Summary: The H7 is a bit of a pretender, being available only in FWD, despite its appearance and bolt-ons.

2026 Haval H7 Vanta hybrid mid-size SUV

Pricing:  $44,990 (plus on road costs)

Options: premium paint (any colour other than white) $495

Warranty: Seven-years/unlimited km, eight-year/unlimited km battery warranty, five years roadside assistance, five years capped price servicing

Safety: Five-star ANCAP (2023-25)

Engine: 1.5-litre naturally aspirated hybrid

Service intervals: 12 months or 15,000km

Power: 179kW

Torque: 530Nm

Transmission: dual-speed dedicated hybrid, front-wheel drive

Body: 4705mm (long); 1908mm (wide); 1708mm (high)

Ground clearance: 210mm

Build country: China

Kerb weight: 1810kg

Towing capacity: 1500kg

Luggage capacity: 483L, 1362L (seats folded)

Wheels: 19-inch alloy

Tyres: 235/60 R19

Spare wheel: repair kit

Turning circle: 11.7m

Fuel tank capacity: 61 litres

Claimed fuel consumption: 5.7L/100km (91 RON unleaded)

Fuel consumption on test: 7.1L/100km (450km)

seniordriveraus consumption on test: not tested

[review]

Haval has gone for a rugged, almost retro-look with its new the mid-sized H7 Hybrid, emphasised by bolt-on mudguard flares.

Well, they look like they bolt on, but despite the rugged exterior it is actually front-wheel drive and shares its underpinnings with the softer H6 plug-in hybrid that we tested recently – though you can’t plug this one in.

Which is kinda funny; we had planned to grab a charge spot across the road from the Orpheum Theatre in crowded Cremorne – until we discovered it doesn’t have a charge port.

Nope. Plan B turned out to be a rather long hike back to the theatre and a long line to get in.

In any case, the H7 is designed to bridge the gap between the H6 and larger Tank 300 (which is designed to go off road with low-range four-wheel drive).

Haval claims the H7 strikes the perfect balance between weekend adventure and everyday versatility, and it has the best-selling Toyota RAV4 in its crosshairs.

What’s it cost?

There’s just the one H7 Vanta HEV, priced from $44,990 plus on-road costs, although there’s talk of an AWD and PHEV to come.

That’s only $5000 more than the similarly-equipped H6 Ultra HEV. Any colour but white adds $495 to the price.

H7’s squared-off proportions and upright stance create a rugged appearance, with assertive design elements like the round LED headlights and a bold, squared-off face.

The grille and round headlights remind us of something (an early Mitsubishi perhaps), while the hanging tail lights channel those of the Mazda CX-3 and CX-30.

Add to this 19-inch machined alloy wheels and a suite of blacked-out finishes, including the badging, front grille, mirror caps, window trims, roof rails and tail lights.

Standard equipment includes artificial leather with real leather garnishes, two-zone climate air with rear outlets, a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable heated and cooled front seats, with driver-seat memory.

There’s also 19-inch alloys, with 235/60 profile tyres, push-button start, adaptive cruise control, head-up display, auto high beam, traffic sign recognition, LED lights all-round, auto lights and wipers, auto-dimming rear view mirror, front and rear parking sensors, rear privacy glass, with side blinds, along with an electric tailgate and electric, panoramic sunroof.

Not to mention push-button, automatic parking.

Infotainment consists of a 14.6-inch touchscreen powered by the GWM’s Coffee OS.

There’s Bluetooth, voice control, AM/FM and DAB+ digital radio, plus eight-speaker audio – but alas no built-in satellite navigation.

For that the general idea is to use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, depending on your preferred poison – both connect wirelessly.

Two USB-A ports are provided, one in front and another in the rear, plus a 12-volt socket in the front, along with wireless phone charging.

It also misses out on telematics which provide remote access and control of various vehicle functions.

H7 carries a full five-star safety rating from ANCAP. However, during the full-width frontal test, the head restraint dislodged from the driver’s seat back. While ANCAP says this does not affect scoring under 2023-2025 rating criteria, it may increase the risk of injury to the driver.

As a result GWM has initiated a voluntary safety recall for vehicles built before October 15, 2025.

Seven airbags are standard, including a centre airbag to stop those in the front from banging heads in a side impact crash.

A 360-degree camera with 180-degree overhead transparent chassis view is fitted.

Autonomous emergency braking applies to car-to-car, vulnerable road user and junction assist scenarios.

There’s also blind spot alert and a lane support system with lane keep assist, lane departure warning, and emergency lane keeping, plus an advanced speed assistance system that keeps to current speed limits.

