2022 HAVAL Official Lineup

First impressions and why did you buy?

Why did we buy Haval Jolion, and not “Koreans” KIA Seltos or Hyundai Creta, and not other “Chinese”: Geely Coolray, Chery Tiggo 4, Changan CS35? There will be a small comparison below … But, firstly, we were just lucky with the car dealership – the car was supposed to arrive any day, that is, in fact, it was in stock and not “dumped” … They didn’t impose “special stages” on us either – we chose that what we need. Relatively reasonable price. And the subjective advantages outweigh the disadvantages

Flawswhich we knew about before the purchase, but did not consider them critical:

• Low ground clearance – about 17-18 cm under crankcase protection.
• The long low “beak” of the front bumper, and therefore a very small angle of entry, well, it’s better to park backwards – good, the rear bumper is high, and the exit angle by eye reaches 35-40 °.
• The absence of off-road unpainted plastic moldings on the wheel arches, sills and front bumper.
• Small trunk space.

Advantagesfor which we immediately fell in love with Haval Jolion after the first meeting and test drive:

• Very stylish and functional LED optics.
• Serious, to some extent brutal, not teenage and at the same time not old-fashioned exterior design (appearance), subjectively by itself
• Very solid modern interior design and quality of interior materials.
• Impressive dimensions and wheelbase, and therefore just a huge space in the cabin for its class!
• Comfortable seats, and not only the front ones, but also extremely rear ones, which is very important for us on long journeys with children!
• Flat floor at the foot of the second row of seats (in the all-wheel drive version – a small ledge) and a flat floor of the trunk when folding the backs of the second row of seats.
• Soundproofing is quite decent for its class, especially the engine compartment.
• Pleasant handling.

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What are you frowning at?

In front, the F7x practically duplicates the F7, although most of the body parts of the coupe version of the crossover are their own. “X” is 35 mm lower and 5 mm shorter than the standard model. Chopped forms and a “frown” to face this crossover. Excessive angularity of the design may not be entirely appropriate on the F7, but on a model with beveled C-pillars it does not hurt the eyes.

The car has full LED optics with a complex geometry of headlights and lanterns. Sweepingly drawn wheel arches, together with short overhangs, create the effect of a raised body. Wheelbase F7x – 2725 mm. This is more than many D-class crossovers, to which the model is formally assigned.

There is only one angle from which the novelty looks unsuccessful – strictly behind. From any other angle, the SUV will please the eye of those who love coupe-like SUVs. Although many car enthusiasts do not like this body type, and they consider the BMW X6 the ugliest model from Munich. They, of course, will not go in and the appearance of this “Haveil”.

In Belarus, practicality is still more valuable than style, and here the regular F7 sells better than the F7x. Let’s see what happens after parish versions with a 1.5-liter engine. Until recently, the model was only available with a 2-liter turbo engine. The test car is in the maximum configuration, with all-wheel drive and 19-inch wheels. At the base, the wheels have a diameter of 17 inches, and the drive is only on the front axle.

Objective pros and cons of operation

What do many “professional reviewers” ​​say on their YouTube channels? One pretentious blogger, for some reason comparing Haval Jolion with cars a couple of classes higher and 2-3 times more expensive, starts to scold insufficient dynamics, control accuracy, suspension tuning flaws, sound insulation, or corny can’t guess that a small “cup holder” has the central armrest – not for a cup of coffee, but for a 0.5 plastic bottle or a 0.3 metal can of soda… he cannot comfortably sit in the driver’s seat and push the steering wheel out, which is basically impossible in his case, and the reason here is not at all in the car.

It’s good that I didn’t pay any attention to such “reviews”, because they have nothing to do with objectivity! Yes, there are minor “jambs” – nitpicking on suspension, handling, ergonomics, but in its B-class and even comparing it with most C-class crossovers a step higher, Haval Jolion in almost all parameters and sensations is a very worthy car and the best ratio price/quality! Especially, in the current sanctions conditions in which Russia is now…

Of the real small minuses and nit-picking:

• As stated in almost all the reviews, the electronic “washer” of the gear shift is not fixed in the extreme positions R and D / M – this is really not very convenient.
• Yes, with modern LED backlights for the first row of seats and in the trunk, antediluvian yellowish incandescent backlights for the second row of seats and in the mirrors of the sun visors look archaic to say the least.
• You can not turn on the interior lighting separately for the driver or front passenger, only both lamps at once.
• The steering wheel is adjustable only in height, and not in reach, but I personally didn’t have any inconvenience in the case of Haval Jolion – I always sit in the car at the maximum arm’s length from the steering wheel.
• Relatively small trunk.
• “Dokatka” instead of a full-size “reserve”.
• Imperfect handling of bumps in the suspension.
• Minor flaws in the ergonomics of the location of the door lock buttons and heated front seats.
• In the maximum Premium package: a dim display of a digital instrument panel, as well as a shiny lacquered touch pad of buttons under the display with the possibility of accidental pressing when touched, on which, moreover, the indication is glaring and hard to see.
• Found one small “bug” You will not be able to listen to music by turning off the engine and locking the central lock … The car “thinks” that you have left and closed the doors with the key, which means that music is not supposed to sound But with the engine turned off and the doors unlocked – please!

Most of these shortcomings are easy for the manufacturer to fix, and some have already been fixed since 2021. The model has already experienced a facelift (small update) in the spring of 2022, but this is still the first generation of Jolion I. If in the second generation of Jolion II, manufacturers will listen to customers and make improvements, it will be great!

And now the pros:

• Appearance and interior design.
• Affordable price and adequate official dealers.
• Large wheelbase.
• Space in the cabin, especially for rear passengers.
• Convenience and front and rear seats.
• A flat floor at the feet of the rear passengers and the trunk with the seats folded down.
• Decent soundproofing, especially the engine compartment.
• Clear and almost imperceptible gear shifting “robot”.
• Very high-quality sound of the Harmann audio system and the operation of the multimedia system as a whole.

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