HAVAL H9 AND ITS COMPETITORS!?

My personal acquaintance with this manufacturer happened back in 2016 and just with the H9. Then, even in the first petrol version. It was my second Chinese car. However, the differences from the first are so great that it makes no sense to even name them.
I don't know if I was the first to drive to St. Petersburg on the H9 then… I don’t think so. But definitely one of the first. In any case, cars of this brand were very rare on our roads and I have not seen a single H9. Moreover, this is one of the few cars that aroused genuine interest among passers-by, wherever I went. Parking lots, car washes, gas stations. There was even a funny story at one of the gas stations. A young couple in a dispute about the origin of this machine have already switched to raised voices, not paying attention to me, who is nearby. And there was no China in their versions. Surprise on the faces after I resolved this one – the dispute should have been photographed. It would make a great meme.

There were questions about that H9, but in general I was quite pleased with the car. We had a great ride and all my fishing while I rode the H9 proved to be extremely productive. Which, although it does not characterize the car in any way, but adds positive emotions from the trip.

In addition to a number of technical issues, the main question for the brand representation that I had from the very beginning: where is the diesel? Large frame SUV without diesel? Why do you need such a car, if you do not carry a boat, snowmobile, ATV, etc.? Then colleagues promised: soon everything will be. And they didn't cheat. Diesel soon appeared, and a few years later I again came to the Haval dealership to pick up an updated version of the H9 with this diesel engine…

About copies and replicas.
I must say that the topic of copying or, as they are also called “replicas”, is much more relevant in the fishing environment. Where some companies and brands do not shy away from frank copying or imitation of successful models of more famous brands. This applies mainly to fishing lures. It is possible to relate to such a phenomenon in different ways. Vote, ultimately, the ruble.
There are not many such obvious imitations in the automotive world. But the machines and the “deserved brands” also have enough in common. Suffice it to recall the “replica” from Mercedes on the BMW X6. By the way, the designer who drew the Haval lineup is the same guy who came up with the X6. And in general, when people say in cliches: a Chinese car, this immediately betrays their “near football” origin. Since 100% Chinese in the car is only the brand itself and its headquarters. All components and assemblies have a very different origin. But back to “copies”.

It would be foolish to deny the similarity with one of the most popular cars among anglers – Toyota LC Prado. The machines have some external differences, but still the configuration and external features are very similar.
It is logical that it is compared with Prado the most. But here's the catch. If we put the already mentioned X6 and its alter ego from Mercedes, the cars also have some visual differences. And fans of each brand throw in a dozen “very significant” differences that distinguish the brand in taste.
However, this comparison will be quite objective. The status of the brand, the status of each car is approximately the same. And a person who is not a fan of one of them (which is actually a rarity) may well choose based on some technical data.
In the case of Prado and H9, it is difficult for me to imagine a situation where a person who was considering buying a Prado decides to save “a little”. At the time of this writing, the cost of Haval H9 in this configuration is about 2.6 million conventional units. Whereas for Prado with a similar set of options, it will be at least 4.6 million. Obviously, these cars are not competitors to each other and comparing them from the position of “which is better” looks ridiculous!
I do not consider used and new options due to the specificity of buying a bush machine. The comparison is inherently incorrect. As well as the idea: better a class higher, but “empty”! Like: I'd rather ride on a “handle-rag”, but everyone around them sees that my car is cool. Is this not idiocy? However, to each his own!

So H9 is by no means a competitor to the Japanese, despite their external similarities. Regardless of the fact that technically it can be no worse. However, I can't say for sure. Is that, in terms of the feeling of control.
If there is anyone to oppose to the H9, it is another Japanese from Mitsubishi – Pajero Sport. Conceptually, they also have a lot in common, about the same price category. I have experience with this machine. I drove it for a little over a month. And I could express my opinion, but it will be subjective and may even be biased. Therefore, it will not help you much in this choice!
The main problem of such comparisons is extremely simple. I voiced it from the very beginning: a biased attitude towards Chinese cars. And if a person is determined to buy a purebred Japanese, he is unlikely to look in the direction of “some kind of China.” Regardless of the “stuffing” and some objective data. I knew this before and received confirmation in the comments to articles about other Chinese-made cars.
Fortunately for me, I am free from all these prejudices. I am an opponent of comparative tests and I can afford to consider absolutely any car. Focusing on only two parameters: its intended purpose (it is a frame SUV or an urban crossover) and the price category (“height” of those requirements that can be made based on the cost of the car).

Why do I not accept direct comparisons? Everything is simple. If you put 5 cars of the same price category and approximate purpose (class), then the first assessment that will cut off the most part is the attitude (loyalty) to the brand and the perception of the external appearance of the car itself. In our case, this may have a manifestation: I don’t care what kind of “China” there is, I’d rather ride a “purebred Japanese”.
I don't care how fast and passable it is, if the car looks ugly and awkward to me! Or, if I feel the status of one brand is less significant than another. It may seem ridiculous and absurd, but I even know a man who sold his BMW (which he was completely satisfied with) after seeing a meme that talked about the sexuality of the owners of this brand. No matter what anyone says, loyalty to the brand and the origin of the brand is of great importance. And the Chinese auto industry will have to make great efforts to change these moods for a long time to come!