Head-up display is part of the deal, but as we have pointed out on many occasions, it does not work very well if you happen to wear polarised sunglasses.

H7 is covered by a seven-year unlimited kilometre warranty, along with an eight-year unlimited-kilometre battery pack warranty.

There’s also five-year roadside assistance and five-year capped price servicing.

What’s it go like?

Inside the H7 blends versatility, comfort, and technology to support an active lifestyle.

The boxy, upright design and five-seat configuration deliver plenty of head and shoulder room, along with excellent visibility.

A removable boot floor reveals a tyre repair kit but no spare wheel in the event of a puncture – not very off-roady.

But Haval reckons you can use the boot floor as a picnic table – we’d like to see that.

Pseudo studs reinforce the utilitarian feel inside, with a digital instrument cluster that is inset rather than freestanding.

A forward-tilted top section displays the current gear but little else, while its major role appears to be as a sunshade for the lower section. Smart thinking.

A panoramic sunroof has a power-operated retractable shade.

The self-charging hybrid powertrain is the same as that in the H6 and produces 179kW of power and 530Nm of torque in front-wheel drive form, with a dual-speed dedicated hybrid transmission.

With a 61-litre fuel tank, it takes standard 91 unleaded, with claimed fuel consumption of 5.7L/100km and a CO2 output of 131g/km.

We were getting 7.1L/100km after 450km of driving.

There’s the usual drive mode options: Normal, Eco, Sport or Snow.

Steering weight can also be adjusted, with comfortable, sport or light settings.

The regenerative braking also adjusts, right down to one-pedal driving, although it does not bring the vehicle to a complete stop.

With plenty of torque, the H7 gets up and going pretty smartly, with well weighted steering, but brakes that are a little touchy.

Although the ride quality is not as good as the Australian-tuned H6 PHEV, it’s not too bad either.

With 210mm of ground clearance, it rides a bit higher than the H6 and as such doesn’t handle as well, but again, it’s okay for an SUV.

Front-wheel drive means dirt roads are okay, but we wouldn’t be taking it any further off road than that.

More worrying was the throttle which failed to respond at all for two or three seconds when we punched the accelerator hard on two occasions. Obviously, this could become an issue in some situations.

Lots of beeps and warnings from drive assist, but not as bad as some.

The eight speaker sound system is interesting, with a DTS setting that makes a huge difference to the sound quality, so be sure to tick it. But getting the volume right can be an issue. There are no physical controls provided, and control from the steering wheel is a bit hit and miss – perhaps missing?

Fortunately hitting the mute button brings up a slider on the touchscreen after you un-mute it, allowing the volume to be adjusted.

It does leave the front passenger at a loose end, however.

There are no physical controls for the air-conditioning either.

What we like

• The looks
• Strong performance
• Well equipped

What we don’t like

• No built-in satnav
• The damn seatbelt needs to be clipped in before you can drive off

What over-50s need to know

You get the feeling the H7 is targeted at blokes.

My wife wasn’t fussed on the styling, but styling is, as they say, a very personal thing.

Other than the minor quibbles that we have identified and the lack of satellite navigation, it looks like being another winner for Great Wall which, incidentally, is doing a great job responding to the demands of the market.

Add to this competitive pricing and a long warranty and the time is fast approaching when buying a Chinese-built vehicle will no longer be an issue.

seniordriver comments

GWM has obviously gone for the macho look with fake studs, bolt-on wheel arch extenders and a pouty, frowny front end. In spite of all that, it’s still a front-wheel drive SUV, so we wouldn’t be venturing too far off road. And the absence of a full-size (or any) spare, would make us even more hesitant.

We’re still waiting to hear full details of the new Toyota RAV4, the most obvious competitor. It will be interesting to see how it’s priced against the GWM.

It’s a pity the H7 hasn’t benefited from the Australian tuning that has made the H6 so appealing. Perhaps it’s still in the pipeline?

Like many others, the H7 gets push-button automatic parking. We wonder just how many owners use it.

Kudos to GWM for recalling vehicles built before October 15, 2025 to investigate the head restraint issue, especially since it doesn’t affect the scoring under 2023-2025 criteria.

And would someone please buy Chris a pair of non-polarising sunglasses?

Chris Riley has been a journalist for 40 years and is the managing editor of cars4starters. He has spent half his career as a writer, editor and production editor in newspapers, the rest of the time driving and writing about cars, both in print and online. His love affair with cars began as a teenager with the purchase of an old VW Beetle, followed by another Beetle and a string of other cars on which he has wasted far too much time and money. A self-confessed geek, he’s not afraid to ask the hard questions, even at the risk of sounding silly.