New year… not so new GWM Haval Jolion.
Well, that’s not strictly true, as GWM’s range of entry-level SUVs has been revised for 2025 to include a new Ultra petrol variant with more power and standard kit.
Pricing is down too, at least until the end of January.
However, the rest of the lineup remains unchanged, meaning the mid-spec petrol Lux on test still wears the ‘old shape’ bodywork, and packs the same turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the bonnet.
Despite the apparent sameness of the vehicle feature here, the only constant in life is change, and the small SUV market has transformed dramatically since the last time we got our hands on a Jolion.
WATCH: Paul’s video review of the 2025 GWM Haval Jolion HEV
There’s a new hybrid MG ZS in town, and fellow Chinese marque Chery assumed the role of disruptor when it launched the dirt cheap, feature-packed Tiggo 4 Pro late last year.
Both models are direct competitors to the Jolion, although the GWM remains the best seller in the segment. But can the unchanged Lux petrol help the Jolion to hang onto its sales crown?
How much does the GWM Haval Jolion cost?
The Jolion range is currently subject to promotional pricing that’s set to be reviewed on January 31.
| Model | Drive-away price (until January 31) |
|---|---|
| 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Premium | $23,990 |
| 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Lux | $26,990 |
| 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Premium Hybrid | $31,990 |
| 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Ultra | $32,990 |
| 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Lux Hybrid | $34,990 |
| 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Ultra Hybrid | $37,990 |
At its current price point, the Jolion Lux is priced in line with the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro Ultimate, a key competitor that has taken the small SUV segment by storm since launching in October last year.
Prior to the latest round of discounts, the Jolion Lux was sold for $29,990 drive-away – or $3000 more.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
What is the GWM Haval Jolion like on the inside?
Mum drilled into me as a youngster that first impressions matter, and the Jolion doesn’t do itself any favours in this regard.
Small SUVs have come a long way in recent years, and what might’ve passed as impressive in 2020 doesn’t quite cut the mustard now.
Chery has gone out of its way to wow potential buyers with premium cabin presentation and slick tech, while MG has gotten its act together with a new range of models that share simple, cohesive interior designs. The strengths of the Mazda CX-3 lie in familiarity and material quality.
On the other hand, this mid-spec Jolion Lux doesn’t really have a super-strength to make it stand out from the crowd. Upon opening the driver’s door, you’re greeted by a mish-mash of shapes, textures and materials that lacks cohesion.
Aside from the leatherette seats and steering wheel, the panels wear plastics varying from a woodgrain-look finish to woven plastic and metallic accents. It’s a real mess, and GWM would’ve benefitted from keeping it simple in the design department.
And any excitement generated by the funky mix of surfaces dissipates when they’re touched, as there’s no disguising the true nature of each.
From a comfort perspective, I appreciate the inclusion of padding on the centre console and door cards, while the faux-leather steering wheel is an upgrade over the plastic items seen in some economy cars.
The seats found in this variant are a mixed bag. Trimmed in smooth leatherette, they’re not overly supportive and quite slippery, although the base cushion has plenty of give.
Both front chairs are heated, which comes in handy on cold winter mornings, while the driver is also treated to electric adjustment. Like other jacked-up SUVs, the Jolion offers an elevated driving position that appeals to many modern buyers.
As with the design and materials, there are a fair share of missed opportunities associated with the tech inside the Jolion.
The 10.25-inch centre infotainment screen is controlled almost entirely via touch inputs, while buttons on the steering wheel enable customisation of the 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster.
That directly links to my first point of criticism – the lack of physical button controls. A small strip of buttons below the centre screen is devoted entirely to climate controls and camera functions, but other functions can only be accessed by operating the touchscreen, which can be distracting while you’re driving.
It’s not always a quick glance away from the road, either, as the infotainment system regularly lags due to a lack of processing power. Apple CarPlay dropouts also occurred throughout our week-long test, despite the used of a wired connection.
Usability quirks aside, the infotainment system in the Jolion is relatively simple and straightforward to navigate, with a clean appearance and decent graphics. Customisation is limited to the choice of a few different layouts and colour schemes.
I expected more from the six-speaker sound system, which delivers grainy and poorly-mixed audio.
Like the centre screen, the digital cluster is basic in layout with clearly displayed speed, temperature, fuel, and cruise control readouts. Three different display designs are available – technology, fashion and dynamic.
Despite its rudimentary setup, the display was difficult to customise at times, especially when the steering wheel buttons temporarily stopped working.
