The 2021 Haval Jolion will boast a new platform, a new design language, and new features including the belated arrival of active safety technology.
It’s set to arrive in Australia during the third quarter of 2021.
UPDATE, 11:30am 6/4/21: Haval Australia has confirmed the H2-replacing Jolion will launch with a limited-run Launch Edition locally. Just 300 will be offered, with a chrome grille the main differentiator.
Images of the Jolion LE have been inserted into the story below.
Its entry in the Australian Government’s Road Vehicle Certification System reveals it’ll offer a single powertrain and drive layout.
Like the outgoing Haval H2, it’ll use a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive.
It produces 105kW of power and features a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, though RVCS entries don’t list the torque.
The outgoing car produces 110kW of power and 210Nm of torque and uses a six-speed automatic transmission.
Those same outputs are listed on the Chinese Haval site for the new car.
Jolion appears to be an anglicisation of Chulian, the Chinese market name which translates to “first love”.
Tare mass is 1400kg, with unbraked towing capacity of 710kg and braked towing capacity of 1500kg.
It has grown compared to the outgoing model, measuring 4472mm long, 1841mm wide and 1574mm tall, with a 2700mm wheelbase.
That’s 107mm longer, 136mm taller and 27mm wider than the current H2, with a 140mm longer wheelbase.
Unlike the outgoing model, which lacks any active safety technology, the new H2 is available in China with a full suite of features including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and traffic sign recognition.
Inside, there’s a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, an 8.6-inch head-up display, and a digital instrument cluster.
Other new options for the line include adaptive cruise control, wireless phone charging, a power tailgate, automatic high-beam, colour-adjustable ambient lighting and a surround-view camera.
The only place Haval has gone backwards in terms of content is the rear suspension, which has gone from being an independent set-up to a simpler torsion beam rear axle.
The new H2 rides Haval’s new LEMON platform, an acronym for Lightweight, Electrification, Multi-purpose, Omni-protection and Network, which will also underpin the next H6.
The current Haval H2
The outgoing H2 is Haval’s best seller locally and has continued to grow in sales since arriving here in 2015.
Last year, Haval sold 1988 examples, up 116.6 per cent and outselling rivals like the Jeep Compass, Renault Kadjar and Suzuki S-Cross.
The arrival of the replacement will follow that of the next-generation Haval H6 mid-sized SUV, due in the second quarter of this year.
