GWM's Haval Jolion Pro Hybrid could just be the best value Qashqai-class SUV you've never heard of. Jonathan Crouch drives it.
Ten Second Review
Chinese maker GWM expands its reach in the UK market substantially with this lower mid-sized SUV, the Haval Jolion Pro Hybrid. It competes in an over-crowded Qashqai class for family crossovers, but costs thousands less than some of its more commonly-chosen segment rivals. Yet includes plenty of cabin space and decent equipment levels for your money, along with a long warranty. Is it worth a look?
Background
GWM - Great Wall Motors - was one of the very first Chinese brands to enter our market back in 2022 with a small electric supermini, the ORA Funky Cat. ORA is just one of GWM's various sub-brands, the others being Wey, Tank, Poer and the conglomerate's most successful global nameplate, Haval. And it's Haval who provide the second of GWM's offerings in the UK - the Jolion Pro Hybrid mid-sized SUV.
It was a sign of the times that the ORA Funky Cat (more recently re-named the 'ORA 03') was an EV. And it's probably also a sign of the times that this Haval model isn't. Power comes instead from a full-Hybrid petrol engine better suited to those still unconvinced by the EV revolution. This combination has worked well for the Haval brand in other markets - the Jolion Pro is the third best seller in its class in Australia for instance. As for what that class is, for rivals, think frugally-focused lower mid-sized crossovers like the Nissan Qashqai e-POWER or the Citroen C5 Aircross Hybrid 145 and you won't be too far out. Let's take a closer look.
Driving Experience
In some ways, this Haval model is a lemon. That's the unfortunate name given to the platform it rides on, but it's also what most of the motoring press have dismissed it as. But with realistic expectations, you might take a brief drive in this car and come away, as we did, thinking that it's actually not too bad. Don't misunderstand us. There's nothing very class-competitive about either the ride and handling or the engineering here. But since likely Jolian Pro customers won't really care very much about either, it's arguable that this doesn't matter very much.
The engine in use here is a 1.5-litre petrol unit with a 147bhp electric motor contributing to a 188bhp total output. And drive is through a seven-speed dual clutch auto transmission handling 210Nm of torque. This powerplant is full-Hybrid, rather than one of those ineffectual mild hybrid set-ups. Something you could guess not only from the neat little powerflow graphic ahead of you in the instrument cluster but also from the lethargic moo-ing of the drivetrain every time you flex your right foot with any force in search of more urgent forward motion. So you quickly learn not to drive in that way but instead get with the relaxed, easy gait this Jolian much prefers.
It would be nice to say that this demeanour is appropriately accompanied by the kind of supple ride that likely customers will want, but that's not really true. Unwisely, GWM has set the car up a little stiffly, so your feel speed humps and potholes more keenly than you should. But normal surface imperfections are reasonably well dealt with by the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension arrangement. And the firm set-up does at least mean that body control doesn't fall to pieces through the corners.
The overly light steering and the feeble grip limits of the Kumho tyres won't encourage you to put this attribute to the test. And by the same token, the coarse engine note under heavy load will discourage you from replicating the claimed 8.5s 0-62mph sprint time. Lots of ADAS driving aids are included as standard but you'll be frequently tempted to turn many of them off, so overly bothersome in the technology implementation.
Design and Build
This Haval Jolion Pro Hybrid has been available in some other global markets since 2021. Which you might just guess from a glance at a shape which though smart, does bear all the hallmarks of something styled in the last decade. Still, elements like the faux front air dams, the prominent roof spoiler, the chrome grille and the rear 'single eyebrow' LED tail lights separated bv a full-width strip all look nice. And black plastic-clad wheel arches housing 17 or 18-inch alloy rims supply the required SUV vibe. Length is 4,470mm; to give you some segment perspective, a Nissan Qashqai is 4,425mm long.
Inside, the dashboard is topped by a 12.3-inch central screen, complete with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. Through the wheel, you view a 7-inch digital gauge cluster. Switches haven't been completely banished though. There's a panel of physical buttons beneath the centre screen, with several more on the steering wheel and centre console. We prefer to have seen more because the centre screen has small icons that are fiddly to use while you're driving. And you'll find that some of the functions you want regularly are buried in sub-menus. It's easy to find a comfortable driving position thanks to the reach and rake adjustable steering wheel that wasn't fitted to earlier versions of this car.
