It’s hard to hear the name of this SUV from GWM Haval without thinking about the word “jolly”.  Jolly isn’t a term we hear a lot when it’s not Christmas. However, this modern SUV is likely to be a good way to get your jollies, especially if you are looking for a new vehicle that’s got plenty of capacity for all the family. 

The GWM Haval Jolion is a small SUV, measuring 4.472 m long by 1.841 m wide by 1.574 m high.  However, good things come in small packages and size doesn’t always count (and it’s nice to be able to park in my supermarket’s underground park on a rainy day – which the Jolion will do with ease). All the same, the Jolion SUV has good seating for five and plenty of cargo space in the boot – which can be increased if you fold the rear seats down. In the Ultra and Lux variants, those front seats are definitely the place to be, as they’re heated. The Jolion Lux Hybrid has a shade less cargo space (390 litres rather than 430 litres in the minimum (seats up) configuration) because the battery pack needs to go somewhere in a compact SUV. This difference is roughly equal to a medium-sized hiking pack, so in everyday use, you may not notice the capacity difference between the hybrid and the variants that have only the 1.5-litre petrol engine. Roof rails as standard on all variants mean that the carrying capacity of this SUV can be increased further.

However, if you stack up the hybrid variant of the GWM Haval Jolion against its petrol-powered pals, the hybrid has a bit more zest to it thanks to the combination of two engines. When both of them are working together, the hybrid has a maximum power output of 139 kW (110 kW from the electric motor and the remaining 70 kW from the petrol-powered unit), and the torque maxes out at a juicy 375 Nm (250 Nm from the electric motor and 125 Nm from the petrol one). However, the straight turbocharged ICE equivalent sees the power curve peak at 110 kW in the range from 5600–6000 rpm while the maximum available torque is 220 Nm across 2000–4400 rpm.  Either way, the braked towing capacity of the GWM Haval Jolion is 1500 kg (so you could tow a polar bear if you wanted/needed to, which sounds like a particularly quirky creative writing prompt). Regarding the unbraked towing capacity, the hybrid could tow more in theory (750 kg) than the ICEs (710 kg), but we really don’t recommend towing with the electric motor only, as this is one way to shorten the battery’s lifespan.

The ICE variants have a 7-speed automatic transmission system that talks to the drivetrain. Speaking of the drivetrain, the GWM Haval Jolion is a 2WD SUV but it has a number of useful driving modes that you can select, including Snow driving mode as well as more familiar modes (Normal, Sports and Eco).

Because it’s been designed as a family-friendly SUV, the GWM Haval Jolion has safety features and driver aids galore.  We’re not just talking about things like the airbags, which it certainly has (front, side, centre and curtain), along with the pretensioned seatbelts, the electronic stability program, traction control and brakes with the works (braking assistance, brake override, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist function); we’re talking about a lot more. The 2023 GWM Haval Jolion features secondary collision mitigation (stops the vehicle careening off and hitting something else if it’s been in a crash), roll movement intervention, hill descent control, hill start assistance, emergency lane keeping (which has the acronym ELK – that’s got to be on purpose!), rear crossing traffic alert, rear crossing traffic braking, forward and rear collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance and lane changing assistance.  The door open warning is something I quite like, but I have questions about the camera-based driver drowsiness detection system.  For example, will it work for someone with darker skin tones? Can I test my acting skills by trying to fool it?  Will it mistake singing loudly for yawning? 

Anyway, to return to the driver aids, the 2023 Haval Jolion has my favourite: rear parking assistance and a rear view camera (in the base variant, the Premium) or a 360-degree camera (in all the other variants), along with intelligent dodge function, adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, traffic sign recognition, a heads-up display (in the Ultra and Ultra Hybrid), and more. 

Reading the list of driver aids and safety features in the 2023 GWM Jolion may be exhausting, but driving it certainly isn’t.

The designers at Great Wall Motors have also had comfort in mind, and have ensured that the interior isn’t just practical but stylish as well.  All variants except the entry-level Premium have a 7-inch instrument cluster in full colour (the Premium’s is half the size). The Premium and Lux have 10.35-inch touchscreen infotainment systems that play nicely with the Bluetooth integration as well as with Apple Carplay and Android Auto; the size of the touchscreen increases to 12.3 inches in the Ultra and Ultra Hybrid. USB chargers are provided front and rear, and the Ultra also has wireless charging ability. 

Style-wise, the 2023 GWM Haval Jolion is a thoroughly modern SUV with classy LED lights on all variants except the Premium.  Roof rails and a shark fin aerial come as standard, and the Ultra throws in a panoramic sunroof as well. Sitting proudly on attractive 17-inch alloy wheels (18 inches in the Ultra and Ultra Hybrid), and with plenty of chrome accents here and there, the 2023 Jolion has the strong, chunky looks of a modern SUV – and features GWM’s signature LED lights (all models except Premium).  The entry-level body colour is plain white, with five metallic paint options available; the vivid green would have to be the most eye-catching of the selection.

In summary, if you want an SUV that’s got enough room for the family but without being too big and that has all the safety features, the GWM Haval Jolion is… jolly good!

The 2023 GWM Haval Jolion models include:

• Jolion Premium
• Jolion Lux
• Jolion Ultra
• Jolion Ultra Hybrid

For any more information on the new 2023 GWM Haval Jolion or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181.  If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of GWM/Haval dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!