2025 GWM Haval Raptor review: International quick drive

Boxy SUVs have seen a resurgence in recent years, after decades of manufacturers trying to soften off their edges in an effort to make them look more car-like – and cut a smaller hole in the air to use less fuel.

Some models have stuck with tissue-box styling from day one – the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Suzuki Jimny among them – but new 4WDs such as GWM’s own Tank 300 have hopped aboard the trend.

But what if you want rugged and boxy SUV looks without the hardcore, ladder-frame chassis?

One new option is the GWM Haval Raptor, a new five-seat, mid-size family SUV sold in China that’s being seriously considered for Australia.

Raptor is the translation of its Chinese name, Menglong, but don’t expect either to be used if it comes to Australia, should GWM hope to avoid a call from Ford’s lawyers, or get widespread cut-through with local customers.

While it looks like a tough off-roader, it’s based on a monocoque chassis akin to a Haval H6 SUV, and offers plug-in hybrid power as standard – though some rough-road capability has been built in to give it some form of ability off the pavement.

That is a gap in the Australian GWM range set to be filled in the near future by the Haval H7, which also aims to be a more rugged take on a H6, but isn’t as boxy as this model.

Should the Raptor be sold in Australia, or is it a niche too small?

Drive travelled to China as a guest of GWM – flights and accommodation paid for by the manufacturer – to test a number of new models from the company, including the Raptor, following a visit to the Shanghai motor show.

The GWM Haval Raptor is a mid-size family SUV similar in dimensions to a Toyota RAV4 or GWM Haval H6, measuring 4680mm long – or 4800mm with a tailgate-mounted spare wheel – 1950mm wide and 1843mm tall.

It shares its 2738mm wheelbase with the Haval H6, so there is likely much in common between the two – including a ‘monocoque’ construction, rather than the ladder-frame chassis of a more conventional proper 4WD, such as a Tank 300.

That said, it is intended to be more capable than most family SUVs, with an available rear differential lock, various rough-road modes, and up to 221mm of ground clearance.

It is sold exclusively with plug-in hybrid power, in the form of GWM’s latest ‘Hi4’ system, which combines a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine with two electric motors – the more powerful of which is on the rear axle – for standard all-wheel drive.

Prices in China range from 165,800 yuan for the base model rated with an 81km electric driving range in NEDC lab testing, to 192,800 yuan for the flagship variant with a 115km EV range rating and rear diff lock.

Those prices convert to between $AUD35,600 and $AUD41,400, but expect it to be more expensive in Australia.

As a guide, a top-spec 2.0-litre petrol Haval H6 is $AUD30,900 in China (in facelifted form), or $39,990 drive-away in Australia (in pre-update guise).

Meanwhile, the Haval H6 GT PHEV is $53,990 drive-away – so we would estimate the Raptor would start from the $55,000 mark if offered in Australia, given its size and more advanced PHEV technology.

A choice of 18- or 19-inch wheels is available in China – with or without a tailgate-mounted spare, with the same rim diameter but a narrower tyre – plus a roof rack, side-mounted ladder, adaptive LED headlights, and LED tail-lights.

Inside, flagship models offer a 14.6-inch touchscreen with navigation and over-the-air updates (in China), a 12.3-inch instrument display, dual-zone climate control, up to 10 speakers, heated and ventilated front seats with power adjustment, leather-look synthetic upholstery, a head-up display, and keyless entry and start.

Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability – which can supply up to 3.3kW to external electrical devices from the car’s battery – is fitted, as well as a camping light.

A suite of advanced safety features is offered, including autonomous emergency braking with intersection detection, lane-keep assist, lane-centring assist, traffic sign recognition, front and rear parking sensors, and a 360-degree camera.

Also included is semi-autonomous highway driving technology, which – in China, at least – lets the vehicle change lanes by itself, and drive with little assistance from the human behind the wheel from motorway on-ramp to off-ramp.

Compared to the boxy exterior, the Raptor’s interior is more conventional and passenger-car-esque, though elements such as the large grab handle and exposed metal screws on the passenger side of the dashboard provide some semblance of a rugged feel.

There is a mix of soft-touch and harder-wearing finishes, and we like the ‘aviation-inspired’ gear selector from the Tank range, which looks like one of the throttles on a jumbo jet.

A 14.6-inch touchscreen dominates the front of the cabin, with different software to many GWMs we’ve driven in Australia, and quick responses – though we can’t give you too much detail on its feature set, given it was left in Chinese on our preview drive.

Helpfully, GWM has included a row of shortcuts below the touchscreen for key controls – particularly air temperature and fan speed – a refreshing change from other cars in the brand’s line-up that require digging through touchscreen menus for basic functions.

There are also shortcuts for the heated seats, another feature that GWM vehicles typically require drivers to take their eyes off the road for extended periods to control.

A 12.3-inch instrument display sits ahead of the driver, as well as a head-up display. The former is placed particularly low on the dashboard for a car of this size, and isn’t the most customisable.

The synthetic leather-look front seat trim is soft, and there is power adjustment on offer, but the lack of underthigh support control makes it hard to find a truly comfortable driving position, even on this quick drive.

