CHEAPER than EVER! 2025 GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid review (Jolion Pro HEV)
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00:00This is the new generation GWM Haval Jolian Hybrid.
00:04It's got a new look, a new body on top in fact, but the same powertrain as before, and
00:09the same interior too.
00:11So is it a good hybrid?
00:12Well it is a cheap hybrid, in fact the prices have just dropped.
00:15So let me tell you all about it in this review.
00:17If you've already subscribed, thanks very much, let's get to it.
00:25Pricing for this new generation Jolian Hybrid range has actually dropped, and that is good
00:30news for consumers.
00:31In fact there's a new entry level version available, it starts at just $32,990 drive
00:38away.
00:39So it's actually not that much more than what you'd pay for an MG3 hybrid hatchback, but
00:43a very different proposition to that kind of car.
00:46Now $32,990 drive away, that's an assertive price point, but there have been some corners
00:51cut in order to achieve that price.
00:53It gets halogen headlights on the base model, don't love that, should have LEDs in my opinion.
00:59It also gets a torsion beam rear suspension instead of the more sophisticated multi-link
01:04system that you get in the higher grade versions.
01:06And you also miss out on a couple of speakers on the inside, it's got a four speaker sound
01:09system and a smaller driver info screen as well.
01:12But you're still getting really good features like 17 inch alloy wheels and a 10.25 inch
01:16screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
01:19You get cloth seat trim as well, so it's not necessarily feeling as special as if you
01:23spend a bit more and get into the Luxe grade which is the mid-spec model, it's still a
01:28pretty assertively priced car, and in fact $1,000 cheaper than it was before.
01:33And it gets things like LED lights at the front, you get a fake leather interior trim,
01:38and you're also getting heated front seats and a bigger touchscreen media system, still
01:44with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
01:47And it looks and feels a bit more special, I reckon.
01:49And then there's this one here which is the Ultra, the high spec version, which adds even
01:54more for your money.
01:56Things that you will really like, like the panoramic glass roof.
01:59You also get cooled front seats which adds to the niceness factor on warm days.
02:04You get electric driver's seat and passenger seat adjustment, but still no memory settings
02:09in this car.
02:10And while all versions do come with a push button start system and keyless entry, it's
02:16only on the driver's side door, and that means that it can be a little bit less practical
02:20than some other cars in this segment which might have proximity unlocking where you just
02:24walk up to the car and it unlocks all the doors for you, or some of them have keyless
02:28entry on all the doors.
02:30And also, no version of the Jolian Hybrid comes with an electric boot, which could be
02:34annoying for families who have their arms full all the time.
02:38I can relate.
02:39Alright, let's talk about some alternatives to this car, shall we?
02:44So if you're looking for a small SUV and you want it to be hybrid, well, there are
02:48a few options for you.
02:49Unfortunately, if you're shopping on this kind of budget, you can't consider the Toyota
02:53Corolla Cross because it is a bit more expensive, but there is the Yaris Cross which is smaller
02:58than this and also has a pretty frugal powertrain.
03:02In fact, the claimed fuel consumption is around 4 litres per 100km, and it is actually pretty
03:07achievable.
03:08Let me tell you, I've driven it a few times in the past and I really like the hybrid powertrain.
03:12It's pretty raspy, a little bit raucous at times, so not necessarily the most refined
03:18powertrain compared to this especially, but it does stack up pretty well in terms of spec
03:23and standard gear as well if you shop up higher in the range.
03:27The lower spec ones are a bit basic.
03:29What about something that isn't hybrid but is super-duper fuel efficient?
03:34How about the Volkswagen T-Cross?
03:36Now, pricing for it has just been updated a little bit more expensive because that's
03:41the facelifted version that's now available, and it does seem to be a pretty decent deal
03:46because you are getting a Volkswagen, and that means you're getting something that drives
03:50beautifully, and also has a real-world efficient turbo-petrol engine with a dual-clutch automatic
03:56transmission.
03:57So, it might not necessarily be ideal if you are looking to take a step into the world
04:01of electrification, but hey, you can get real-world fuel consumption around 5 litres per 100km
04:06for that car, and it's super practical as well.
04:09And there's a few different versions available too, including a sporty-looking one, which
04:12might suit your desires.
