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GWM had a robust 2025, posting a greater than 10,000-unit enhance in annual gross sales, due to fashions just like the Jolion.
That’s not a foul effort for any auto model, however with a unending inflow of latest Chinese automakers within the Australian market, GWM has accomplished properly to proceed promoting its autos in such excessive numbers.
Two SUVs have dominated these gross sales. One is among the many latest fashions in GWM’s native lineup, the Haval H6 mid-size SUV, and the opposite has been round for a while: the Haval Jolion small SUV.
With practically 20,000 items bought for the 12 months, the Jolion stays considered one of Australia’s hottest small SUVs. It’s been locked in an in depth battle with two compatriots – the Chery Tiggo 4 and MG ZS – and all three have been placing the strain on the segment-leading Hyundai Kona.
Given they’re all low-cost and supply hybrid tech, it’s no shock that the trio has been resonating with patrons. In the case of the Jolion, it additionally has the benefit of comparatively robust model recognition, as GWM was the primary Chinese model to arrange store Down Under greater than 15 years in the past.
Despite the more and more fierce competitors, the Jolion is coming into 2026 largely unchanged. It obtained a significant replace for 2025, which introduced the ‘new shape’ mannequin with hybrid powertrains, and so most of that has been carried over – most, however not all.
For one, Ultra trim ranges have been discontinued and changed by new, blacked-out Vanta variants. These retain a lot of the identical gear because the Ultra grades – which are actually in run-out – together with the selection of each petrol-only and hybrid propulsion.
The result’s the automotive on check right here: the 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Vanta Hybrid. It occupies the top of the Jolion vary, and is characterised by its sportier-looking ‘new shape’ physique with blacked-out exterior components.
With competitors heating up and newer manufacturers like BYD racing up the gross sales charts, is the Jolion doing sufficient to maintain its rivals at bay?
How a lot does the GWM Haval Jolion price?
The Vanta is the latest addition to the Jolion vary, and the Hybrid model is at the moment priced at $38,990 drive-away.
| Model | Drive-away pricing (till Dec. 31, 2025) |
|---|---|
| 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Premium | $23,990 (-$3000) |
| 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Lux | $27,990 (-$2000) |
| 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Premium Hybrid | $28,990 (-$4000) |
| 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Vanta | $33,990 |
| 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Lux Hybrid | $34,990 (-$1000) |
| 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Vanta Hybrid | $38,990(-$1000) |
GWM is at the moment working a drive-away value supply, energetic till December 31, 2025. Applicable reductions are indicated within the desk above, together with a $1000 low cost for the car on check right here.
The Jolion Vanta Hybrid’s most direct rival is the top-spec MG ZS Essence Hybrid+, which is priced from $36,990 drive-away. There’s additionally the range-topping Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid Ultimate at $34,990 drive-away.
Other opponents embody the Honda HR-V e:HEV, which tops out at $42,900 drive-away, and the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, which prices as a lot as $45,590 earlier than on-roads for a much less sporty, non-N Line variant.
It’s additionally corresponding to the Toyota Corolla Cross in measurement however the smaller Yaris Cross in value, the latter of which prices $39,930 earlier than on-roads on the high of its vary.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
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What is the GWM Haval Jolion like on the within?
As has all the time been the case, the Jolion’s inside is annoyingly clumsy.
Ergonomically and technologically, there’s lots contained in the Jolion that would use some polish. While we all know there’s been no vehicle-wide replace to the automotive since we final revealed a assessment, it’s nonetheless disappointing to seek out a lot of the identical.
For a begin, the driving force’s seat is surprisingly agency and doesn’t really feel very supportive. Power adjustment a minimum of helps to get it into an honest place, however it’s compromised by the shortage of vary within the steering wheel’s adjustment.
It doesn’t tilt down far sufficient for individuals who prefer to have their seat decrease, nor does it pull out far sufficient in the direction of the driving force. The result’s an ungainly place the place your legs are extra cramped than in most different automobiles, whereas your arms are uncomfortable on the unusually proportioned steering wheel.
As we’ve stated earlier than, the tiller has a comparatively deep dish, which suggests the insides of your palms really feel like they float above the rim, whereas the massive spokes make it unimaginable to wrap your fingers round them.
That means it’s a bizarre feeling while you first hop behind the wheel, as you’re pressured to carry it at 10 and a pair of o’clock as a substitute of the safer nine-and-three norm.
Further, the horizontal spokes are positioned excessive they usually virtually utterly disguise the stalks behind. This isn’t nice, because the indicator is on the left, which may blindly result in unintentional windscreen wipes should you’re coming from a Japanese automotive.
While you’ll have the ability to get used to the positions of the stalks and bodily buttons, the awkward hand placement is tough to get round. On high of that, there are only a few actual buttons within the Jolion cabin.
