GWM Haval Jolion Pro Review 2025

When new automotive manufacturers are vying for attention among a cast of well-known brands that hog the limelight, three strategies typically come into play — sell the new car as cheaply as possible, load it to the rafters with standard equipment and give it a name that will guarantee coverage. One of the latest exponents of this tried-and-tested approach is the GWM Haval Jolion Pro.

Strictly speaking this is GWM’s third attempt to gain a secure foothold in the UK market, following lacklustre sales volumes of the Great Wall Steed pickup and — more recently — the GWM Ora 03, née Funky Cat. For abject clarity, the Ora 03’s still on sale, it’s just that the brand name’s now shorn of its Ora suffix. Confused? It’s fine, that’s all for background and there’s no written exam to follow.

What’s also different this time around is that whereas the Ora 03’s a compact-ish electric hatchback, the GWM Haval Jolion Pro is a self-charging petrol-electric hybrid packaged in a family-sized SUV wrapper, pitching it into the heartland of some of the UK’s best-selling cars, ensuring it’s up against some very talented opposition.

It’s a bold way to go about things as a newbie, because GWM’s got to persuade people that the likes of the Ford Kuga, the soon-to-be-facelifted Kia Sportage and it’s corporate cousin the Hyundai Tucson are all missing something that the Haval Jolion Pro offers.

Unlike the HJP, that trio additionally provide a plug-in hybrid alternative, which isn’t part of the GWM model mix, however the Nissan Qashqai similarly does without and it chalks-up sales with consummate ease.

Where the GWM scores strongly is with its eye-widening value for money — take the entry-level Haval Jolion Pro Premium with its 17-inch alloy wheels, a digital driver’s display, a 10.25-inch multimedia touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, keyless entry, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control among a host of other safety tech, plus a five-year unlimited mileage warranty. All that and more for £23,995.

If you fancied even more toys the mid-range Lux adds heated faux leather seats, a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, rear privacy glass, a 360-degree camera system and LED headlights for £27,995, while the flagship Ultra adds a panoramic glass roof, wireless smartphone charging, a head-up display and a ventilated driver’s seat for £29,995.

The opposition? You’ll need £29,890 to own the base-spec Sportage, a smidge over £30k to get behind the wheel of the least-costly Qashqai, £32,095 to be tempted by a Titanium-trim Kuga and almost £32,500 for an entry-level Tucson.

Stark differences, those, amplified further by the GWM’s firepower, which significantly outguns those rival gateway models. Under the Haval Jolion Pro’s bonnet is a 1.5-litre petrol engine that in conjunction with an electric motor send a total of 189PS and 375Nm of torque to the front wheels via an automatic transmission.

That’s sufficient for a 9.0-second 0-62mph time with a 115mph top speed. Final homologation’s yet to be completed in terms of fuel efficiency, but expect something in the order of 47mpg on the WLTP combined cycle.

At this stage there remain various unknowns about GWM’s latest including what it’s like to drive, how good the quality is and how many stars it’ll be awarded when assessed by the crash-test experts at Euro NCAP. It’s also unlikely to attract many punters with its generic styling — it’s not ugly, but there’s zero sense of a specific GWM or Haval sub-brand identity about it.

Nevertheless, credit where it’s due because the GWM Haval Jolion Pro will already be on many SUV shoppers’ radars if not — yet — their shortlists. It could probably have managed that without the tongue-twisting name, although if GWM’s true to form, it could well be called something else by 2026.

Order books for the GWM Haval Jolion Pro are already open with the first customer deliveries expected the following spring. Keep this page bookmarked for our forthcoming review.