Dear reader, so that you do not think about the Chinese car industry, but it has already firmly settled in our market and cannot be ignored. In fact, 15 years ago, the Korean car industry went all this way with suspicion and acceptance. Remember? And look at KIA and Hyundai today.
And in another 10 years from us, buy, there will be no prejudices, we will get used to it. Chinese companies will replace eminent foreign (for them) designers. Or maybe they just go their own way.
Now meet the hero of this material, Haval F7x, in a trendy coupe-crossover body format.
Specifications
- Engine: in-line internal combustion engine, 4 cylinders, 2 liters, 95th gasoline.
- Power: 190 hp sec., 340 Nm.
- Robotic with double clutch, 7 gears.
- Plug-in four-wheel drive.
- Average fuel consumption during the test drive is 10.8 liters per 100 km.
- I drove 779 km.
Statics
We wanted the best, it turned out in its own way
The F7x is no longer a novelty on our market, but it looks quite fresh today. Perhaps thanks to the body format – a coupe-like crossover. Compare this to its twin brother, the F7, which looks very different with a similar face. Yes, you can play everyone’s favorite game “he reminds me of something,” but with these thoughts, I will leave you alone while looking at the photos.
Have you considered? I will only note the very unusual proportions in the question of the ratio of width and height. It seems very, very narrow and tall. But this is more of a visual device. In fact, it is quite long, with a little 4.6 meters. At the same time, the clearance is quite standard standard 190 millimeters.
I’ll start my story about the interior space with the trunk. At this height, it promises to be quite voluminous … but no. Access, by the way, only by hands. 329 liters according to the passport. Two small side pockets are at your service. A stowaway underground with the necessary set of tools. In general, go for groceries, but you will have to order delivery from your favorite furniture.
About the second row. More than four and a half meters in length, remember? And on the second row, surprisingly, it feels good. There is plenty of legroom, but if your height is over 175 centimeters, your head will be cramped. Of the amenities: a reclining central part of the “sofa” with cup holders, one classic USB-connector and ventilation (no settings) with heated two seats. It’s a matter of taste here in the question of the size of the windows, for me they are somewhat small, a la loopholes. There is even a claustrophobic effect. Interesting fact: the car is all-wheel drive, and the floor in the second row is even.
It’s time to go, that’s where the maximum emphasis on comfort. Immediately, I note that the electronic seat control went only to the driver. The multimedia screen is also turned to it, which is convenient, because the driver is the main user of the systems in the car. And then some manufacturers orient it to the center of the salon, why?
Surprisingly, there is a very high block in front between the seats. It hides an armrest with two levels of drawers (with two release buttons). In addition to its height, it is also very wide, which for a large rider can cause discomfort in terms of free space. There is also wireless charging (you can turn it off), two cup holders (in which cups with lids are tight), a gearshift knob and a control washer with a scattering of buttons.
The latter deserves a few words of praise, although you can try to guess where the Haval engineers spied on it. But we have to admit that it works perfectly, the puck spins and squeezes with adequate effort. A scattering of buttons around the perimeter duplicates menu items. Their profile is somewhat blind, but you get used to it.
The center console has one very big plus, it does not have glossy surfaces! There are a minimum of them in F7x. Hooray!
I will scold the interior for the strange choice of materials, fake leather on the dashboard and not the most tactile-pleasant leatherette on the steering wheel. But I will praise the unusual appearance of the chairs. In any case, today, Chinese cars are a very big question of a matter of taste. You decide. Including the ruble, as they say.
I will jump into the work of systems in motion. Here’s what I definitely want to praise is the work of the adaptive cruise control and the lane keeping system. The weather in November, as you know, is very, very changeable, so we had a chance to check everything in different conditions. I report: in the rain at night, all systems work perfectly, brakes the car in advance and generally smoothly and without jerks, keeps the lane as it should. We programmed and set everything up conscientiously.
There is one interesting nuance in this Haval associated with the inclusion of a “cruise” or lane keeping system. The dashboard is digital here, and if one of these functions is enabled, the driver is deprived of the opportunity to click on the menu with information about consumption, mileage, and so on. Software flaw?
And so there is a lot of it. It seems that everything was done with an eye on the best ideas, but something was done perfectly, and something was incomplete. Also with materials in the salon. And where is the keyless access to the trunk, or at least the automatic door?
On the road
Chinese man against Russian autumn
In fact, autumn was more than European at the time of the test. Without frost, I would even say warm. The main use case is a city. I have already mentioned not the largest trunk, so the car is clearly for those who simply prefer to travel by personal transport. The question of practicality, if you are a summer resident, a hunter, and so on, is not really worth it, thanks to the trunk.
