48 WORDS IN ACTION http://www.abrbuzz.co.za
VEHICLE REVIEW
by Howard KeegI am an H2 Ou
It has taken quite a while, but I knew that this day would come, sooner rather than later. The Japanese did it in the
1970’s and the Koreans did it in the 1990’s, so why would the Chinese also not do it?T
he it I am referring to is the learning curve required to
get a country’s vehicles up to the “Western” standard.
GWM’s compact family car off ering, the H2, is it. There
have been many false starts with Chinese vehicles in
South Africa over the past two decades, but I can now say that
the Haval H2 has soared over this particular hurdle by quite
some distance, and it bodes well for Chinese vehicles in the
future.The car that I had on test was the Haval H2 1,5T Luxury 6A/T,
which is the top of the range, coming in at R309 900, and
off ering remarkably good value for money. It is feature packed,
so if you want a little bit less of the features you can settle for
the City or Premium models, ranging in price from R244 900
to R279 900.The H2 has received the ANCAP (Australian New Car Assessment
Programme) fi ve star rating, and it has also made it as a Cars.
co.za semi-fi nalist in the 2017 Consumer Awards, which is a
strong indication that the safety and quality issues that have
bedevilled Chinese vehicles could soon be a thing of the past.
And considering that Haval sold over one million units in China last
year, it is clear that the increasingly demanding Chinese consumer
is also giving the Haval the thumbs up.Cars.co.za are mightily impressed with the vehicle, saying that
“Can there be a more eff ective way to enter the local market
than by introducing a model that off ers almost unbelievably good
value for money compared with its well-established rivals?”, and
continuing “The 1.5T Luxury is a compelling compact family car
off ering – full stop.” Add to this the assurance of a
fi ve-year/100 000km warranty, a fi ve-year/60 000km
service plan, and fi ve-years/unlimited km roadside
assistance, included in the price, and things get more
compelling.So, to round things off , the Haval H2 is good-
looking vehicle with excellent fi nish, inside and out,
off ering top class equipment levels, and good engine
performance and even better ride quality, at a very
good price. And I loved the puddle light that shines
the Haval logo on the ground next to the car, when
you open the door. The two quibbles that I have,
which concerns turbo lag and a hunting gearbox,
can be are easily rectifi ed, which will take this car
from good to superb.I am now an H2 ou, and I cannot wait to test some
more Havals – met eish.