04:15And hey, if you are thinking electrification is where you're heading anyway, why take the
04:19middle ground and go with a hybrid and just go for something electric, well, I've got
04:23a couple of options you might want to consider.
04:25They aren't necessarily SUV-ish, but they are small, so the MG4 is one that I thoroughly
04:31recommend you go and check out.
04:33It might be a little bit austere on the inside, but it drives beautifully, and it starts at
04:37less than $40,000 drive away.
04:39And then there's the BYD Dolphin, which is kind of a slightly smaller model, and it does
04:45have a decent EV driving range, and plenty of wow factor to the interior.
04:50You might not love the interior, but it is a spacious place to sit for such a small car,
04:55has decent range, and it actually could be a really good companion for you and your family
04:59if you're looking for something that's very small and electric, and you plan to basically
05:03spend a lot of time in the urban environment.
05:05Now I've actually done a full detailed comparison test between the MG4 and the BYD Dolphin.
05:11Don't pay too much attention to the pricing in the video, which you'll find the link for
05:14in the description, because the prices have dropped for those as well.
05:18Isn't this a crazy world?
05:19Prices are dropping on cars.
05:21How good's that?
05:25This new version of the Jolian is built on the same platform as before, so it's got the
05:28same wheelbase, but it's wider across the body, and it's also a completely new body,
05:34so it's got a different length to it compared to the last one, and very different design
05:39as you can see for yourself.
05:40Now there are some elements of the design that I don't love, like these little flicks
05:43that you get across the body, and this black plastic finishing that runs around the body,
05:50and also at the back you've got those flicks as well, and I also really don't like this
05:54black rear spoiler.
05:56To me it just looks a little bit too try-hard, and in fact the gloss black finishing around
06:01the body of this car is not to my taste, but you tell me what you think in the comments.
06:05I actually think that the back end design looks pretty stylish, and apart from that
06:11rear diffuser at the bottom looking a little bit too sporty wannabe, but let's look in
06:16the boot.
06:17Like I said, no version comes with an electric tailgate, but you can see for yourself that
06:20there's a bigger issue here.
06:22It's the boot space.
06:24It is far smaller than the previous version of this car.
06:28Things have been reconfigured a little bit, so it does have a much smaller boot than the
06:31last generation version.
06:33You still don't get a spare wheel either, so look, it could be a big no-no for you if
06:38you are looking for a car that's more practical than this, but you do get a cargo cover in
06:42this spec, not in the base model, and in the back you get LED lights.
06:46There's also little storage sections on the side of the boot on both sides, and there
06:51is a shopping bag hook there as well, but it's sort of in the wrong spot because if
06:55you've got a bag of shopping it might not actually be held in place quite as well as
06:59it could be.
07:00So, what do you think about that?
07:01Is that going to be a deal-breaker for you?
07:03I think it might be for me and my family because it's not quite a big enough boot for the size
07:08of this car, in my opinion.
07:09And just have a look at this.
07:12What the hell is going on there?
07:14That is not nice.
07:19Now, if you own or have driven the existing version of the Jolene Hybrid, it's going to
07:23feel super-duper familiar to you in here because this interior has not changed compared to
07:29the previous version, not in any meaningful way anyway.
07:32And I mean, to a degree that's good, in some other ways, not so much.
07:37So let's talk about what you're getting as standard in this high-grade version.
07:41As I mentioned, you get the bigger touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay and Android
07:45Auto, but you have to plug in for it.
07:48It's not wireless, which is not ideal, and there are a bunch of menus upon menus in this
07:53screen that you will want to get used to.
07:55I'll tell you a little bit more about the safety settings in the driving section coming
07:59up.
08:00But look, it's not necessarily a feature-rich design, it is basic in some ways, and sort
08:08of going to be better if you're just using Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
08:12But you do have to do a fair bit through this screen, in fact.
08:15So if you want to have your adjustments to your temperature for your air conditioning
08:19or your fan speed, there are no buttons for that.
08:22So you have to go through the screen to adjust things like that, so you have to touch the
08:26screen for your fan speed, touch the screen for your temperature control, but there's
08:32also the option of saying those commands using voice control.
08:38I just never have any luck with it.
08:40It seems to always fail on me, and other people seem to think that it's the best thing that's
08:44ever happened to them.
08:45I don't know.