What might sell this model to you is its relative spaciousness at the back - there 615mm of rear seat legroom. The boot capacity isn't anything to write home about though, 255-litres available - extendable to 916-litres with the 60:40-split backrest flattened.
Market and Model
There are three versions of the Haval Jolion Pro Hybrid SUV available and all are very affordably priced. Things kick off with the base 'Premium' version which from launch and at the time of our test in Summer 2025 cost around £24,000. Next up is the 'Lux' version costing around £28,000, with this top 'Ultra' version costing around £30,000. You get the same Hybrid engine and 7-speed dual clutch auto gearbox with all three variants.
Time for some value perspective before we get into spec. The Jolion Pro is a lower-mid-sized SUV crossover - so think Nissan Qashqai or SEAT Ateca, rather than Ford Kuga or Volkswagen Tiguan. But it's vastly less expensive than cars in the Qashqai class, which tend to start in unelectrified form from around £30,000. If you're not hung up on comparing this Haval to an SUV, you'll find that its pricing would save you £2,000-£3,000 on the cheapest unelectrified family hatchbacks too.
The entry-level 'Premium' trim features a high-definition touchscreen, advanced driver assistance systems, keyless entry, 'a digital instrument display and a 12.3-inch central screen with 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. The mid-level 'Lux' trim builds on the 'Premium' spec, adding LED headlights, upgraded materials, enhanced comfort-focused technology like heated front seats and conveniences like powered seating. At the top of the range, the 'Ultra' trim includes an electric panoramic glass roof, a head-up display, a wireless 'phone charger, ventilated front seating, a 360-degree camera, auto parking assist and exclusive design elements.
As for safety, well GWM says that over 100 active and passive cutting-edge safety features have been built into this car, but as we told you in our 'Driving' section, some of them can be quite intrusive. The tally includes Driver Drowsiness Protection, a Brake Override System, Secondary Collision Mitigation and Automatic Rear Cross Traffic Braking. The vehicle's safety systems also include Auto Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Detection. All ADAS functions are fitted as standard, even on the entry-level 'Premium' specification.
Cost of Ownership
Let's get to the efficiency stats. GWM Haval quotes 47mpg on the combined cycle; and 118g/km of CO2. You probably won't be surprised to find that this is some way off what you'd get from a similarly-sized full-Hybrid model from a mainstream brand; a Toyota 1.8-litre Hybrid Corolla Hatch for instance, manages up to 62.8mpg on the combined cycle and up to 102g/km of CO2. You might though, be more disappointed to find that the fuel figure can't even match what you'd get from an un-electrified model of this size; a comparable 1.2-litre automatic Vauxhall Astra manages 50.4mpg and with a 125g/km CO2 figure, isn't much dirtier than this Jolion either.
Still, GWM reckons that a full tank in this Haval model would give you a driving range of around 620 miles, which is the kind of thing likely customers will be looking for. You can monitor your ongoing frugality via a selectable Driving Efficiency Meter in the instrument cluster. Plus if you want more detail, the centre screen has a graphical Energy Info stats screen.
All Haval models come with GWM's 5-year unlimited mileage warranty. Residuals are another thing you might worry about from an unknown brand, but they should be OK. With GWM's other product, the Ora 03, industry experts predict a residual of 44% of its original value after 3 years and 60,000 miles and we expect the Jolion to be somewhere near that. There's also a five year / 60,000 mile paint warranty and 12 years of anti-corrosion warranty. Service intervals are every year or 11,184 miles (18,000kms) whichever comes first. And the insurance group is either 27 or 28, depending on your chosen trim level.
Summary
It's rare that we come to test a car that's been so universally slated by the motoring press. You'll struggle to find a review advising you to buy one - and you're not going to find that here, though that doesn't mean that there aren't people that this model might suit.
Ultimately, the market doesn't really need another mid-sized SUV - but for the UK market, GWM does and the Jolion Pro sets out to provide that in an efficient, value-priced package. No, it's not a particularly exciting segment choice, but you get plenty of practicality, lots of kit and a reasonably low running costs. The problem for the brand is that quite a few other segment contenders provide that same kind of combination too - though admittedly, not at such an affordable price.
In other markets, the Jolion Pro has overcome class opposition to become one of its segment's strongest sellers. That's unlikely to happen here, but this car might out a small but useful niche for itself amongst those who've taken the trouble to find out it exists. Which only leaves that strange name. Perhaps it provides what this car really needs. A real talking point.
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