IAB Report - Mahindra S101 style Haval H1 baby SUV launched in China

14/11/2014 - 13:58 Haval H1, Haval Anjan Ravi

Powered by a 1.5L engine.

Great Wall Motors have launched their smallest crossover, the Haval H1, in China with prices ranging from 68,900 yuan to 82,900 yuan (INR 6.92 lakhs to INR 8.33 lakhs). The H1 had its debut at the Chengdu Motor Show this year, and is reported to be based on the Great Wall C20R.

Great Wall Haval H1 side — The H1 measures a mere 3.9 meters in length.

The compact H1 measures 3,898 mm in length, 1,729 mm in width, 1,621 mm in height and 2,560 in wheelbase. It comes powered by a 1.5-liter naturally aspired petrol engine developing 106 bhp and 138 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission is offered on the H1, which is purely a front wheel drive car.

In essence, the H1 is a jacked up hatchback designed to look like a compact SUV. What makes it look more SUV like are the larger wheel arches, the redesigned doors, but mainly the beefed up front fascia.

Great Wall Haval H1 interior — The dual tone interior is packed with features like an infotainment system, steering mounted controls, lane change assist and Bluetooth.

By giving it a bumper with a skid plate, a large chrome grille and a high bonnet, designers seem to have injected the 'SUV' DNA into the H1, which otherwise looks like a hatchback when viewed from the side or even the rear. This could be the route Mahindra will adopt for their new S101 which launches next year with an all-new monocoque platform.

Also read: Haval aims to surpass Jeep in SUV sales

Other features on the H1 include ESP, lane change assist, cruise control and Bluetooth.