Haval to sell seven-seat, body-on-frame 4x4 in Australia

Everest, Fortuner, Challenger and Prado might be the new or revised 4x4 wagons getting all the headlines.

But a new vehicle to Australia, Haval, is about to hit our showrooms as well, with a seven-seat, body-on-frame 4x4.

Announcing bold plans to become Australia’s top-selling SUV brand, Haval was due to go on sale in June but has delayed its plans until later in the year while it sures-up its dealer network.

Haval will launch a three-model range including the H9 which it sees as a Prado competitor.

The H9 is built on Haval’s only ladder-chassis platform and comes with a proper dual-range four-wheel drive system and seven seats.

It will be powered by a modest 160kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, but the brand hopes to offer a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder and a 2.0-litre turbodiesel in Australia down the track.

We expect the H9 to be heavily loaded with features and to be priced around the $50,000 mark when it rolls into showrooms.