IT may sound more like a mobile phone than an SUV, but the Jolion Pro arrives with bold ambitions: to carve out a niche for one of China's most popular car brands.
To do that it needs to offer something more than Qashaqi-lite looks and a generous warranty.
That's why the Jolion Pro hits the UK market with bountiful equipment levels, a big focus on tech, hybrid efficiency and a price tag that leaves most of its established rivals gasping.
But is that going to be enough?
Haval is a sub brand of Great Wall Motor (GWM), one of China's biggest automakers, with a particular focus on off-roaders and crossovers. It was spun off as a stand-alone brand back in 2013 and has since grown to become one of the People's Republic's best-loved brands.
So popular, in fact, that Haval was China's most popular SUV brand for nine years running.
But that's not enough for Wei Jianjun, the founder of GWM. He wants Haval to become the world's biggest SUV brand by the end of this decade.
For starters it needs to make up its mind - is it a Great Wall product or a Haval? There's a whopping great Haval badge running across the grille but at the back you'll find GWM initials on the boot lid. Launching and building consumer awareness of one car brand is tough enough, let alone two.
Names aside, the Jolion Pro is a mid-sized SUV selling for the price of cars in the class below (think a Qashqai for the cost of a Juke). Measuring 4,470mm long and 1,625mm in height it's roughly the size of the aforementioned Nissan or a Kia Sportage. Yet even the most expensive model, the £29,995 Ultra, costs £800 less than the cheapest Kia Niro hybrid. Only the Dacia Duster undercuts it.
Styling
The Jolion's styling is easy on the eye - it doesn't stand out in the car park, but that's probably a good thing. The large grille and sharp-eyed LED lighting looks good but the wheels don't fill the arches properly. This makes it look as if the body is too big for the chassis from some angles. While nothing ground-breaking, the styling is at least very modern and clean, avoiding some of the idiosyncrasies of rival Chinese brands.
Inside, however, the Jolion Pro is definitely a curate's egg. The layout is generally fine and showroom shoppers will be impressed with the large touchscreen, the digital instrument pack, the mood lighting and the head-up display.
But look a bit harder and you'll see where Haval has saved money.
Cabin quality
The plastics are hard, there's no wireless CarPlay or Android Auto (although it does work - just - via a cable connection), the pleather on the seats is fashioned from polyurethane or PVC and the build quality doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. The tester didn't have a DAB radio, although this is set to change with latest models now featuring with a digital tuner (something to be aware of if you're thinking about a low miles second-user model).
The test car had a rattle in the dashboard and the headlights appeared to be set too high so oncoming drivers thought I was using the main beam. In common with most cars, the Jolion Pro has a headlight beam adjustment button, but it didn't work.
The CarPlay USB connection was hit 'n' miss and on one occasion the infotainment screen froze.
That said, I suspect the cabin rattle and the broken headlight adjuster were peculiar to the test vehicle. Press cars get used and abused by uncaring hacks, and 10,000 miles can be the equivalent of 20,000 or more in normal day-to-day driving.
As for the iffy CarPlay connection and the infotainment system, that's nothing a wireless update wouldn't be able to fix.
Smart interior with lots of kit, but there are some issues.(Image: )
And if you don't like the pleather seats save a few quid and choose the cheapest 'premium' trim level which comes with cloth seats and is all the better for it. Even the entry-level model comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, the digital instrument pack and keyless entry so you won't feel short-changed.
Power unit(s)
Under the bonnet you'll find a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that's paired with an electric motor and a dual clutch automatic transmission. The internal combustion engine is good for a modest 94bhp but the combined output is a more respectable 184bhp and the Jolion didn't feel out of its depth on fast-flowing motorways.
In town, the Jolion favours battery power with the engine only kicking in for extra power or charging. The transition between the two is pretty much seamless and the Jolion Pro feels just as sophisticated as its European rivals in this regard.
The battery does eat up the boot space, however, and the 255-litre luggage area is only just adequate for a car of the Jolion's size.
The Jolion Pro - a Qashqai-sized car for the price of a Juke(Image: )
In contrast to the boot, space in the rear is generous, making the Jolion a solid choice for cost-conscious families. There's also plenty of headroom, even in the range-topping model which comes with a big panoramic sunroof.
The ride and handling can't match the Qashqai. There's a fair bit of body roll even at modest speeds and the suspension sometimes transmits pothole shocks into the cabin. No one buys a car like this for spirited driving (do they?) and the Jolion rewards a relaxed manner with a noticeably more settled ride.
The Jolion looks good from behind(Image: )
Haval claims the Jolion Pro can return 47mpg in day-to-day driving and it has CO2 emissions of 133g/km. On the test we achieved 40mpg on the motorway but in-town driving was surprisingly frugal.
Verdict
Earlier, I described the Jolion Pro's cabin as a curate's egg - good in parts - and that's true for the rest of it as well.
On the plus side it offers outstanding value, generous equipment levels and a spacious, comfortable interior. But it's let down by the small boot, some build quality niggles and a modest driving experience.
If you are determined to buy a new hybrid SUV capable of transporting a family of four in comfort - and you don't like the Dacia Duster - then the Jolion Pro could well be worth a look.
It represents a solid first step for GWM into the UK market, but the company's hopes of world conquest will require vehicles capable of going toe-to-toe with established market leaders without any need of a price advantage.