Moving beyond technology, the front row of the Jolion Lux is a practical space with plenty of storage options.
You get chunky door bins, a deep centre console, cavernous glovebox and a tray below the centre tunnel; as well as a sunglasses holder, coin shelf and standard cupholders.
Mobile devices can be stored on a rubber tray under the centre stack, within close proximity to a pair of USB-A outlets and a 12V socket. Although I’m still rocking a scruffy iPhone 11, the world is shifting towards USB-C charging, so I’d expect that to be offered with the next update of this model.
The second row of the Jolion is similarly spacious – a strength of the model.
Adults well north of six-foot can get comfortable without issue, as there’s plenty of legroom and the seat backs are soft and welcoming. Headroom is also plentiful, while a light-coloured headliner and big windows keep the space feeling light and airy.
No need to call shotgun on the front seat, then.
Back seat amenities include dual USB-A outlets, a pair of rear air vents behind the centre console, map pockets, small door bins, and a centre armrest with integrated cupholders.
Second row passengers feel neglected in some affordable SUVs, missing out on vents or charging facilities, but that’s not the case here. ISOFIX points feature on the outboard rear seats, and there’s a trio of top tethers.
When not required, the rear bench folds down in 60/40 style, expanding a boot that measures 337 litres with the car in five-seat guise to a quoted 1133 litres.
Regardless of seating configuration, the boot in the Jolion is generous. Upon lifting the manual tailgate, you won’t find any clever special features, but there’s plenty of room and no step up from the boot floor to the folded rear bench.
GWM fits the Jolion with a space saver spare wheel, which can be found under the boot floor.
| Dimensions | GWM Haval Jolion |
|---|---|
| Length | 4472mm |
| Width | 1841mm |
| Height | 1574mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700mm |
| Cargo capacity | 337L (rear seats up) 1133L (rear seats folded) |
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
There are three powertrain options for 2025 – the reintroduced Ultra petrol develops 25kW and 60Nm more than the standard Premium and Lux models, but 10kW and 115Nm less than the hybrids. Our tester is equipped with the petrol engine in its base state of tune.
| Specifications | GWM Haval Jolion Lux |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Power | 105kW |
| Torque | 210Nm |
| Transmission | 7-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1370kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 8.1L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 9.2L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 55L |
| Fuel requirement | 91 octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 186g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 5 |
| Braked tow capacity | 1500kg |
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
How does the GWM Haval Jolion drive?
The Jolion has been around since 2021, but it still feels like an unfinished product on the road.
2023 Jolion Ultra
In town, I was immediately thrown by the sensitive throttle pedal, which felt more like an on/off switch than a predictable, progressive control in this petrol model.
The twitchy pedal was a nightmare in traffic – as hard as I tried, it was really difficult to make smooth progress. Although the Jolion is exceedingly keen to move when you depress the accelerator, the engine doesn’t share quite the same enthusiasm.
To be fair, the base 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol produces 105kW and 210Nm, which is about par for the segment, and the Jolion has more than enough punch for most situations. Having said that, aggressive acceleration is accompanied by a noisy racket.
Steering the Jolion is a far more relaxing experience, as the wheel is light and direct with minimal play about centre.
The Jolion also fares well from a ride comfort standpoint – it glides over suburban ruts and potholes, only entering bouncy territory when you attack a speed bump with too much vigour.
Auto-hold is a handy feature to have when you’re sitting at red traffic lights, while the inclusion of shift paddles behind the steering wheel makes this affordable SUV feel sportier than it is.
With that said, I was never inclined to take advantage of them as the dual-clutch transmission does a decent job of picking the right gear in urban environments.
Even when shifting as efficiently as possible, our tester returned sub-par fuel economy numbers. GWM claims an average consumption of 8.1L/100km for this model but we saw 9.2L/100km – well shy of claims made by rivals.
Of course, spending up for a hybrid version remedies this issue somewhat.
The Jolion may be among the cheapest SUVs available Down Under but GWM hasn’t skimped out on safety tech. On top of a reversing camera and parking sensors, the Lux gains a surround-view camera, rounding out an already impressive standard equipment list.
As a result, I never caught myself struggling to place the Jolion in a tight parking lot, not that it feels like a particularly bulky car to begin with.
It does feel substantial enough to hold its own on the highway, though. Even at 100km/h, road and wind noise remains subdued, and the cabin feel generally well insulated from the outside world.
