GWM confirms new Haval Raptor-based H7’s launch time
· Citizen
Initially thought to be launching in the final week of September, Great Wall Motors (GWM) South Africa has now announced an official time of the new Haval H7.
Visit afrikasportnews.co.za for more information.
Change of model
Teased on its social media pages throughout the last few weeks since premiering at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring last month, the second-generation H7 for South Africa switches models as it will no longer be based on what is known as the Haval Big Dog in China.
Instead, it will use the Raptor Menglong Plus as a base, a model derived from the Haval Raptor that has been on sale in the People’s Republic since 2023.
October arrival
Confirmed to be powered by either a conventional petrol engine, a self-charging hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, initial expectations had been on the H7 debuting before the end of September.
Responding, however, to a question on its Facebook page as to when sales will commence, the Baoding-based brand stated, “the wait is almost over! The new H7 is set to launch in October 2026”.
Dimensions
Soon to also go on sale in Australia, where it will replace the Big Dog-derived H7 as well, the H7, in accordance with the Raptor Menglong Plus, has the following dimensions:
- Length: 4 912mm;
- Wheelbase: 2 850mm;
- Height: 1 905mm;
- Width: 1 950mm.
It remains to be seen whether it will come with the option of seven seats, as it will in Australia, or only provide seating for five.
ICE, HEV or PHEV
As previously alluded to, the three engine options will start with the combustion unit, which could develop the same outputs as in the outgoing H7.
This means 170kW/380Nm from the 2.0 T-GDI, which will most likely go to the front or all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
For the self-charging HEV hybrid, the H7 will use the smaller 1.5 T-GDI combined with a 1.53-kWh battery pack.
While currently producing 179kW/530Nm, reports from Down Under allege this could be raised to 182kW/670Nm. A Dedicated Hybrid Transmission (DHT) will again be the sole option.
Finally, the plug-in hybrid, as shown at Kyalami, will wear the Hi4 moniker and combine the 1.5 T-GDI with a 33.7-kWh battery that powers two electric motors.
A set-up that makes the H7 all-wheel drive from the start, GWM claims a total output of 320kW/750Nm, an all-electric range of 137km and a combined 844km with the combustion engine included.
Stay tuned
For the moment, GWM Haval South Africa has provided no further details of an actual launch date, though expectations are that an announcement will soon be made soon.
Additionally, the new H7 is set to be pricier than the outgoing model, whose stickers currently range from R604 950 to R734 950.