It’s complicated to navigate the 7.0-inch instrument show, as an illustration, as you first need to enter one thing of a online game cheat code to get the navigational steering wheel buttons to do something. The icons for the display screen’s numerous menus virtually stare at you mockingly, ready to see should you’ll determine it out.
Turns out you might want to maintain the ‘OK’ button, which helps you to use the ‘return’ and arrow buttons to flick via the menus. Why these buttons are utterly inoperable all different instances is past us.
As for the infotainment show, there’s been a welcome graphic replace. No longer is it an empty-looking system; it’s now populated by giant, vibrant app icons and shortcut buttons, making it look far more intentional.
Climate management remains to be screen-only, and the swiping gesture to open it appears to have been eliminated. That means you’ll need to press one of many few buttons under as a substitute, which is cumbersome, however a minimum of they’re not inhibited by the commonly dependable wi-fi smartphone mirroring.
As a bonus, this replace appears to have amended the poorly translated settings I complained about in my final assessment. For occasion, the ‘Front Washer Scraper Interval’ is now sensibly labelled because the ‘Front Wiper Interval’. Lovely.
Otherwise, nothing has modified. There’s nonetheless the hodgepodge of finishes, which border on being too busy. However, the Vanta swaps out a number of the silver-look plastic for a stealthier gunmetal end, which works properly visually.
There’s nonetheless a sparse centre console with an obnoxious, infinitely spinning rotary gear selector, three oddly sized slots, a wi-fi telephone charger that generates some warmth when in use, and a pair of lidded cupholders. Underneath is a sizeable tray with USB-A and USB-C ports and a 12V outlet.
The centre armrest is properly padded, as are the door playing cards. We like that every one the touchpoints really feel of fine high quality, and particularly that there’s no shiny piano-black plastic wherever.
It can be pretty disconcerting to have a driver-monitoring lens pointed immediately at you as you drive. Funnily sufficient, this ‘growth’ on the A-pillar was already lined by a chunk of tape once we took custody of our Jolion from GWM – maybe a touch at what’s to come back.
The second row isn’t flashy, however it’s appointed properly sufficient to maintain passengers comfy. Fitted as normal are two air vents and USB-A and -C ports on the again of the centre console, albeit with a number of scratchy black plastic.
The upright portion of the bench seat is barely too far reclined, a standard trait amongst Chinese SUVs, although the bottom is properly sculpted. There’s a very good quantity of area throughout, and the ground is totally flat – middle-seat passengers can rejoice on the lack of a driveline hump.
With a minimal capability of 255 litres, the Jolion Hybrid’s boot is relatively small. It’s a lot smaller than the 443L supplied by the MG ZS Hybrid+, the 360L of the Chery Omoda 5, and it’s even crushed by the 264L within the smaller Mazda CX-3. Folding the rear seats flat additionally creates a considerable flooring lip.
Unfortunately, all hybrid Jolions solely get a tyre restore equipment, a downgrade from the space-saver spares in petrol variants. There’s no additional area below the ground both; as a substitute, there’s a big block of polystyrene holding numerous restoration gear in place.
| Dimensions | GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Length | 4470mm |
| Width | 1874mm |
| Height | 1581mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700mm |
| Cargo capability | 255L (rear seats up) 916L (rear seats folded) |
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What’s below the bonnet?
Jolion Hybrids are nonetheless powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and a 115kW/250Nm electrical motor. A ‘Dedicated Hybrid Transmission’ – a two-speed constantly variable transmission (CVT) – sends drive to the entrance wheels solely.
| Specifications | GWM Haval Jolion Vanta Hybrid |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5L 4cyl non-turbo hybrid |
| Engine outputs | 70kW/125Nm |
| Peak electrical motor outputs | 115kW/250Nm |
| Peak system outputs | 140kW/375Nm |
| Battery | 1.6kWh Li-ion |
| Transmission | Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (2-speed CVT) |
| Drive kind | Front-wheel drive |
| Kerb weight | 1620kg |
| Fuel financial system (claimed) | 5.1L/100km |
| Fuel financial system (as examined) | 5.0L/100km |
| Fuel tank capability | 55L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane common unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 118g/km |
| Unbraked tow capability | 750kg |
| Braked tow capability | 1300kg |
Our week with the automotive primarily concerned peak-hour commuting, albeit in a mixture of suburban and freeway environments. Our recorded gas consumption was higher than GWM’s declare, even with little thought given to driving economically.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
How does the GWM Haval Jolion drive?
Not a lot has modified for the Jolion on-road, which is unlucky.
As earlier than, the Jolion isn’t instantly insufferable. It often begins up in electrical mode, permitting it to quietly whirr away as you get shifting, and the steering is gentle sufficient to make it really feel nimble in city environments, if not a bit lifeless.
