On the evening of August 25th, the new generation Haval H9 officially opened for pre-sale. The new car offers a total of 3 models, with the price range being 205,900 – 235,900 yuan. As a brand-new replacement model, the new car continues the non-load-bearing body structure, but makes significant adjustments to the appearance and interior, and lengthens the body size. In terms of power, it offers 2.0T gasoline and 2.4T diesel engines.
The new car made its debut at the Beijing Auto Show as early as April 2024. In terms of appearance, the new car adopts the popular “square box” styling design nowadays, creating a tough and retro visual effect. Specifically, the front face of the new car adopts a thick chrome-plated front grille design and is decorated with rivets. The “HAVAL” letter logo is embedded in the middle, which is very eye-catching. The outer contours of the headlights on both sides are square, and the inner part is equipped with circular LED daytime running lights. The overall shape is very rough and bold, fully demonstrating the attributes of a hardcore off-road vehicle.
On the side of the body, the new car continues the non-load-bearing body, and the waistline runs through the entire body. The design of the battlements-style large wheel arches also enhances the power sense of the vehicle. In addition, the new car also adopts square exterior rearview mirrors, conventional-shaped door handles, and 19-inch wheel rims, further enhancing the sportiness of the vehicle. In terms of body color, the new car will offer a total of 4 color options: stone blue-gray, spring mountain green, tile black, and misty white. In terms of size, the new car has dimensions of 5070 (1960) / 1976 / 1930 mm, and a wheelbase of 2850 mm. Compared with the current model, the new car is lengthened in size. For comparison, the current Haval H9 has dimensions of 5077 / 1926 / 1900 mm, and a wheelbase of 2800 mm.
At the rear of the vehicle, the taillights of the new car adopt a vertical arrangement design, consisting of two rectangles. The visual effect is highly recognizable. It is equipped with the common external spare tire and side-opening tailgate of hardcore off-road vehicles. The license plate frame is located on the left side of the rear bumper. The rear bumper is relatively thick and sturdy, and the overall shape is also very compatible with the square box body shape.
In the interior part, the layout of the new car is not much different from the current model, but the details have been optimized, making the overall more technological. The new car is equipped with a new-shaped steering wheel and a 14.6-inch suspended central control screen. The position of the auxiliary instrument panel adopts the same shift lever design as models such as Tank 300 and Haval Menglong. Surrounding it are physical buttons and knobs, which are convenient for operation during off-road driving.
In terms of power, the new car offers 2.0T + 8AT gasoline power and 2.4T + 9AT diesel power. Among them, the maximum power of the gasoline version is 165 kilowatts, the peak torque is 385 Nm, and it is matched with an 8-speed automatic transmission; the maximum power of the diesel version is 137 kilowatts, the peak torque is 480 Nm, and it is matched with a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Haval H9 is Haval’s first seven-seat medium and large SUV, which was launched in November 2014. A total of 3 models were launched, with the price range being 229,800 – 272,800 yuan. In terms of power, it is equipped with a 2.0T turbocharged direct-injection engine and ZF 8-speed automatic transmission. In June 2015, the five-seat version of Haval H9 was launched, with the price ranging from 219,800 to 262,800 yuan; since then, Haval H9 has undergone several facelifts, with appearance adjustments in 2017, 2020, and 2022 respectively, but no model replacement has been carried out. It is understood that the currently available Haval H9 is the 2022 model, with the price range being 214,800 – 279,800 yuan. In terms of power, it is equipped with a 2.0T engine + 8AT transmission, with a maximum power of 185 kw and a maximum torque of 385 N·m.
As a medium and large-sized hardcore SUV model priced at the 200,000-yuan level under Great Wall Motors, the early Haval H9 once became the ceiling of the self-owned brand SUV market with its more 亲民 price. However, since Great Wall Motors launched models such as Tank 300 and Tank 500, the position of Haval H9 has also been threatened.
Retail data shows that from 2020 to 2022, the sales of Haval H9 were 17,345 units, 11,498 units, and 12,444 units respectively, and its performance in the auto market was acceptable. But since 2023, the sales of Haval H9 have started to decline. In 2023, it dropped to 5,792 units, and only 2,323 units from January to July this year, with a monthly sales volume of less than 400 units. The market performance is no longer as good as before. The reason for the sales decline is also related to the increasing number of self-owned brands beginning to layout the “hardcore off-road” segment and achieving electrification, leading to intensified market competition.
This new car is the replacement model of Haval H9. As a brand-new replacement model, it is still unknown whether the new car can return to its glorious moment after its launch, but it is certain that the new Haval H9 will also face intense competitive pressure after its launch.
