion Extremely highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Panoramic sunroof
- LED headlights, daytime working lights and fog lights
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (wired)
- Head-up show
- ComfortTek pretend leather-based upholstery
- Heated entrance seats
- 6-way energy driver’s seat
- Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
- Paddle shifters
- Digital instrument cluster
- 6-speaker sound system
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Rear privateness glass
- Wi-fi smartphone charging
- Keyless entry and begin
- Computerized headlights
- Energy-folding facet mirrors
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Roof rails
- USB ports (x4)
After which there’s a raft of normal security tech, too.
Is the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely protected?
The Jolion scored a five-star ANCAP security score in 2022, and it comes very properly geared up in relation to commonplace security tech throughout the vary.
In opposition to the present standards, the Jolion scored 90 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 84 per cent for baby occupant safety, 64 per cent for weak highway customers, and a formidable 92 per cent for security help.
Customary security options embrace:
- 7 airbags incl. front-centre airbags
- AEB with Pedestrian, Bike owner detection
- Lane departure warning
- Lane hold help
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Visitors signal recognition
- Driver consideration monitoring
- Adaptive cruise management
- Reversing digicam (Premium)
- Encompass-view cameras (Lux, Extremely)
As talked about, a few of that stuff is superb, however different bits really feel like they might do with some fine-tuning.
How a lot does the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely value to run?
The Jolion has a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee, which is among the many greatest accessible. Plus you get 5 years of roadside help included as properly.
The official mixed cycle gasoline consumption determine for the Haval Jolion (non-hybrid) fashions is 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres, which is frankly excessive for a small SUV, but in addition comparatively sincere.
Throughout a mixture of driving over my week of testing, I noticed a real-world return of 9.1L/100km – which I believed could be higher as a result of fairly a little bit of my driving was freeway commuting.
As for longer-term value concerns, there’s a capped-price servicing plan for the Jolion that isn’t too badly priced. The model asks homeowners to usher in their automotive each 12 months, however weirdly, the primary service interval is definitely set at 10,000km, whereas the remaining 4 on the capped-price plan are at 15,000km.
Anyway, the common service value over 5 years or 70,000km is $310, which is fairly good worth.
CarExpert’s Tackle the GWM Haval Jolion Extremely
I’m the form of one that loves going for a drive, even when I don’t must.
This automotive didn’t elicit that want in me.
In case you simply desire a well-priced, long-warrantied and excessive tech compact SUV, it is best to most likely go to a take a look at the Jolion.
Simply remember that in the event you do care concerning the drive expertise, you would do higher.
MORE: Everything GWM Haval Jolion
Professionals
- Worth on supply
- Sturdy commonplace security listing and rating
- Lengthy guarantee cowl
Cons
- One of many worst new vehicles to drive
- Poor security tech usability
- No attain adjustment for steering