08:46You tell me what you think.
08:47Right, so you've also got a driver info screen as well.
08:51It has quite a bit of info on it available to you, but it's certainly not the most user-friendly
08:57experience in terms of controlling the menus on the screen.
09:01And to control elements of that screen, you use these controls on the steering wheel.
09:06These ones here.
09:07You've got your cruise controls there on the buttons now too, and your volume and tuning
09:12for your stereo on this side as well.
09:14So look, I don't think it's necessarily terrible, but it maybe could be a little bit better
09:20in some usability aspects.
09:22Now, there's one other thing right here that I want to talk about.
09:25This is your driver monitoring camera.
09:28So that has a little camera in there that keeps an eye on your eyes to make sure that
09:31you're paying attention.
09:32But it seems to get it wrong a lot.
09:35Now, one other thing I want to call out.
09:37This high-grade version now gets this ambient light stuff in the doors, and that will actually
09:42change colour when the music or a podcast is on.
09:47That might be something your kids love or you think is cool.
09:49Right, so what about practicality elements of this cabin?
09:52Look, there are a couple of good things.
09:55You've got a wireless phone charger in this grade.
09:57There's a couple of storage, I guess you'd call them channels almost.
10:01There's not really usable, those spaces.
10:03You've got the same rotary dial as before, and it doesn't have a stopper on it, so you
10:08could endlessly twirl it, and that gets a little bit annoying in my opinion.
10:12There's also a pair of cup holders between the seats, which you can cover up if you're
10:15not using them.
10:17And a covered centre console bin as well.
10:20Bottle holders are there in the doors.
10:23You've got a glove box, which is a reasonable size.
10:26And you've also got this fake leather interior trim, which does look pretty good and feel
10:32decent enough, I reckon.
10:35And above here, there's also a sunglasses holder as well.
10:40You've got your sunroof controls, because yes, this version does get the beautiful sunroof.
10:45Look at that beautiful blue sky day, isn't that nice?
10:48And you've also got an auto-dimming rear vision mirror as well.
10:51Vanity mirrors with lights too, so that's good to know.
10:55You can keep an eye on your appearance, and you can also keep an eye on what's happening
11:00on the road, because there's a dash cam plug up there.
11:03Yes, a USB plug, so you can connect up a dash cam without having messy cables everywhere.
11:08Oh, also, this version does come with a head-up display, which is great to see.
11:13Right, so, let's see if the backseat space is good too.
11:17This might be niche upon niche, but if you've got really tall teenagers, and you're looking
11:21for a tiny little car, well, this could be ideal for you.
11:25Look at this.
11:26I'm six foot tall, and I've got inches and inches of legroom in front of me.
11:31Heaps of footroom as well, with this seat set for my six foot driving position.
11:36And just have a look at the headroom as well.
11:38There is no issue in terms of headroom.
11:40If you're 6'4", 6'5", you're still fitting in the back of this car, even with this big
11:44panoramic glass roof, which does add some wow factor.
11:48So, yeah, in terms of backseat space, it's pretty good, I reckon.
11:52You've also got ISOFIX points in the window seats if you have younger ones, and also three
11:58top tether points.
12:00And also, I love the fact that this car gets a little Velcro cover for where you plug in
12:05your ISOFIX for your child seat, because it means less mess, right?
12:11There's also a flip-down armrest with cup holders in this spec, and I like the fact
12:15that you also get a pair of directional air vents, USB-A ports, which is a little bit
12:21backwards.
12:22Most cars have USB-C these days, and also there's a little storage tray down there.
12:27There's map pockets on the seat backs as well, and the spacing here is very, very good.
12:31You're also getting things like lights in the back here as well for reading, and grab
12:35handles too, which is good to see.
12:38And yes, it is a super, ridiculously practical backseat space for the size of this car.
12:45I just wish they'd prioritised a bit more boot space instead of backseat space.
12:49It would have made a lot of difference, I reckon.
12:54Under the bonnet of the GWM Haval Jolion is a 1.5-litre four-cylinder, non-turbocharged
13:00petrol engine, which teams up to an electric motor and a battery pack to offer pretty decent
13:06power and torque figures.
13:07You'll see the combined numbers on your screen now, and they are massive for a small SUV.
