First Drive: Haval Jolion Pro

First Drive: Haval Jolion Pro

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As new cars become increasingly expensive, it's becoming harder to buy a brand-new car with decent equipment. Over the last couple of years, Chinese manufacturers have been filling this gap by providing South Africans with fairly priced cars equipped with decent specifications. This trend has advanced quickly, and the snowball effect is evident.‍

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We're all familiar with Haval, a brand that has been in South Africa for a while now and remains one of the few that hasn't left. One of its best-selling models, the Haval Jolion, helped the company establish its name in South Africa. Now, with the introduction of the Haval Jolion Pro, the Jolion nameplate has even more allure.

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The Haval Jolion Pro is the latest addition to the Haval lineup, bringing its own set of derivatives under the Jolion nameplate. To experience Haval's new offering, we took a round-trip from Fourways, Johannesburg to Muldersdrift and back, putting the new Pro through its paces as a contender in the compact SUV market.

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‍Is it a looker?

Starting with the subjective topic of styling, the Jolion Pro departs from the box-like shape to which we have grown accustomed. Although more rounded, the Pro model boasts a sporty and fresh persona, featuring a distinctive headlight design with new slim DRLs (daytime running lights) running vertically underneath. At the rear, you will notice that the Pro has a new light bar tail light design, which, when paired with its gloss black rear wing and sports diffuser, further adds to that sporty silhouette. The Jolion Pro also features front and rear splitters as part of its Aero Kit and a new vertical grille. Overall, the package looks quite good, in my opinion.

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The interior bits and bobs

As for the interior, it's pretty much the same, with the only major change being that the Pro model receives physical buttons in place of the touch-sensitive haptic buttons on the centre console underneath the infotainment system. Don't get too excited about this, though. The AC controls and other essential features are still embedded in the infotainment screen, which can be somewhat inconvenient. Adjusting the climate control via the touchscreen is a minor inconvenience, but it's becoming increasingly common in new cars.

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The real problem is selecting the drive mode, which is buried deep in the settings menu and requires some searching. You will probably forget how to navigate there if you’re not doing it often enough. This is my biggest gripe with the Jolion Pro because, as motorists, we typically select a drive mode on the fly rather than before starting a commute. We tend to switch on the fly, and not having a convenient way of doing so makes it a struggle.

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A big positive, apart from this, is the quality of the 360-degree camera. The camera was smooth and quick to respond to inputs when selecting different viewing angles, which is refreshing in this price range.

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What’s under the bonnet?

There are currently four derivatives for the Jolion Pro currently available on offer in South Africa, with an HEV derivative set to arrive at a later date. All four trim levels come equipped with the same powertrain: a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. Despite having the same setup, the power figures differ, with the range-topping ‘S Ultra Lux’ producing 130kW and 270Nm of torque. Lower trim levels receive a detuned version that is good for 105kW and 210Nm.

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How does it go?

During our test drive, we were met with a good balance of highway cruising and backroad zipping through Muldersdrift and Fourways, and our chosen companion, the Haval Jolion Pro S Ultra Lux, the unit with more power, proved impressive. The drive quality was good, and the throttle was properly calibrated, resulting in a smooth drive.

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The Jolion Pro was comfortable on the highway, with road noise at the lower end of the decibel scale, though the suspension felt firmer on back roads. Having not yet been run in with under 400km on the clock, the power delivery was good, and shuffling through the 7-Speed DCT was swift and smooth, providing for easy overtaking when needed. 

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The verdict

The Haval Jolion Pro is a well-rounded product offering a lot at an accessible price point. With its youthful and sporty persona, the Pro model is a solid addition to the Jolion lineup and a great option for budget-conscious buyers seeking modern equipment in this segment.

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Pricing

1.5T Premium 7DCT: R391,150

1.5T Super Lux: R425,950

1.5T Ultra Lux: R462,950

1.5T S Ultra Lux: R495,950

1.5 HEV Ultra Lux (not yet available in SA): R516,950 

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For added peace of mind, the Haval Jolion Pro comes with a 7-year/200,000-kilometre warranty and a 5-year/75,000-kilometre service plan.

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‍Words: Niki Louw

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