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A car expert has warned Aussies to think twice before buying a car from the Chinese company GWM Haval after the H6 SUV he was testing applied its own brakes while driving on a 100 km highway /you.
Auto expert Josh Dowling said he had been driving at about 50mph on a highway between Lithgow and Bathurst.
“I had the car detect the steel barrier and it tried to brake at about 20 km/h from the speed which was around 100 km/h,” said Mr Dowling on 2GB.
“It was scary. And he couldn’t follow the lane markings either.’
The motoring journalist said he reported the problem to Haval, who said they would pass it on to manufacturers in China.
“I think it’s life-threatening, I don’t think every motorist will expect this, so I’d really encourage Haval to get this fixed,” he said.
“As soon as they do, these guys will be on their way. I think with brands like MG and Great Wall Motors (GWM) Haval, we’ll see the new, refined Kia.”
In September, the Chinese company broke its sales record in Australia, selling 3,050 vehicles and SUVs in September.
The Haval H6 belonged to the company top performer was 1,294 monthly sales, making it the sixth best-selling mid-size SUV in the country.
Dowling said the Haval SUV G6 rivals the Toyota RAV4 in size and has strong showroom appeal thanks to high-tech screens and equipment.
Auto expert Josh Dowling (pictured) said motorists should be wary of buying the vehicle before Haval makes any changes to its lane-tracking technology
Mr Dowling said the Haval SUV H6 (pictured) rivals the Toyota RAV4 in size and has strong showroom appeal thanks to high-tech screens and equipment
He said the vehicle comes with a seven-year warranty, has good headlights, has plenty of interior space and is “pretty nice” to go over bumps.
However, the expert said the car had some drawbacks.
“A big question for me, unfortunately, is the advanced safety technology they have integrated. It’s like they just put it in the car and didn’t really test or calibrate it,” he said.
Mr Dowling said motorists should be wary of purchasing the vehicle before Haval made any changes to its lane-tracking technology.
He advised enthusiastic buyers to test drive the model, especially on the highway, to see if they can handle the lane assist.
Auto expert Josh Dowling said the Haval H6 (pictured) comes with a seven-year warranty, has good headlights, plenty of room inside and is “pretty nice” to go over bumps
The expert said people who didn’t want to wait for a rival car like a Toyota RAV4 to come back into stock bought an SUV from GWM Haval.
“I understand why people buy these cars,” he said.
‘GWM sells a lot of cars. They really are going to be the next Hyundai or Kia in terms of owning that space in Central Australia.
“But I think they’re a generation away from putting the finishing touches on these cars.”
Despite breaking into the car market only a few years ago, GWM is already in the top 10 best-selling cars in Australia (pictured, the Haval H6)
GWM Haval describes the H6 as a mid-sized SUV with a combined power of 179 kW on the hybrid variant with a fuel consumption of 5.2 l/100 km.
It features ‘Autonomous Emergency Braking’ with pedestrian and bicycle detection and ‘Lane Change Assist’, as well as hands-free parking.
The model starts at $33,990 drive-away.
GWM sales continue to rise in Australia.
The year-to-date number through the end of September is 16,371 vehicles sold, putting the company on track for approximately 22,000 sales this year.
The company broke its sales record in September with 3,050 vehicles and SUVs sold.
The best performer was the H6, with 1,294 sales last month.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted GWM Haval for comment.