Will this huge Haval SUV revive the H5 nameplate?
Haval has revealed a single official image of its so-called P04 body-on-frame three-row SUV that’s reportedly based on the King Kong Cannon dual-cab ute.
As reported by Car News China, an extremely low-resolution version of the image leaked online a few hours before the official one with an inscription on the front number plate that appears to translate to “All-new Haval H5”.
The later official image has P04 on it instead, which is understood to be a codename.
Earlier leaked image
A spokesperson for GWM Australia confirmed the P04 is for the Chinese domestic market only at this stage so isn’t in the company’s plans for the local market.
If this new Haval SUV is a new-generation H5, this means it will revive the nameplate last used on a mid-sized SUV known locally as the Great Wall X200 and X240.
The Chinese publication reports the Haval P04 will be available with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with two tunes producing 147kW and 172kW of power.
Previous spied prototype
It’s reportedly mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, with drive sent through an all-wheel drive system.
The P04 reportedly measures in at 5.2 metres long, almost 2.0 metres wide, and 1.8 metres tall. For context this is around 20cm longer than the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, though the other dimensions are line-ball.
This will make it the largest SUV Haval currently offers by a considerable margin, as the Shenshou measures in at 4.78 metres long.
Car News China recently published some images of a camouflaged P04 spied prototype which showed off other exterior and interior design elements.
The Haval P04 has a similar front fascia to the GWM King Kong Cannon ute with a large trapezoidal grille and huge rectangular headlights with a C-shaped lighting signature.
There’s a long wheelbase like that of the King Kong Cannon, and the tailgate is largely flat with no externally mounted spare wheel, which is reminiscent of the similarly sized Tank 500 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) recently spied in Australia.
Inside, there’s a three-spoke steering wheel, digital instrument cluster, touchscreen infotainment system, and wireless charger. It doesn’t appear to be as luxurious as the Tank 500.
This SUV will join an already cluttered line-up of Haval-branded SUVs in China.
While just two are sold here – the Jolion and H6, both with GWM Haval branding – the mass-market Great Wall Motor SUV brand has 10 model lines.
These include the Lemon-based Big Dog/Dagou/Dargo, Kagou/Cool Dog, Chitu and Shenshou, as well as the ageing H9 off-roader and M6 Plus crossover.
Great Wall Motor doesn’t just sell SUVs under its Haval nameplate. It launched the Wey brand in 2016, which predominantly sells more premium crossovers, and more recently the Tank brand, which sells rugged, body-on-frame off-roaders.
The first Tank product, the 300, is now on sale in Australia as the GWM Tank 300.