That stays true round city, the place the powertrain depends extra on electrical energy, with the petrol engine kicking in sometimes. It’s able to driving purely on electrical energy at as much as 80km/h, and there’s a one-pedal regen mode, too.
Some flaws begin to present as soon as the pace picks up, however there have been slight enhancements. For one, the transition from electrical to petrol energy appears to have been smoothed out, now with a a lot much less noticeable shift between the 2.
The engine nonetheless sounds poorly, although. Its CVT drone is actual, and has the engine screaming its guts out at even the slightest throttle inputs – to not point out transmitting an odd vibration via the throttle pedal within the course of.
It creates the phantasm of battle, even when the Jolion is usually fairly spritely. We can recognize that the automotive has no points managing each electrical and petrol energy to offer that needed kick, and, once more, its energy supply now appears to be extra predictable.
Handling, in the meantime, is nearly as you’d count on. The steering presents a direct sufficient really feel with cheap suggestions, whereas the weighting is suitable and helps to maintain the automotive from feeling lifeless.
Its experience can be on the sportier aspect, with firm-ish suspension to match the boy-racer exterior styling. It’s nonetheless able to ironing out minor imperfections like tram tracks, and the mixture of an inexpensive chassis tune, intuitive electrical driving, and manoeuvrable steering creates a succesful metropolis commuter.
The brake pedal isn’t improbable, although. It combines regenerative and friction braking, however it’s inconsistent – generally you’ll get the doughy, picket regenerative really feel that weakly slows the automotive, and different instances you get unexpectedly robust braking that can catch you off guard.
The Jolion nonetheless feels much less comfy on the freeway. That isn’t as a result of it feels unstable or underpowered, however as a substitute as a result of its security techniques nonetheless want work.
We’ll preface that by saying there have been some minor enhancements. For one, the driving force monitoring system appears a lot much less delicate now, as sporting sun shades, for instance, doesn’t set it off practically as a lot because it used to.
Looking at your mirrors for too lengthy or gazing at something that isn’t immediately in entrance of you’ll nonetheless get you pinged. The driver monitor’s warning is humorously inconvenient too, if not borderline unsafe.
It’ll nonetheless beep as ordinary, however a warning will concurrently seem on the infotainment display screen telling you to concentrate to driving. To lay that out plainly: the driving force monitor will take your eyes away from the street to learn and dismiss an on-screen warning. That’s dangerously counterintuitive.
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Perhaps that’s why somebody taped over the monitoring digital camera’s lens. Some of the opposite pesky techniques require extra of a course of to get round although, such because the lane-keep help.
It’s nonetheless overreactive and can pitch in if it thinks you’re going to stray into the following lane – even on a straight street. It additionally appears to steer additional in the direction of the within of a bend should you get too near the road, which is all kinds of flawed, and never significantly refined both.
The automotive may also attempt to cease you from altering lanes, even should you’re indicating and there’s nobody alongside. We solely actually seen this when altering lanes to the suitable, and it catches you off guard as a result of it occurs so inconsistently.
Finally, the ‘tailgating’ warning may be very loud and obnoxious. If the automotive thinks you’re too near the car in entrance (which you usually aren’t), it’ll sound an extremely grating beeping till you again off, which is frankly extreme.
So, some work nonetheless must be accomplished, even when all that may be briefly disabled within the car’s settings. Most of that’s extra forgivable within the $30,000-ish Jolions, however you additionally must understand that the Vanta Hybrid is a bit too near $40,000 for consolation.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
What do you get?
There are six variants within the Jolion vary: two ‘old-look’ petrol grades (Premium, Lux), one ‘new look’ petrol (Vanta), and three ‘new look’ hybrids.
2026 GWM Haval Jolion Premium gear highlights:
- 17-inch alloy wheels
- Space saver spare wheel (petrol solely)
- Tyre restore equipment (Hybrid solely)
- Halogen headlights
- Torsion beam rear suspension
- Rain-sensing wipers
- 4-way guide steering wheel adjustment
- Cloth upholstery
- 3.5-inch instrument cluster display screen
- 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay
- Wireless Android Auto
- 4-speaker sound system
- Air-conditioning
- Rear air vents
- Paddle shifters
- Electric park brake
- Proximity entry with push-button begin
- Launch management (Hybrid solely)
Jolion Lux provides:
- 18-inch chrome alloy wheels (Hybrid solely)
- LED headlights
- Rear privateness glass
- Heated aspect mirrors
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen (Hybrid solely)
- 6-speaker sound system
- Dual-zone local weather management
- Luggage cowl
- 6-way energy driver’s seat
- Leatherette upholstery
- Heated entrance seats
- Leatherette-wrapped steering wheel
- Illuminated self-importance mirror
Jolion Vanta provides:
- 18-inch black alloy wheels
- Roof rails
- Panoramic sunroof
- 4-way energy passenger seat
- Ventilated driver’s seat
- Head-up show
- Wireless telephone charger
- Interior ambient lighting
- Launch management (petrol)
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
Is the GWM Haval Jolion protected?
