GWM’s boxy Haval H7 lands next month under $50,000, hybrid or plug-in only

GWM will launch the Haval H7 in New Zealand in mid-October priced under $50,000, with hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions from the start and no petrol-only model in the range.

Both powertrains use GWM’s Hi4 system, which pairs the electrified drive with all-wheel drive. The company has not yet released battery capacity, electric range or outputs for either version, saying final specification, grades and pricing will follow in the coming weeks.

The H7 sits alongside the H6 and H6 GT in GWM’s mid-size SUV range, with a Jolion Max also due. Where the H6 follows the rounded shapes common to the segment, the H7 is upright and boxy, with squared wheel arches and a tailgate-mounted spare in some markets.

“The all-new Haval H7 is an exciting addition to our New Zealand line-up and brings something genuinely different to the mid-size SUV segment,” says GWM New Zealand country manager Cameron Thomas. “Its bold, boxy styling gives it a strong identity, while a starting price of under $50,000 ensures it remains accessible to Kiwi families looking for a distinctive and highly capable SUV.”

Thomas says the H7 broadens the Haval range and gives customers another reason to consider GWM, as the brand pursues what it calls its Drive to Top 5 goal.

GWM is already among the most electrified of the mainstream brands here. It registered 46 battery electric and 126 plug-in hybrid vehicles in August, and last week priced the Cannon Hi4-T plug-in ute at $58,990, $12,000 below BYD’s Shark 6. A plug-in H7 under $50,000 would sit below the plug-in Haval H6 in the range and among the cheaper plug-in hybrid SUVs on sale here.

The timing is useful for fleet buyers as well. From April 2027, the FBT bill before Parliament sets fringe benefit tax on plug-in hybrids at 19.6% of cost price against 20% for petrol and diesel, with battery electric vehicles at 17%.

The H7 goes on sale in mid-October, with registrations of interest open on GWM’s New Zealand website.