Guangzhou Live - Haval H1 mini SUV

A raised hatchback with a rugged looking front fascia.

The newly launched Haval H1, the smallest crossover by the Great Wall Motors-owned SUV brand, was on display at the Guangzhou Auto Show 2014. The mini SUV carries a starting price tag of 68,900 yuan (around INR 6.92 lakhs).

Reported to be underpinned by the Great Wall C20R's platform, the H1 carries Haval's design traits albeit in a very small package. The car measures 3,898 mm in length, 1,729 mm in width, 1,621 mm in height and 2,560 in wheelbase. In other words, the H1 is more of a raised compact hatchback rather than a small SUV.

The punitive H1 is full of soft crossover elements like a prominent chrome grille, rugged bumpers with silver scuff plates, roof rails and black plastic underbody cladding.

Power comes from a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which develops 106 bhp and 138 Nm of torque. The motor is available with either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The drive is transferred to the front wheels.

The modern interior is finished in dual-tone black-brown color theme. The dashboard features a three-spoke steering wheel with controls for the music system, a simple instrument binnacle with an LCD multi-information display and tablet sized pop-up multimedia infotainment screen.