The salary you need to afford the new Haval H6 in South Africa

Households looking to purchase the new Haval H6 will need a combined income of at least R54,000 per month in order to afford one on a finance plan, according to a calculation by TopAuto.

The Chinese automaker recently launched the facelifted H6 in South Africa, which is available in seven specifications with prices ranging from R495,500 to R799,900.

There are three engines to choose from, starting with a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol plant good for 170kW and 380Nm.

This is paired with a nine-speed automatic gearbox, which connects to either the front or all four wheels, depending on the model.

Its fuel consumption then works out to between 7.4l/100km and 8.3l/100km, depending on whether the front-wheel-drive (FWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) version is selected.

Next up is the HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), which combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol mill with a small electric motor.

The HEV generates 179kW and 530Nm, and consumes 5.2l/100km.

It is FWD only, and used a dedicated hybrid transmission.

The final option is the range-topping GT plug-in hybrid (PHEV), which pairs the 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with a significantly more powerful e-motor.

This gives the PHEV a total of 321kW and 762Nm, letting it sprint to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds.

It also has a 34.5kWh battery, which affords an electric driving range of 180km.

Haval claims the GT consumes just 0.8l/100km, but this assumes that drivers will rely on the electric mode for most of their trips.

In terms of features, the base Luxury trim comes with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, roof rails, keyless entry and start, a multifunction steering wheel, a 50W wireless phone charger, leatherette upholstery, a six-way electronically adjustable drivers seat, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, a 10.25-inch digital driver display, eight speakers, and a 14.6-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and voice commands.

Additionally, the H6 has an driver aid suite with adaptive cruise control, traction control, hill assist, tyre pressure monitoring, a speed limiter, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist, front and rear parking sensors, and a 540-degree camera.

The higher-spec units will then add a panoramic sunroof, a hands-free tailgate, a heated leatherette steering wheel, stainless steel sill plates, heated and ventilated front seats with memory settings, a nine-speaker stereo, a heads-up display, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and an automated parking assistant.

Each model is sold with a 7-year/200,000km warranty and a 7-year/75,000km service plan, with an additional 8-year/150,000km battery warranty for the hybrids.

What you need to earn

We can use the following formula to work out the monthly payments on the new Haval:

• Car price – R495,500/R799,900
• Payment term – 60 terms (5 years)
• Interest – 10.75%
• Deposit – 0%
• Balloon – No balloon payment
• Extras – No optional extras

According to this, you’ll need to pay at least R10,807 per month for the Luxury, and up to R17,387 per month for the flagship GT PHEV.

Financial experts then recommend that you do not spend more than 20% of your gross monthly salary on vehicle payments.

This means you’ll need to earn anywhere from R54,035 per month to R86,935 per month to afford the H6 on a finance plan.

Note that this figure does not account for insurance, fuel, and maintenance, which must all be factored into your budget.