13:13Now, it isn't light is the other consideration here, so I'll put the weight on the screen
13:18for you.
13:19It has a dedicated hybrid transmission, which is a bit of a quirky transmission, I'll tell
13:23you a little bit more about that in the driving section, and it only comes as a front-wheel
13:27drive.
13:28If you're wondering, I'm going to put some towing details on your screen as well.
13:31Tell me what you think about those in the comments section.
13:37So, what's it like to drive the Haval Jolion Hybrid?
13:40Yeah, mostly pretty good.
13:42I mean, to a degree.
13:44There are some elements that really, really shit me about this car.
13:47Things like the safety systems, primarily, actually, it's primarily the safety systems
13:53that annoy me.
13:54They've got an over-sensitivity to them that really does make for a distracting and dislikable
14:02drive experience in a lot of different situations.
14:05And what I'm talking about mainly is this driver monitoring camera, which keeps an eye
14:11on your eyes and is supposedly designed to tell you when you're not paying attention,
14:17you're distracted or fatigued, but honestly, when you're just trying to be cautious and
14:23keep an eye on your surroundings, at times that can trigger the camera to beep and beep
14:27and beep, and it really, really gets on my nerves.
14:30You have to turn it off every single time you drive the car if you don't like it.
14:34And also, that's the same thing for the emergency lane-keeping, or keep-on-urgent, as the system
14:43calls it.
14:44It's just a poorly calibrated system, in my opinion.
14:48It's just a bit too pushy and really does make for a less-than-joyful drive experience,
14:55just because it's interventional and actually not as passive in terms of its integration
15:03as it probably could be to make this a more likeable drive experience.
15:07It's certainly not the absolute ideal when it comes to the drive experience and the safety
15:13technology implementation, but hey, if you're the sort of person who's stepping out of something
15:19that's much older and much less safe, you might actually find all those features to
15:23be actually quite likeable and quite enjoyable, but to me, spending just a little bit of time
15:29in this car already, nah, I don't like it.
15:34And that's my opinion, right?
15:35Okay, so what about other elements of this drive experience?
15:38Well, there is some good stuff, right?
15:41So you've got a pretty good powertrain, I have to say.
15:45This little 1.5 petrol electric unit is definitely well-catered to this sort of application.
15:52So what I'm enjoying about it is the way that it will switch between electric and petrol
15:57without too much fuss.
15:59Once it switches back to petrol, it makes a bit of noise, but that's to be expected
16:03in a lot of hybrid applications.
16:05But I have to say that it is pretty smooth in the way that it behaves.
16:10It's got a dedicated hybrid transmission, which is actually a two-speed auto, which
16:15is a bit weird.
16:16Sort of similar in the way it behaves to a CVT automatic, so it'll rev out a little bit
16:22more than you might expect it to when you put your foot down.
16:25But it does have a level of driving ease and enjoyment that you do not get if you buy the
16:31petrol-only versions of the Jolian, because they have a less-than-lovable dual-clutch
16:37transmission and a less-than-perfect turbo-petrol engine, which in combination with one another
16:44make for a dire drive experience in my opinion.
16:47I really don't like the petrol versions of this car to drive, but this one I'm actually
16:53much, much more open to.
16:56It is a far better drive experience.
16:58Just like with the Haval H6, the bigger model, I thought that the hybrid was better for it
17:03too.
17:04But that's not the case here in the Jolian, which is the smaller one.
17:07Right, so what about other elements of the drive experience?
17:11You might be surprised to learn that this has a really, really decent drive experience.
17:16It's got a long wheelbase and that means that it does have a smooth ride, which is great
17:22to see because in some other small SUVs they can feel pitchy and lumpy and bumpy, whereas
17:28this I'm going over my bumpy street, it's not actually my street, it's just a street
17:32near me that's lumpy and bumpy, and it does even things out nicely because it's got such
17:38a big gap between the wheels, it does have a coasting motion over lots of little inconsistencies
17:44in the surface, and I like that about it.
17:46And as for the steering, well, I have to say, it's not too bad.
17:49It's pretty honest in terms of the responsiveness and the weighting, and that means that it
17:55basically is pretty trustworthy in terms of its behaviour in corners.
18:00So, if you approach a corner with a bit too much pace, you can correct things pretty easily
18:05without it feeling like you don't have control.