That’s all well and good, but no amount of noise suppression can make up for the infuriating beeps and bongs generated by the Jolion’s advanced driver assist systems (ADAS).
I’m sure we’re beginning to sound like a broken record by now, but intrusive ADAS are a blight on the automotive industry, and the Jolion is guilty of some of the safety tech cardinal sins.
For one, the driver monitoring camera located on the A-pillar is in your face and poorly calibrated. Even the briefest glance to the infotainment screen or a passenger triggers the system, prompting an obnoxious chime paired with a ‘do not stray’ message on the instrument display.
I’ve experienced some intuitive and effective anti-fatigue systems in recent times, but this does not fit in that category.
It’s particularly frustrating during highway runs, when you’re more likely to reach for a drink or talk to the person next to you. Cars were a little different back in 1984, but George Orwell had it right when he described Big Brother – always watching.
Well, unless you switch the drowsiness monitor off, which is possible if you’re willing to make adjustments every time you start the car.
Another feature that falls short of the mark in the Jolion is adaptive cruise control. The technology is lazy and slow to respond to changes in the flow of traffic – often our tester dropped a long way behind a leading car even in its closest following setting, and the base engine doesn’t have the shove to make quick corrections.
Sometimes, the Jolion is best driven without assistance. Country roads are a prime example of this. You won’t exactly be carving corners, as this SUV is prone to body roll and understeer, but the ride remains comfortable and intrusive safety tech can be kept at bay.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
What do you get?
There are now six variants in the Jolion range: two ‘old-look’ petrol grades, one ‘new-look’ petrol, and three ‘new-look’ hybrids.
Jolion Lux 
Jolion Premium + Premium Hybrid equipment highlights:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Space-saver spare wheel
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Halogen headlights
- Torsion beam rear suspension
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Electric park brake
- Hill descent control
- Proximity entry with push-button start
- 3.5-inch instrument cluster screen
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- 4-speaker sound system
- Air-conditioning
- Rear air vents
- 4-way manual steering wheel adjustment
- Cloth upholstery
- Paddle shifter
- Launch control (Premium Hybrid only)
Jolion Lux + Lux Hybrid add:
- LED headlights
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- Rear privacy glass
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen (Lux Hybrid)
- 6-speaker sound system
- Dual-zone climate control
- Luggage cover
- 6-way power driver’s seat
- Leatherette upholstery
- Heated front seats
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Illuminated vanity mirror
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
Is the GWM Haval Jolion safe?
The GWM Haval Jolion has a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on 2022 testing.
| Category | GWM Haval Jolion |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 90 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 84 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 64 per cent |
| Safety assist | 92 per cent |
Standard safety equipment includes:
- Adaptive cruise control
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Pedestrian detection
- Cyclist detection
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver drowsiness detection
- Lane-keep assist
- Lane centring
- Emergency lane-keep assist
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Safe exit warning
- Traffic sign recognition
- 7 airbags
- Reversing camera
- Rear parking sensors
Lux variants and upwards gain a surround-view camera, while the Ultra Hybrid also has front parking sensors.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool.
How much does the GWM Haval Jolion cost to run?
The GWM Haval Jolion is backed by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. Servicing costs have increased across the range for 2025.
| Servicing and Warranty | GWM Haval Jolion Lux |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | Up to 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km (10,000km first service) |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years |
| Total capped-price service cost | $1840 |
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up against its rivals, use our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the GWM Haval Jolion Lux
The GWM Haval Jolion doesn’t make as much sense as it used to, especially in Lux petrol guise.
It’s still cheap – very cheap, until at least the end of January – but there’s nothing else about this SUV that screams ‘pick me’. GWM hasn’t really updated the styling on this mid-spec variant, and the same can be said of the interior tech.
With the base petrol powertrain, the Lux just about matches the Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, MG ZS, Mazda CX-3, Chery Omoda 5, and Mitsubishi ASX for performance, but it trails the pack on efficiency.
And, after changes to GWM’s capped-price servicing, the Jolion isn’t particularly cheap to maintain anymore. I wasn’t a fan of the undercooked safety systems either.
So, while the Jolion is a spacious and affordable entry-level SUV, it lacks the driving dynamics or interior wow factor to be the pick of a crowded segment. That’s especially true if GWM reverts to pre-discount pricing from February onwards.
Instead, it’s worth pivoting to the Tiggo 4 Pro for a more refined experience at the same price point, or stretching the budget for something wearing a Korean or Japanese badge.
Interested in buying a GWM Haval Jolion? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
Click the images for the full gallery