I have a car with a two-liter engine on the test, here 340 Nm. Not without the help of a turbine, this engine, although it does not emit any interesting sounds, allows you to feel confident in the flow. Of course, there is a slight delay in the development of the turbine, but having got used to it, you will not feel prejudiced on the two-liter Haval. To summarize, the engine is peppy.
The brakes require some getting used to, at first they may seem very sluggish, but the fault is a somewhat strange and wadden sensation from the brake pedal itself.
And if I have no questions about the engine, at least the one that was on the test, then I have questions about the suspension. Or rather, to its rigidity. Yes, the manufacturer notes the sporty character of the F7x, but it was possible to make a choice of comfort (at least in the older configuration), but no, here the suspension is rigid and transmits all information about the road surface to the salon. If you are driving alone and want to ride at a brisk pace, then, perhaps, it will be pleasant for you, but in the scenario with passengers … But the rolls are minimal.
I would also like to note the acoustic comfort. Yes, enough sounds from the street climbs into the cabin, but these are mainly the sounds that make you feel like a participant in the movement. At the same time, you can communicate, even with the second row, without much raising your voice, even at speed.
The steering wheel remained. Wow. Its unusual ergonomics can be appreciated from the photo. It is not very convenient to press the buttons on it, since they are almost indistinguishable tactilely. But there are no complaints about the assortment of buttons. Multimedia control, “cruise”, everything is logical and clear. Several buttons are marked with colored circles, they reminded me of the teletext buttons for TV remote controls. A legacy of the Chinese market? But I’ll tell you about the electric amplifier. And not very flattering. The fact is that here, in general, you don’t really understand what’s wrong with the wheels, and because of this, it’s even afraid to take a turn at high speed. In general, the pleasure of taxiing is not easy to get.
During the end of the trip, the following thought came to me: I like it when the car, when turned off, automatically switches to mode P (parking) and turns on the handbrake. Yes, this is available for cars in which the gearbox is controlled by a joystick, and not a knob that needs to be moved in the wings. Well, the presence of an electronic parking brake. Whoever said anything, but convenient: he arrived, immediately turned off the car, and he himself put everything in the right position.
A few words about four-wheel drive. It is plug-in here and you can only influence its operation by switching driving modes. There is sand / snow / mud here. To be honest, I did not find any strong differences, but with all this, the Haval F7x, across the field after the rain, rides very confidently. Copes with pits and rut. And this despite the winter “Velcro” on the wheels. The main thing is to know and use the off-road principles: do not rush and do not stop in difficult places. Bottom line: if you want to move off the asphalt, you can do it safely, but, as I usually add, without fanaticism. It seems to me that if there is an all-wheel drive version in the lineup, in Russian conditions, it is better to choose it. If you do not drive out of town, do not forget about the change in climate in winter, you will just feel more confident on the road with an all-wheel drive. And get out of the snowdrift in the morning in the yard.
By the way, if you have turned on the eco-mode (it is on a separate button), then in order to use the rest, you will have to press the Eco button again.
Review
Have questions
And these questions are even more rhetorical. Yes, it can be seen that Haval diligently researched all modern trends and tried to implement them. There are also chips in the form of a two-story center console and a multimedia control washer (you can poke your finger on the screen, if that). The flat floor in the back, with all-wheel drive, is also pleasing (thanks to the high layout here). The Chinese brought their own in the color scheme in the form of bright color inserts. Thanks to them, the interior does not look absolutely bland.
CarPlay, Andoid Auto are in stock, and everything works fine. The screen is even with a good resolution, but the quality of the picture from the cameras (there are both in front and behind, and even on the side under the right mirror) let us down. But the driver’s assistants did not disappoint. But at the same time, the logic of the digital dashboard let us down.
I think you get the idea. The ideas are good here, not everything has been implemented at the highest level. Is it a minus? Yes, what is really here. But at the same time, the car is not perceived as boring and insipid, that’s what is interesting.
And finally, I will say that after I got acquainted with the F7x, even more interest arose in the straight from the tin Haval Jolion.
Pros:
- good technical equipment;
- cheerful;
- there is no abundance of glossy surfaces;
- four-wheel drive copes with its task;
- legroom for passengers in the back.
Minuses:
- could be softer;
- a scattering of small flaws;
- consumption even in eco mode.
May not like:
- if the driver assistant is on, you cannot switch the dashboard menu;
- ceiling height of the second row;
- tightness in front.
Finally, there is a gallery of various details inside.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