18:08And it does have pretty decent tyres as well on this spec at least, I'm not sure about
18:12the base grade, they might have cheaped out on those as well.
18:15Yes, it does have a regen braking system of course, because it's hybrid, it doesn't have
18:19the same level of adjustability as some other cars out there, and there is no B mode, so
18:24you can basically strategise a bit more about your regen braking.
18:29It's just regen, it's just there, and it does have an effect on the drive experience to
18:35a degree, but it's not a huge effect like some other hybrids.
18:38And also, thankfully, it still has a pretty honest brake pedal feel, so when you put your
18:43foot down, there's no airiness to the pedal, it just actually grabs pretty quickly, and
18:47I like that.
18:48I think that for the most part, the hybrid powertrain does make for a more joyful, jollian
18:54experience than the petrol versions, and for those who are looking for something that
18:59does have the efficiency thing on its side, well maybe it will tick the box for you.
19:05Let me talk about efficiency now actually.
19:08Okay, on your screen you'll see the official combined cycle fuel consumption figure for
19:13the Jollian Hybrid model range, and that is just a smidge higher than the previous generation
19:18version.
19:19Strangely enough, it's gone up in fuel consumption, which is not ideal, I don't think.
19:24Now, in terms of real world fuel consumption, well I've had this car for a couple of days,
19:29I've done the usual stuff that I do in my test cars, urban driving, a bit of freeway
19:34and highway and open road, just to see what the car's like and live with it, how you might
19:39live with your car, and here's what I've seen.
19:42And look, I think that that's okay, but certainly not as efficient as something that you might
19:48see if you buy the Yaris Cross Hybrid, or the Corolla Cross Hybrid, or the Hyundai Kona
19:55Hybrid, or the Volkswagen T-Cross, or Skoda Kamiq, which are both non-hybrid but turbocharged
20:01and very, very efficient.
20:02Look, I just think that it does have hybrid technology as part of it, it's certainly powerful
20:08because of that hybrid tech, but it maybe isn't as efficient as I was expecting it to
20:13be in terms of real world fuel consumption numbers.
20:19The existing version of the Jolian Hybrid came with a maximum 5-star ANCAP safety rating
20:24from 2022, and I expect that that will carry over to this new version because, well, a
20:29lot of the stuff carries over, and it does have things that you would expect in 2024,
20:35and that does include some annoying tech, unfortunately.
20:38There is good stuff, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist and junction
20:43detection, there's adaptive cruise control, there's blind spot monitoring and rear cross
20:47traffic alert, reversing camera and parking sensors on the base model, and if you choose
20:51the Lux or the Ultra, you get a surround view camera as well.
20:55Now, the annoying stuff, well, there's a driver monitoring camera system which beeps and bongs
21:00and really is wrong in terms of telling you when you're not paying attention, apparently.
21:06There's also a speed sign recognition system, and the emergency lane keep system in this
21:10car really does get it wrong quite a bit.
21:12So it might not be ideal in terms of the implementation of that technology, but at least it has the
21:16gear, and it just means that you have to turn it off if it annoys you every single
21:20time you drive the car.
21:22And that annoys me.
21:24GWM offers a 7-year unlimited kilometre warranty, and if you're wondering about the hybrid battery
21:31pack, it does have a different warranty cover, you'll see the details on your screen now.
21:35Now, servicing is due every 12 months and 15,000km after the first service, which is
21:41a bit shorter just to make sure that everything is running as it should, and there's also
21:45a cap price servicing plan.
21:48For the first five years, you'll see the average cost on your screen now, and I think that's
21:51pretty good in terms of outlay per year for keeping your car on the road, and you also
21:57get five years of roadside assistance included too, which is nice.
22:03I have no doubt that this will appeal to people who are looking for a petrol-electric hybrid
22:08small SUV with plenty of features for not much money.
22:11It does stack up pretty well from that perspective, but the boot space and some of those safety
22:15features could really get on your nerves.
22:17Tell me what you think about it in the comments section below.
22:19Would you choose the new generation Jolian hybrid?
22:21Do you own the existing one?
22:22I'd love to hear from you, and if you haven't already, please hit like and subscribe and
22:26ring the bell to keep up to date with all of my reviews.
22:28I'll see you in the next one.
22:45Thanks for watching.