Storage is catered for through a deep centre console storage box, modestly sized door pockets with separate spaces for bottles – held in place using an elastic strap, a unique design touch – plus a glovebox, some storage under the centre tunnel, and two cupholders.

Amenities in this Chinese-specification model we drove include one USB port – a USB-A socket no less, unusual for a recently-released car when USB-C is now the norm – one 12-volt socket, heated and ventilated seats, keyless entry and start, a wireless phone charging pad, and a panoramic glass sunroof.

Space in the rear is generous, with ample knee room and toe room for a 186cm-tall adult, and plenty of head room thanks to the boxy profile. The rear seatback reclines, should you so desire, but there could be a touch more underthigh support for our tastes, or possibly a lower floor.

Retractable sunshades are included for the side-door windows, plus front seatback map pockets, bottle holder straps in the doors, a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, a USB-A socket, and air vents. Visibility for kids is good thanks to large windows.

GWM quotes 586 litres of boot space in Chinese models, which we suspect is measured to the roof not the rear seatbacks as, to our eyes, it is a small cargo area by mid-size SUV class standards.

The load area is high off the ground, there’s minimal under-floor storage, and it’s not a particularly deep space – though the rear seats fold 60:40 for more space if needed – nor a deep one, as the wheel arches intrude on the luggage area.

That’s not to mention the tailgate, which is side-hinged – so isn’t the most practical for car parks – and can be fitted with a spare wheel, adding to its weight. It’s a price to pay for the boxy, off-road-ready design.

The roof rack is rated to a static load of 75kg, which GWM says is ideal for rooftop tents or awnings, but in reality the former doesn't leave much allowance for people sleeping inside.

The GWM Haval Raptor uses the Chinese brand’s latest plug-in hybrid system for car-derived SUVs, known as Hi4 (short for ‘hybrid intelligent four-wheel drive’).

It combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with two electric drive motors – one on the front axle, one at the rear – for all-wheel drive and strong performance.

Outputs are rated at 123kW/243Nm from the 1.5-litre engine, 70kW/160Nm from the front motor, and 150kW/350Nm from the rear motor, for combined outputs of 278kW or 282kW depending on model, and a monster 750Nm.

Cheaper models in China use a battery with a capacity of about 19.1kWh, for an electric driving range rating of 81km in WLTC testing (or 102km NEDC), and fast charging at up to 33kW DC.

Meanwhile, higher grades get a 27.5kWh pack, an EV range of 115km WLTC or 145km NEDC, and charging at up to 41kW DC (for 30 to 80 per cent in 28 minutes), or 6.6kW AC for 15 to 100 per cent in 4.4 hours.

Claimed fuel consumption under WLTC protocols is rated at 1.15–1.68 litres per 100 kilometres with a charged battery – as the lab testing relies heavily on electric power while it is available – rising to a more realistic 5.98–6.09L/100km when the battery is depleted.

On paper, the Raptor sounds like a compelling proposition, but the proof will be in how it performs on the road.

Unfortunately, our time behind the wheel was short… very short. We were limited to a lap of a few test courses in a flat car park on the outskirts of Shanghai, for the grand total of a few hundred metres of driving.

In other words, the driving impressions you’re about to read are our first, and far from conclusive. But what we could glean from our brief time in the Raptor left us with a positive opinion.

Performance is strong, as the outputs would suggest, but power rolls on smoothly, and it doesn’t pin you back into your seat like the claimed 0–100km/h acceleration time – 6.0 to 6.2 seconds, on par with a Volkswagen Golf GTI hot hatch – would suggest.

The steering is light but accurate, as with many GWM cars, and there’s a soft, approachable feel to the brake pedal.

There were no bumps to hit on the test course – unless we felt like running over a cone – but the amount of body roll present suggests it will be a soft-riding car, if not a very dynamic one.

Aggressive cornering was quickly shut down by the car’s traction and stability-control systems, not helped by the cheap Chaoyang tyres.

We weren’t able to test the Raptor off-road, but the on-paper specs suggest it won’t keep up with the other car that wears its name in Australia, but the potent rear electric motor – and rear differential lock – may help it get further than most family SUVs.

GWM quotes a 25-degree approach angle, 32-degree departure angle, and 20.1-degree breakover angle for the flagship model, as well as a 221mm unladen ground clearance, and a 580mm wading depth, all respectable figures for a light-duty SUV.

A braked tow rating is not quoted for the vehicle.

Also up in the air is fuel consumption, and if the advanced safety systems on offer work well in the real world, without annoying the driver – typically a sticking point with GWM vehicles.

Overall, there is much left to learn about the Raptor’s driving dynamics, but customers looking for a comfortable family SUV with a little more dirt-road capability than most may be impressed.

The GWM Haval Raptor is an interesting proposition for buyers after the butch looks of a proper four-wheel-drive like a Tank 300, without the firm ride and less refined driving experience of one.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain is smooth and punchy – based on our very brief initial impressions – and the cabin is spacious.

Determining where it would sit in the Australian line-up compared to the current Haval H6 – and inbound Haval H7, another boxy, off-road-styled but car-derived SUV – would require careful consideration from GWM, but it’s well worth exploring for local showrooms.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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