It’s not often that a long-term test vehicle completes its 20 000 km term so far ahead of schedule, but then again the GWM H5 has proven remarkably popular among CAR staffers looking for weekend wheels that are a) spacious, b) rugged and c) interesting. It is point “c” that has been the biggest surprise perhaps. Judging by all the feedback, there appears to be plenty reader interest in this vehicle which, let us remind you, is the first Chinese vehicle to be put through CAR’s 12 month/20 000 km long-term test routine.
It is a vehicle that gets people talking, that’s for sure. I’m often stopped in the parking lot by someone keen to know more about this vehicle. What usually follows is the comment that “it is quite good-looking for a Chinese car,” and then the inevitable, “has it broken yet?” Thus far, nothing has gone wrong. And it has to be said that this vehicle has been the subject of some very intensive use over the past few months. Nothing has fallen off. Nothing has stopped working. And after a good clean, the interior – which has seen plenty of action as the vehicle has often been used for tracking purposes during filming – has worn remarkably well, too, especially considering the fact that hard plastics of varying finish/colour are used.
But I’ve written about all its pros and the major negatives before. These remain the same. It is spacious, well-equipped, surprisingly comfortable behind the steering wheel and seemingly rugged. It is also good value, I think. The negatives continue to include relatively poor refinement especially from the transmission, heavy fuel consumption and a ride quality that can be too bumpy.
In this write-up I’d like to focus on a few smaller detail items that GWM could easily improve next time round. Firstly, although there is a big storage box between the seats and another hidey-hole behind a sliding cover on the centre console, there are no proper front drinks holders. I can’t believe I’m complaining about this, but it was a very obvious omission during the many long-distance runs the vehicle has done. Secondly, the sunvisor on the passenger side flops downward from a chosen position too easily, obscuring one’s view of the road. I’d also like the sliding luggage cover to be mounted a bit higher. At the moment it really limits how much you can pack, and protect from prying eyes. On another point, the indicator stalk sounds like it is about to break when used. And finally, 10 000 km service intervals are too short for a petrol vehicle these days. I have been informed, however, that GWM is looking at stretching these to 15 000 km in the future.
As you can see, these are all relatively minor concerns that can easily be addressed at the next model change. We’ll be replacing this 2,4-litre 4×2 model with the new diesel automatic variant, and it will defintely be interesting to see whether the diesel powertrain and auto-box manage to address the power/refinement issues we have with the 2,4.
Overall, however, the H5 2,4 4×2 has been a vehicle that has managed to change perceptions. It has its flaws, but there appears to be good build integrity, and our dealings with GWM’s service staff have been positive, too.
You can view a (sponsored) video below. If you own one of these vehicles, please let me have your input, as I’m busy compiling the final report which will appear in an upcoming issue of CAR magazine.
So far:
Mileage (km): 19 600 km
Fuel consumption (L/100 km): 12,0
We like: space, practicality, standard features
We don’t like: fuel thirst, transmission refinement
