AFTER more than a year of waiting, and now GREAT Wall Motor (GWM) Malaysia has officially launched its Haval H6 HEV (hybrid electric vehicle).

We previously talked on how the C-segment sports utility vehicle (SUV) was first introduced more than a year ago and our early experience with the model on two separate drive occasions.

As hinted by GWM the price came in below the estimated RM145,000 mark to a recommended retail price (RRP) from RM139,800.

In addition to the price, the locally assembled (CKD) model comes with a launch offer of 5 years free maintenance to owners who registered their Haval H6 HEV this year - inclusive of parts and labour. 

This is on top the previously mentioned early bird specials which is: unlocking RM 3,000 in exclusive value with a RM 1,000 booking fee, privileged for a 10 years or 1,000,000 km engine warranty (whichever comes first), 8 years or 1,000,000 km HEV system warranty (whichever comes first) entitlement, including the two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT), high voltage battery and cable, and Transmission Control Unit - most of it limited to first-hand owners with private registration only. 

The key highlight of the model as indicated by the name is the 1.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine that is paired to a DHT hybrid system to produce a combined power output of 243PS/530Nm - 150PS/230Nm and 177PS/300Nm respectively. 0-100 Km/h acceleration was within GWM's claimed 8.5 seconds.

GWM has a claimed that the model's CO2 emissions is of 121g/km.

Given prominence by the digital 'Star Matrix' grille, Matrix LED headlights, taillight lightbar, and 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels; the new modern design is much welcomed. 

The cabin comes with premium dual-tone finishing, 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, rear air-con vents, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a Qi wireless charger, an eight-speaker Harman Infinity premium audio system, panoramic glass sunroof, head-up display, and a shoulder switch on the front passenger seat.

Boot space, rated at 600L and 1,485L with seats flat, is accessible via powered tailgate - the Haval H6 HEV's measures at 4,653mm in length, a width of 1,886mm and 1,730mm in height, while its wheelbase is at 2,738mm.

Voice command is only usable when connected to Android Auto or Apple Carplay.

Comfort and safety is further supported by L2 Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and safety is paired with six airbags, a 360-degree camera, a parking assist system, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), full-speed adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, rear cross traffic alert and lane change assist.

The Haval H6 HEV has attained a record of 4 million global sales, while earning it the ‘best-selling SUV brand in China’ for 12 consecutive years.

Read up on our first impressions with the Haval H6 HEV and look out for our future review on the model.