Ahead of its official local launch, we were afforded an exclusive first look at the new Haval H7. CAR magazine Editor Ian McLaren highlights the box-fresh model in the video below…
The new Haval H7 will officially launch in South Africa on 22 October 2026. Not to be confused with the H7 we evaluated for a road test in the May 2025 issue of CAR magazine, the model seen here is known as the ‘Raptor’ in its home market. The outgoing H7 is based on the ‘Big Dog’. So, it is, indeed, a different model.
The cover star of CAR magazine’s November 2026 issue, the new H7 will be available with the choice of three powertrain options: internal combustion (ICE), traditional hybrid (HEV), and plug-in hybrid (PHEV). The ICE unit comes in the shape of a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol producing 170 kW and 380 N.m of torque — the latter delivered to the road via either a front- or all-wheel drivetrain coupled with a nine-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The HEV model employs a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine and a single electric motor — the latter fed by a 1.53 kWh battery pack. The HEV arrangement produces combined power and torque outputs of 182 kW and 540 N.m. The petrol-electric configuration is paired with a Direct Hybrid Transmission (DHT).
The PHEV powertrain is available with front- and all-wheel drivetrains — the latter coming in the shape of GWM’s Hi4 setup. The FWD and AWD produce 240 kW/540 N.m and 320 kW/670 N.m, respectively. The Chinese automaker claims a 0-100 km/h sprint time of 4.9 seconds for the most powerful model.
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