Driving H9.
I really love driving and I think that one of the most important parameters is how you feel behind the wheel of a particular car. How do you feel, how comfortable are you. How well do you feel about this car. Her size, her mood, if you will. And in this sense, the H9 has almost 100% hit!
Khaveylavtsy managed to fix the problem with the box, which was clearly dull in the first versions. The car, given the power and small engine size, is far from the “dynamic” characteristic. From the position of the owner of some Porsche Cayenne or Audi Q7. But if you make an “adjustment for the wind” and remember that, unlike those, this one is more utilitarian and created for slightly different conditions.
On the highway, Haval allows you to move without tension significantly exceeding all permissible limits. In order not to provoke unnecessary criticism, I can only say that on an empty and flat road, I overclocked the H9 to those values ​​​​in which it seems to be completely unacceptable to drive. In other words, it can be considered for long-distance travel, for example, to Europe, where highways are commonplace. True, it should be remembered that not every European city is happy with a car with a diesel engine.
Speeds of 130-140 – give the opportunity for tangible acceleration, if necessary. Which, given the power and volume, is not even bad at all.

Body configuration, visibility, generous and therefore very informative mirrors: provide maximum control over the situation. When towing a boat on a trailer, these are very important qualities.
Traveling often comes with bad weather. Rain, wind, snow. Given the dimensions, it is very important how firmly the car “stands on its feet”. I don't have any questions here either. Especially when you're dealing with a rut. Or passing trucks. I won’t say that Haval doesn’t react to this at all, but there is definitely no discomfort.
Pilot assists have also been tested and work great. Moreover, what pleases is the information content of the scoreboard and natively understandable settings. The car allows you to set not only the speed of the cruise control, but also to keep the distance in front of the driving car. Including automatic braking if necessary. It would seem: well, what nonsense, these options are already commonplace, like the all-round camera, for example. Yes, but if we are talking about a car of a higher class and a different price category. In this niche, only some crossovers are endowed with such “buns”. And even then, not all of them work quite clearly.

Even on the first version of the H9, I noticed how the “character” of the car changes when all sorts of mud and off-road modes are turned on. There are several such combinations in the settings. Here I should note that in the world of even thoroughbred SUVs, it often happens that the transfer of the selector to “off-road mode” is in no way felt on the behavior of the car itself. Turned on what? Here you can feel the redistribution of traction and the behavior of the car. And in general, the updated Haval H9 has become much more confident on a dirty and slippery road. I have no doubt that if you put it on the appropriate wheels, you can go quite far. If only the tractor was somewhere nearby. But even on road tires, I easily overcame all the obstacles on the way to the places I wanted to visit. In one of the places, in order to get to the desired point, I even had to overcome a small ditch, dug by “caring” citizens. With the aim, apparently, to limit the passage along forest roads to the place where the boat can be launched. Under the same conditions, the car required special maneuverability, which, given its size, could be a difficult task. But no! Jewelry “manipulation” between the trees, avoiding obstacles did not cause trouble. Haval is quite maneuverable and is able to turn around even in a very limited space.

In terms of fuel consumption. It can not be called very low. On average, it is 10-12 l / 100, depending on the conditions. I am glad that the car is not too sensitive to changes in speed. Simply put, if you were driving exactly 90-100 and suddenly need to speed up, the computer does not immediately respond to these changes. And in general, up to 130-140 km / h, the consumption only reaches average values ​​u200bu200bof about 11 liters. But if it's faster… however, it's impossible by law, and therefore there's nothing to talk about it.
Finally, light. In my opinion, this is also a very important parameter from the position of a lover of travel and long trips. There can't be too much light. The light must certainly illuminate not only the road in front of the car, but also the curb. Given the passion of wild animals to cross the road at night. This time I will be brief – solid offset!

H9 through the eyes of an angler!
According to my feelings and impressions of riding this car, I found myself thinking that the Haval H9 can easily be called one of the best options for an angler's car. Especially in this price range.
The car is objectively quite nice and definitely not ugly. The main claims against Haval are only that this is China, which means “a priori” gov… bad! But no one in their right mind would argue that he is ugly. Still, it's almost a copy of everyone's favorite Prado.
The configuration and volume of the trunk, interior space. Control comfort, overview. All those epithets that you could hear about Prado are relevant here in the same volume and quantity. The ability of the car not only to wade through bumps, but to drag a cart with a boat there is the main advantage over purely road crossovers.

Questions cause only the origin of the brand. prejudiced attitude towards it. Well, here… what to say. No means no. Reliability. A parameter in the absence of which the haters of the Chinese auto industry indiscriminately blame everyone who has a residence permit in the Middle Kingdom. Here I will say the following. I have no objective data. They only appear over time. Some one-time stories can be found in relation to any car. And it is worth digging deeper, as it turns out that not everything is so simple. Of course, those couple of months that I drove this car are not enough to determine its real motor resource. It cannot be argued that the car is reliable and strong. But the opposite cannot be said either! And while this car is fresh, it makes me extremely positive emotions!

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photo by the author (c)