Finding the right car for your family is no easy feat. There are so many options out there, and dependant on your lifestyle a 4WD is on most North Queenslanders wish list. With that in mind, my family and I took the brand new HAVAL H9 for a few days to check it out.
From the moment we saw it, you could tell this was no ordinary 4WD. It’s very strong, yet sleek looking- the boys were very excited when they saw it.
As soon as we hopped in, we realised how spacious it was. There was plenty of leg room, and as a 7 seater, it fits everyone in with ease. With leather interior, large cup holders for all 7 passengers, lots of storage areas you will love the luxury feel of the car.
The passenger, driver, and 6th and 7th seat in the back row are all electronic so you can adjust with ease too, making it super easy to go from a five seat to a seven seater at the press of a button.
My favourite feature is definitely the massage chairs. School pick up will never be the same again! Instead of waiting in the car impatiently, you can put the massage chair on, turn the airconditioned seat to cool the backside of your body, open the panoramic sunroof to look at the tree’s and kick back and relax. You’ll be disappointed when the kids actually make it to the car to go home. And this feature isn’t just for the driver, the passenger seat companion also gets spoilt with the same features and your hot sweaty kids also have their own TRI-ZONE climate control in the back so they can dial in their preferred temperature setting. Perfect for the North Queensland summer months.
This is a 4WD that feels luxurious to drive, and it’s super quiet and smooth on the road which for its size is quite surprising. That said, the high fidelity sound system has seven speakers including an under-seat mounted sub-woofer so you’ll be having a family carpool karaoke session at every opportunity.
Because it’s Chinese made, it’s also fitted with all of the latest technology. Lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind spot monitoring. It’s also fitted with a reversing camera and rear parking sensors and it can even self-park! Safety wise, there are dual front airbags and curtain bags that stretch across all three rows, and Isofix anchor points for car seats. And you can even monitor your tyre pressure on your dash how cool is that! Safety experts believe that 80% of accidents involve tyre punctures, so now you’ll now at a glance when it’s time to add more air to your tyres.
The HAVAL H9 also has adaptive front lighting that allows the driver to look around corners and automatically adjusts when traversing up and down hills.
Power wise, the engine in the HAVAL H9 has a turbo charger, and with a ZF 8-speed transmission you can go from sports mode to off-road using the all-terrain control system, and 0-100 in less than 10 seconds.
Word on the street is that this 4WD is one of the most comfortable and capable off-road vehicles you’ll ever drive whether that be through sand, snow, mud, or water, you’ll be able to adjust to the terrain at the turning of a knob on your centre console.
Now I know what you are thinking. A Chinese car won’t be up to scratch like other 4WD’s on the market. Well from our research and experience it is a thing of the past. China is bringing out amazing cars, fitted with the latest technology and they are serious competitors in the market. If you still have any doubts, they are also backing their cars with a 7 year unlimited kilometre warranty to put your mind at ease. And price wise- let’s just say you’re going to get a more luxurious car, for about $20K less than its competitors. The HAVAL H9 is $46,999 driveaway no more to pay with all of the features mentioned in this article.
So if you are on the lookout for a new car, go and see Alan and his team at Cairns Cars, the home of Audi, HAVAL, Great Wall, and a host of other great brands. Whether you are looking for your first car for $10,000, or the car of your dreams for $450,000, they have them in stock new and used to look at and take for a test drive, so head on in and say you read it in PakMag.
