This week saw the launch of GWM’s new H5 Diesel in Cape Town. I was interested to see how this SUV performs compared to our editor’s 2,4-litre petrol-engined H5 long-termer which is not the most energetic of machines.
The H5 Diesel features a 2,0-litre turbodiesel engine developed in-house by GWM and is coupled with a choice of either manual or automatic transmissions. The engine develops 110 kW at 4 000 r/min and 310 N.m of torque between 1 800 and 2 800 r/min. Despite the seemingly healthy amount of low-end torque promised by this unit, the 5-speed automatic I drove at the launch exhibited an unsettling amount of amount of turbo lag – below 2 000 r/min the engine offers very little in the way of pulling power. As such, getting up the Franschhoek Pass required patience and overtaking slow-moving traffic required seriously pre-empting a gap in the oncoming traffic and putting your foot flat on the accelerator some time before you actually needed the power.
In terms of a comparison with the 2,4-litre petrol model that serves on our long-term fleet, the diesel, despite being 10 kW and more than 100 N.m better off, seemingly lacks the urgency of its petrol sibling.
The interior is spacious and GWM hopes to outdo its competitors when it comes to standard specification. Among the H5’s standard features are power steering, dual-zone climate control, electric windows and mirrors, reverse park assist, rain-sensing automatic wipers, adjustable electric drivers’ seat, multifunction steering wheel, and a touch-screen info-tainment system. And at a starting price of R249 900, you really are getting a lot for your money. It is not the most comfortable ride and the trim and materials may appear less resolved than those of its more expensive rivals, but stylistically you can see that GWM really wanted a great cabin environment for its drivers. At the price, it is perhaps surprisingly good.
Despite offering affordable large-vehicle motoring for a family, GWM might have some stiff competition. Although GWM hopes to attract buyers with the H5’s low price and plentiful features, you have still have to consider the similarly-priced but more practical and less off-road-oriented Chevrolet Orlando. If you’re still hankering after the full-fat SUV-ish experience, you’ll have to stump up at least another R100 000 to get behind the wheel of a Toyota Fortuner or Ford Everst, but neither will match the GWM’s generous list of standard fitment items. I can’t say I was entirely impressed with the overall standard of finish this urban SUV exhibits, but of course, for what you pay, you can’t expect the refined quality you would get in the higher-priced SUVs.
Overall, you’re getting a lot of car for your money. The biggest challenge facing GWM H5 and its ilk, however, is the negative connotation that often surrounds Chinese vehicles. This diesel engine model is a step in the right direction, and overall the H5 is one of the better vehicles to come from China, but the question is whether a used vehicle of a few years old is still a better buy. I think it is.
Prices:
H5 2,0 VGT 4×2 R249 990
H5 2,0 VGT 4×4 R269 990
H5 2,0 VGT 4×2 AT R264 990
H5 2,0 VGT 4×4 AT R284 990
The H5 comes with a three-year/100 000km warranty and two-year 24-hour Roadside Assist service.
