Test drive Haval F7
The Chinese call the new Haval F7 crossover an alternative to Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and Mazda CX-5. Hawala has a catchy appearance and a good range of options, but the price was not the most attractive
Haval has big plans in Russia: the Chinese have opened a huge plant in the Tula region, investing $ 500 million in it. Several models will be assembled there, including the F7 all-wheel drive crossover. Moreover, with this model, the brand does not want to compete with other Chinese brands, but puts it on a par with Koreans. We are figuring out whether there is a reason for this, and trying to understand how the Haval F7 can surprise the Russian buyer in general.
The design of Chinese cars has become difficult to criticize lately, and the F7 is no exception. The crossover definitely has its own face, albeit with a screaming nameplate almost in the entire radiator grille. Correct proportions, a minimum of chrome - is this really Chinese?
Salon F7 is decorated with high quality, no complaints. For a test drive, we were given a top-end version with a multimedia system with a touchscreen 9-inch display, which supports the technologies for integrating smartphones Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In the list of equipment: parking sensors, a four-camera all-round vision system, and also adaptive cruise control. There are warning systems for a possible frontal collision and automatic braking.
The seats, even in the most expensive version, are upholstered in eco-leather, but there is an electric adjustment of the driver's seat in six directions. A nice bonus is the huge glass roof. From the basic version, electric heating of mirrors, a windshield in the rest zone of the wiper blades and rear window is provided.
At first, unobvious design solutions and a confusing tidy menu were confusing. Questions arose about ergonomics as soon as the smartphone needed to be charged. The search for USB in the most logical places did not give anything - by some miracle, we managed to find the connector on the right in a niche under the central tunnel. But since the USB is low, you can only reach it from the driver's seat by fully crawling under the steering wheel. There is no passenger access to the port at all.
Another controversial topic is the multimedia system. They decided to turn the monitor strongly towards the driver. The reception is justified, but the interface seems to have been forgotten. To find the function you need, you have to go through the settings properly, which means there is a great risk of being distracted from the road. In general, you need to be prepared for the fact that at first it will take a long time to get used to the menu.
A crossover with a large trunk? Great, it really fits in an impressive belongings for four travelers, but I would like to press the button rather than to lower the tight fifth door with difficulty. There is no blind spot sensor in the rear-view mirrors - this is also strange, especially given that competitors have this option. Even in the maximum configuration for $ 23. separate climate control is not provided.
Another thing is the general perception of the car. It seems that yesterday we criticized the Chinese for an unpleasant smell in the cabin, cheap materials and strange design solutions. Now we scold them for the lack of expensive options and complain about the inconvenient menu of the multimedia system. The Chinese in general and Haval in particular have taken a colossal step forward, and the F7 is a vivid example of how the crossover from the Middle Kingdom is already competing with Korean classmates. Almost on an equal footing.
The Haval F7 has decent dynamics: during the test, the 2,0-liter engine (190 hp) was enough with a margin. The dynamics of acceleration to 100 km / h is not declared, but it feels like it is in the region of 10 seconds. How the 1,5-liter 150-horsepower engine will behave is an open question: there were no such cars on the global test drive.
On the fly, the F7 is not bad, but there are a few nuances. First, the steering wheel lacks feedback. Moreover, it does not depend on the speed: the track, the city, the polygon - in any of the modes, the steering wheel is empty. Secondly, the brakes are slightly lacking in tenacity - this was admitted by the Chinese themselves, promising that they would still work with the settings.
But the seven-speed "robot" (the Chinese developed this box independently) pleased with logical switching and soft work. The F7 suspension is also well tuned. Yes, there is a clear emphasis on comfort, not handling. Haval is not annoying with its rigidity even on very bad asphalt: small potholes are almost not felt, and "speed bumps" are readily swallowed by the suspension. By the way, on high-quality off-road, where the car was shocked, it was comfortable to be both in front and behind.
The new Chinese crossover F7 rides well, is well-equipped and looks decent. It also has a well-tuned suspension, a cool gearbox and a comfortable interior. There is also not very good news: he is more expensive than his classmates.
Until the last minutes of the test drive, we did not even know the approximate prices. The listed price tag at the end is $ 18. could be a challenge for all major competitors, but that's the cost of the base version. The top crossover, meanwhile, was priced at $ 981.
For comparison, the Kia Sportage costs between $ 18 and $ 206. But this does not take into account the cost of additional options, while in the Haval F23 they are already sewn into the configuration, and the starting prices for the Koreans go to configurations with manual transmissions. As a result, it turns out that the F827 with all-wheel drive and robotic transmission will cost from $ 7. While the Sportage with automatic transmission and all-wheel drive starts at $ 7. Hyundai Tucson costs from $ 20 to $ 029. But at the same time, the version on all-wheel drive with an automatic machine will cost from $ 22. It turns out that if you delve into the configurators, then due to the options that the Chinese offer, you can still save money. Another question is whether this difference will be enough to make a decision in favor of a Chinese car rather than its Korean competitors. If the prices offered by Haval can be kept at the current level for a longer time against the background of general growth, this may work. Otherwise, the plans for the Haval plant in Tula will look too optimistic.
| A type | Crossover | Crossover |
| dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4620/1846/1690 | 4620/1846/1690 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2725 | 2725 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 190 | 190 |
| Cargo space, l | 723 – 1443 Feet | 723 – 1443 Feet |
| Curb weight, kg | 1605 | 1670 |
| engine's type | Turbocharged petrol | Turbocharged petrol |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1499 | 1967 |
| Max. power, l. with. (at rpm) | 150 at 5600 | 190 at 5500 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 280 at 1400-3000 | 340 at 2000-3200 |
| Drive type, transmission | Front / Full, 7DCT | Front / Full, 7DCT |
| Max. speed km / h | 195 | 195 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 11 | 9 |
| Fuel consumption (mixed cycle), l / 100 km | 8,2 | 8,8 |
| Price, $. | 18 981 | 20 291 |