The GWM Haval Jolion boasts a five-star ANCAP security ranking, based mostly on testing performed in 2022.
| Category | GWM Haval Jolion |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant safety | 90 per cent |
| Child occupant safety | 84 per cent |
| Vulnerable street person safety | 64 per cent |
| Safety help | 92 per cent |
Standard security gear consists of:
- 7 airbags
- Adaptive cruise management
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Pedestrian detection
- Cyclist detection
- Auto parking help
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver consideration monitor
- Emergency lane-keep help
- Hill descent management
- Lane-keep help
- Lane centring
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Rear parking sensors
- Reversing digital camera
- Safe exit warning
- Traffic signal recognition
Lux variants and upwards acquire a surround-view digital camera, whereas the Vanta Hybrid additionally has entrance parking sensors.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
How a lot does the GWM Haval Jolion price to run?
GWM Australia backs its vary with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee. The first service for the Jolion is required after 12 months or 10,000km, whichever comes first, with subsequent companies extending the interval to fifteen,000km.
| Servicing and Warranty | GWM Haval Jolion |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 7 years, limitless kilometres |
| Roadside help | 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km first, then 15,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years |
| Average annual service price | $368 (Premium, Lux petrol) $340 (Vanta petrol) $404 (Hybrid) |
| Total capped-price service price | $1840 (Premium, Lux petrol) $1700 (Vanta petrol) $2020 (Hybrid) |
GWM’s capped-price servicing for the Jolion is detailed under:
| Service | Price (petrol, excl. Vanta) | Price (Vanta petrol) | Price (Hybrid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months, 10,000km | $245 | $235 | $260 |
| 24 months, 25,000km | $290 | $290 | $330 |
| 36 months, 40,000km | $415 | $415 | $470 |
| 48 months, 55,000km | $535 | $515 | $680 |
| 60 months, 70,000km | $355 | $245 | $280 |
For context, 5 years of servicing for the ZS Hybrid+ will complete $2658 at a median annual price of $531.60.
Honda, in the meantime, presents 5 years of capped-price servicing for the HR-V at an appetising $199 per service. It’s the same story for Chery, which caps the primary 5 companies for the Tiggo 4 Hybrid at $299 every.
To see how the GWM Haval Jolion stacks up towards its rivals, use our comparability instrument
CarExpert’s Take on the GWM Haval Jolion Vanta Hybrid
The Jolion has lengthy been a combined bag, and the addition of the Vanta has arguably strengthened that sentiment.
It’s nonetheless the identical sharp-looking small SUV as earlier than, and we recognize that its powertrain has remained livable and unintimidating. An environment friendly hybrid possibility is important in as we speak’s market, and the actual fact you get it in a bundle as versatile because the Jolion is a giant plus.
The minor upgrades to inside tech haven’t gone unnoticed both, making the automotive really feel all of the extra polished. Those translation errors within the infotainment had been actually amusing, however the car is extra mature with out them.
Unfortunately, some ergonomic quirks stay, and we nonetheless dislike the proportions of the steering wheel and its spokes. All the important thing touchpoints a minimum of really feel high-quality.
But no matter its quirks and our subjective criticisms, the Jolion has all the time stood for good worth. That’s the place mannequin variants we’ve reviewed beforehand have earned their brownie factors, however it’s unimaginable to say the identical for the Vanta Hybrid.
And these questions of safety stay the Achilles’ heel of the Jolion. You’d count on some tough edges should you paid lower than $30,000 for a automotive like this, however these issues are indefensible while you’re spending practically $40,000 – even with the additional black bits.
They aren’t new both, and it’s disappointing that we had the identical complaints once we final drove a Jolion Hybrid. It merely makes for a automotive that’s annoying to dwell with, and any novelty worth of the plethora of beeps and chimes wears off shortly.
That leads us to level potential patrons towards cheaper grades just like the Premium Hybrid, or the Lux Hybrid, should you want niceties like a bigger display screen and extra premium upholstery. We keep that hybrid Jolions are nonetheless definitely worth the premium over their petrol equivalents for his or her improved drivability and effectivity.
As it stands, the Vanta Hybrid equation doesn’t add up. Until these security errors are mounted, save a penny and go for a less expensive Jolion Hybrid, and even the top-spec MG ZS Essence Hybrid+ as a substitute.
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MORE: Explore the GWM Haval Jolion showroom