GWM Haval Australia’s first hybrid offering has been experiencing some supply challenges of late, but the company says the situation is improving and wait times are fairly minimal.
The Haval H6 Hybrid is the Chinese brand’s shot at the top-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and like we’ve seen across the industry sourcing vehicles for hybrid-hungry Australians hasn’t been smooth sailing.
“Supply for H6 Hybrid has been challenging over the past few months but the situation is improving,” said a spokesperson for GWM Haval Australia.
“We now have supplies of H6 Hybrid on the way, and if a customer was to place an order today they may only be a couple of months from taking delivery.”
H6 Ultra Hybrid
A couple of months is in stark contrast to brands like Toyota, with wait times for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid stretching out up to 18-24 months depending on variant.
It’s a similar story for other brands, hybrid or not, with ongoing component shortages and supply chain pinch points causing significant delays for new orders and also forcing some brands to de-content their cars.
Hybrid options in the mainstream SUV segments are also few and far between in Australia, limited to Toyota’s expansive range (though severely supply restricted) as well as offerings from Kia and Subaru which likewise face their own supply constraints.
Global supply issues are also forcing manufacturers to prioritise markets with emissions regulations (e.g. Europe), meaning Australia gets pushed down the priority queue. Hyundai and Kia have been key examples, unable to source the Tucson Hybrid and Sportage Hybrid due to high global demand.
RAV4 XSE Hybrid and H6 Ultra Hybrid
In Australia there’s only one specification of Haval H6 Hybrid, based on the top-spec Ultra specification.
The 2022 Haval H6 Ultra Hybrid currently retails for $45,990 drive-away, positioning it against the mid-spec Toyota RAV4 GXL 2WD Hybrid ($40,450) and Subaru Forester Hybrid L AWD ($43,290).
It’s powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine teamed with a two-speed 130kW electric motor and 1.8kWh battery pack, quoting system outputs of 179kW and 530Nm.
GWM claims the electrified SUV uses 5.2L/100km of 91 RON unleaded on the combined cycle.
While current options are limited, GWM Haval Australia plans to expand its electrified portfolio very soon.
“GWM has firm plans to broaden the range of electrified powertrains available in the coming period,” said a company spokesperson, “[we have] made significant investment into both hybrid and EV.”
“Australian new car buyers will be amongst those to see the benefits of that investment in the not-too-distant future.”
CarExpert understands the smaller Jolion Hybrid is on track to join the local range before the end of 2022, with new models from the Tank 4×4 and Ora sub-brands to add further hybrid and electric options respectively. Watch this space.
MORE: Everything Haval H6
