
With petrol prices consistently making headlines this year, finding ways to cut down on those costly trips to the pump seems more crucial than ever.
Luckily, the South African vehicle market has its fair share of hybrid models to choose from, all of which promise to deliver excellent fuel returns.
Two such models come from Haval with its newest vehicle – a hybrid version of its popular H6 SUV starting at R669,950 – and Toyota, with its own RAV4 Hybrid starting at R676,700.
This is what you can expect when purchasing either of these fuel-efficient SUVs.
Engines
Under the H6’s hood is a 1.5-litre turbocharged powertrain, which is hooked up to an electric motor to provide a net power output of 179kW and 530Nm.
Gear changes are then handled by a two-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT), sending power to the front wheels to provide a combined fuel consumption of 5.2l/100km.
Haval has not listed the SUV’s top speed, but its acceleration from 0-100km/h is clocked at 8.5 seconds.
Also included on the H6 are drive modes for Standard, Eco, Sport, and Snow, as well as three dynamic steering settings.
Moving to the Toyota, power is provided by a 2.5-litre drivetrain linked to a rear-mounted electric motor to generate a total of 163kW, 16kW less than the Haval.
However, the automaker has not provided the official torque figure of any of its hybrids due to the complexities of the powertrain, listing the RAV4 as having “221+e Nm”.
For the transmission, Toyota has opted for a CVT to connect the all-wheel-drive system to the engine, and the end result is a slightly better fuel consumption over the H6 of 4.8l/100km.
Acceleration, meanwhile, is handled in 7.8 seconds, and top speed is pegged at 180km/h. Three driving modes are also on offer in this SUV, comprising Normal, Sport and Eco.
Features
Starting with the equipment found on both vehicles, buyers can expect keyless entry with push-button start, electronically adjustable heated and ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, automatic LED headlights, daytime running lights, rain-sensing wipers, rear park distance control, hill assist, cruise control, and an infotainment unit with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Looking at the Toyota specifically, it also offers partial leather upholstery, lumbar support for the driver, 18-inch alloys, a rear-view camera, a 7-inch media screen, and Toyota Connect for in-car WiFi.
The Haval, on the other hand, has a larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen, 19-inch alloys, artificial leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, a heads-up display, a fully-digital 10.25-inch driver’s cluster, front park distance control, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera system.
The H6 HEV also has a longer list of driver assistance programmes than the RAV4 GX-R, shipping with automatic parking, autonomous emergency braking, traffic jam assist, reverse memory assistance, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-assist with departure warnings.
Pricing
The Haval H6 1.5T HEV Ultra Luxury has a South African starting price of R669,950.
Each unit is sold with a 5-year/100,000km warranty, a 5-year/60,000km service plan, and an 8-year/150,000km hybrid battery warranty.
The Toyota RAV4 2.5 Hybrid GX-R E-Four has a South African starting price of R676,700.
This includes a 3-year/100,000km warranty, a 6-year/90,000km service plan, and an 8-year/195,000km battery warranty.