Great Wall Motors (GWM) is one of the leading brands in South Africa when it comes to fuel-efficient conscious transport, as every vehicle in its stable is now available in either hybrid or fully electric guise.
Hybrids are quickly becoming a staple of the South African auto scene as households try to reduce monthly expenses, including costly fuel bills.
In a recent New Energy Vehicle Buyer’s Report published by AutoTrader, 49% of respondents said that they would “likely” buy a hybrid as their next car, while another 25% said it was “very likely” showing strong interest for the class of vehicle.
GWM is therefore one of several carmakers trying to capitalize on this demand by rolling out a hybrid option for every car at its disposal in South Africa.
The Chinese firm recently launched the new P500 bakkie, completing the P-Series roster with a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) flagship.
In total, GWM and its subsidiary Haval now offer six different hybrid or electric options across all of their models – an achievement that was previously exclusive to Volvo with its electrified SUV catalogue (excluding electric-only badges like BYD).
The difference is that GWM’s selection is far more varied, comprising a hatchback, bakkie, crossover, and several Adventure SUVs.
It’s also more affordable, relatively speaking, as the Haval Jolion HEV is the second-cheapest hybrid in the country after the Toyota Corolla Cross at R516,950.
Similarly, the Ora is the third-most affordable battery-electric car in South Africa following the Dayun Yuehu and BYD Dolphin, clocking in at R686,950.
That being said, it’s worth noting that the HEV powerplants are reserved for the flagships of their respective series, which raises the barrier to entry considerably.
Another consequence of their range-topping status is that the hybrid units tend to prioritize performance over efficiency, particularly on the Tank SUVs and the P500, which boast an impressive 255kW and 648Nm output thanks to the electric motor helping the petrol engine.
However, this comes at the cost of fuel consumption, as the Tanks and the P500 still consume at least 8.4l/100km despite their electric underpinnings.
On the other hand, the Jolion and H6 have a far more reasonable thirst of 5.1l/100km, meaning they arguably benefit the most from the technology if fuel savings are what you are most interested in.
Electrified options
These are all of the GWM and Haval hybrid and electric cars that you can buy in South Africa.
Click on the underlined prices for more information.
Haval Jolion Pro 1.5 HEV Ultra Luxury
- Fuel consumption – 5.1l/100km
- Tank size – 55 litres
- Range – 1,078km
- Power – 140kW/375Nm
- Starting price – R516,950
Haval H6 1.5T HEV Ultra Luxury
- Fuel consumption – 5.2l/100km
- Tank size – 60 litres
- Range – 1,154km
- Power – 179kW/530Nm
- Starting price – R679,950
GWM Ora 03 300 Super Luxury
- Power consumption – 16.5kWh/100km
- Battery size – 48kWh
- Range – 310km
- Power – 126kW/250Nm
- Starting price – R686,950
GWM Tank 300 2.0T HEV Super Luxury 4×4
- Fuel consumption – 8.4l/100km
- Tank size – 80 litres
- Range – 952km
- Power – 180kW/380Nm
- Starting price – R851,950
GWM P500 2.0T HEV double cab Ultra Luxury 4×4
- Fuel consumption – 9.8l/100km
- Tank size – 80 litres
- Range – 816km
- Power – 255kW/648Nm
- Starting price – R999,900
GWM Tank 500 2.0T HEV Ultra Luxury 4×4
- Fuel consumption – 8.5l/100km
- Tank size – 80 litres
- Range – 941km
- Power – 255kW/648Nm
- Starting price – R1,222,900
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