2023 GWM Haval Jolion long-term review: Introduction

Tested: 2023 Haval Jolion Ultra Hybrid

"The old adage says you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. That's true, I guess, but..."

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• Welcome

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Welcome

Price as tested: $41,485 (drive away)
This month: 346km @ 7.2L/100km
Overall: 346km @ 7.2L/100km

The old adage says you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

That's technically true, I guess, but thankfully plenty of positive relationships have been built after a bit of a bumpy initial getting-to-know-each-other period.

Me and the Jolion fall into this category.

Given Jolion’s huge popularity – the six-strong model line-up regularly cracks the Top 20 best sellers – I expected GWM’s SUV to have simplicity, ease of operation and comfort pretty well nailed. Yet weirdly during my first few days with this top-spec Ultra hybrid – priced at $40,990 drive-away, which is a $7K premium over the regular 1.5-litre turbo-petrol Ultra model – these were the key elements which were most evasive.

First issue was finding a comfortable driving position. Or, more accurately, as it turned out, learning to live with the compromise imposed by a steering wheel that doesn’t adjust for reach.

When I jump into an SUV, pretty much regardless of size or segment, one of the top initial priorities is not the on-limit handling or peak power, it's seat comfort and driving position. After all, if you’re going to sacrifice the lower centre of gravity of a hatch or wagon and you're being provided a higher, more commanding driving position, it stands to reason that you want to be supremely comfortable, right?

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So the lack of reach adjustment for the steering column is frustrating, especially given there’s ample travel for the driver’s seat, to the point where if it's extended to its furthermost position you would need arms like jousting sticks to actually reach the wheel. Which leaves me with a weird mental image of the anatomy of the test subjects who sat in the development buck.

Then there’s the lack of under-thigh support from the seat which, for my six-foot frame, leaves my legs flailing around a bit. And while we’re getting the niggles out of the way – might as well do it early – it's clear that more effort could have gone into reengineering the Jolion for right-hand drive, as the 12.3-inch multimedia screen angles sightly towards the passenger, and the home icon – which is tiny – is as far away from you as is possible, so not ideal when you’re trying to stab at it on the move from the right-hand-side of the car.

It’s especially irksome as there are a row of hard keys below the screen; one of them a blank which would seem to be crying out to be assigned as the home button.

Actually, I’m feeling the whole UX of the multimedia could use a rethink. The hard keys include relatively little-used functions – there’s one each for front and rear screen demisting – yet there’s no conventional volume control. When did a simple volume knob become such a visual eyesore it needed to be binned?

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You either adjust the sound level via the steering wheel buttons, or you have to swipe in from the side of the screen to reveal a fiddly slider arrangement. At least a quick on-off press of one of the demister buttons takes you straight to the climate controls (which are otherwise located under one menu layer) and the screen response is consistent and quick.

The Jolion’s value game, too, is strong. In terms of equipment, Ultra spec brings excellent matrix LED headlights, head-up display, a very comprehensive safety suite that includes seven airbags and all the usual assistance systems, a generous sunroof, electric driver’s seat, wireless phone charging, and heating for the front seats.

As for what it lacks, there’s no powered tailgate, nor inbuilt navigation, and the six-speaker audio system doesn’t have a centre channel, so therefore doesn't make much of a fist of vocal imaging. But it’s punchy enough, and fine if you’re not a real audio geek. But the lack of DAB radio is a miss; if you want radio that’s not AM or FM, it means plugging in your phone.

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Accommodation, though, is generous; central to the Jolion’s appeal is that it straddles the gap between small and mid-size SUVs, sitting between a Mazda CX-30 and a CX-5, and offering a decent 390-litre boot. In the back two adults have plenty of leg and headroom and even three-up is fine for short hops.

There’s appreciably more space than you get in this class in something like a Mitsubishi ASX, for example.

As for dynamics, I jumped into the Jolion with modest expectations, which have been comfortably exceeded. The driving starts with steering that’s light and direct with a natural self-centring action. Damping delivers body control that stays pretty disciplined over big heaves taken at touring speeds, so in this respect it's way better than rivals like the MG ZS.

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The ride, too, is reasonable; yes, it's a bit lively and reactive over broken bitumen, but rarely to the point of annoying intrusion, it's more the thudding, low-frequency tyre noise which comes through in sharp contrast to the otherwise quiet cabin when driving on smooth roads.

But it’s the hybrid powertrain which is this Jolion’s primary USP, and it’s a technically intriguing set-up. We’ll go into greater detail next update, but so far it’s been delivering a mostly unfused driving experience, with ample electric-only operation, at least in the urban environment where the car’s so far spent most of its time.

So despite my initial gripes about the ergo issues and multimedia, the Jolion is proving to be one of those slow-burn cars, where a bit of familiarity and acceptance of a few quirks goes a long way to allowing its virtues to shine through.

Chapter 2, coming soon.

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