GWM Haval H6 HEV gets new Phantom Black interior, battery warranty increased to 10 yrs, still RM139,800

Great Wall Motor (GWM) Malaysia has announced a second interior colour for the GWM Haval H6 HEV, with a new Phantom Black scheme now available as a option to the existing dual-tone black and cream one that was introduced when the SUV was launched last October.

As the moniker suggests, the entire colour presentation in the cabin has been reworked to black, with the upholstery as well as door card/dashboard/centre console elements now dressed as such. In line with the change, the accent strips on the dashboard, steering wheel and door panels are now finished in silver, as opposed to the rose gold items on the dual-tone interior. The contrast gloss piano black inserts remain unchanged for this scheme.

The Phantom Black interior isn’t tied to a specific exterior shade, so buyers can opt it with any of the five exterior colours (Sun Black, Energy Green, Hamilton White, Ayers Silver and Crayon Grey) available for the H6.

Aside from the new interior colour, the Haval H6 also now comes with an upgraded battery warranty. Previously, the battery was covered by an eight-year or 1,000,000 km warranty, but GWM has now upped the warranty timeframe to 10 years or 1,000,000 km.

Additionally, the company also announced that all the other warranties for the H6, which were previously only applicable to the first owner, can now be transferred to the next owner. However, there are some differences to note.

First owners will enjoy a seven-year/200,000 km standard manufacturer’s vehicle warranty, 10-year/1,000,000 km engine warranty and eight-year/1,000,000 km HEV system warranty as well as the upgraded battery warranty, but the next owner will have the engine warranty capped at seven years/200,000 km and at 200,000 km for the HEV system .

The good news for existing H6 owners is that all the updated warranty terms, including the battery warranty upgrade, will also apply to their vehicles. All this comes without an increase in pricing, with the locally-assembled Haval H6 continuing to be priced at RM139,800 (on-the-road, without insurance).

There are no changes elsewhere, with exterior kit continuing to be made up of 19-inch black alloy wheels (wrapped with 225/55 Hankook Ventus S1 Evo3 SUV tyres), automatic matrix LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED front and rear fog lights and a powered, adjustable rear tailgate.

The H6’s hybrid powertrain also remains untouched. The system is made up of a GW4B15D 1.5 litre turbocharged four-pot, which puts out 150 PS at 5,500 to 6,000 rpm and 230 Nm of twist from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm, working with a 177 PS (130 kW) and 300 Nm TZ220X permanent-magnet synchronous motor, the latter integrated into a two-speed Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT).

The electric motor forms the primary drive unit for the H6, with the engine kicking in at higher speeds. Combined, total system output is 243 PS and 530 Nm, which is good enough to propel the 1,720 kg SUV from zero to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds.

Inside, you’ll find a 10.25-inch digital sceen for the digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen unit for the infotainment system as well as a rotary dial gear selector, dual-zone climate control, rear air-condition vents, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a Qi wireless charger and a panoramic sunroof.

There’s also an eight-speaker audio system, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and ambient lighting, along with ventilated and powered (six-way driver, four-way passenger, plus two-way lumbar support for driver) front seats, a negative-ion air cleaner system and a head-up display.

As for safety and driver assistance, the H6 comes with six airbags (front, side, side curtain), a 360-degree around view camera with transparent chassis feature, a parking assist system, hill descent control and a tyre pressure monitoring system, while its Level 2 ADAS suite also remains unchanged. The latter includes items such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), full-speed adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, rear cross traffic alert, and lane change assist.