Happy Birthday Haval SA, but that’s not all...

Improving every day, little by little, that is the main driving force for South Africa’s number one Chinese motor manufacturer, it’s even imprinted on the facia of our headquarters in Baoding China. This is exactly what Haval South Africa has been doing since day 1 back in 2017 when we first opened their doors in SA as a wholly owned subsidiary.

It’s no wonder that now on our 4th anniversary in SA, Haval Motor SA has climbed to a national ranking of 7th in total unit sales, by selling 1782 units in May. How did we do this? By improving little by little every day- but that’s not the only reason. Great Wall Motor has changed both our approach, trajectory to become more customer centric, not just creating cars that have loads of extras and specifications as standard but now also making sure these extras add value, are easy to use and improve the driver experience. By giving what’s needed at the right time to the right individual through the easiest means possible making their vehicle not only a mobility device but moreover a member of the family.

The love child quite literally of this new approach to global business, Haval’s all new JOLION was most certainly the brands’ MVP in May. The launch of the JOLION was a star-studded affair held for 100 people with strict health protocols in place, but the real joy was the live audience the launch was aired to. Some comments from the SA motoring media are enough to see the popularity of this new model.

“The Jolion is a superbly comfortable commuter, and you fit in whether you are cruising the suburbs or hitting the hottest night spots.” Lawrence Minnie Auto Trader.

“And what about the Chinese? Well, many have tried and failed. Actually, let me rephrase many have entered our shores with low commitment and no knowledge of our market, which meant their time here was quite fleeting and did them more harm than good.

Then comes Haval/GWM – they’ve been in the country for many years now and since the very beginning, they have reinforced their intentions for our market. They’ve seen steady increases to their sales year-after-year and have garnered quite a positive reception from South African consumers looking for value and affordability. But they needed a game changer – something that will make people say ‘is that really a Haval?’ They needed their rendition of the Clio.Enter the Jolion and what will be a massive turning point for the brand!” Shaun Korsten The motorist

“Should you consider buying the Haval Jolion? The short answer is a resounding yes! Or, at the very least, the Jolion should be on your shortlist if you are looking to buy a brand new small crossover/compact family car with a budget of under R400k” Cars.co.za

“FIRST DRIVE - Why the Haval Jolion is the best Chinese offering yet.” Brenwin Naidu Motoring editor, reporter and presenter.

“The Jolion makes quite the statement in the local market. It is well-priced, well-specified, and should appeal to a broader audience.” Charlen Raymond Wheels24

Occurring late in April the launch helped snowball the sales spike of JOLION in May pushing it to 701 true retail sales in only its first month, out shadowing and outshining ALL its rivals in the hotly contested compact SUV segment. The best-selling compact SUV in South Africa to the man in the street, not to the company and not to a fleet is an amazing feat that the management at HMSA are extremely proud of.

Phil Li, MD of Haval Motor SA had this to say:” We are number 1 with JOLION, we are so happy and proud of our dealer network and staff. To overshadow all records with a single products’ sales performance and as well as our combined sales number being our record in SA in the same month as well as it being our birthday month is something special to say the least. But I can assure you this is only the next step in our upward spiral. We are hoping to add to our offering in a manner that takes us to even higher accolades and milestones. We assure the South African public that we are here, here to stay and in fact we never left in 14 years through our then distributor, so thank you, we value your support.”

With the new H6 2.0L launch imminent as well as further new products coming to the fore in the not to distant future, we know that Mr Li might be on to something when he says this is only the next step.