GWM HAVAL Australia has bolstered its local line-up with the H6 GT – a striking new coupe-style medium SUV with which the importer hopes to increase its monthly sales total by 400 units.

Available in two variants priced from $40,990 drive away, the H6 GT is based on its wagon sibling, but looks much more distinctive thanks to sportier bumpers, black cladding, a fastback roofline, bespoke taillight clusters, and an integrated rear spoiler.

Its sleek and sporty exterior lines follow a growing trend that favours this shape in sporty SUVs – and which augers well for the model’s popularity...

GWM HAVAL Australia said it “expected the H6 GT could add as many as 400 units a month to its sales tally, which would help propel (the importer) to an annual sales record by year-end.”

Year-to-date sales of Chinese manufacturer cars now stand at 56,540 units placing the country as our fourth largest supplier of new vehicles behind Japan (198,152), Thailand (144,520), and South Korea (95,287).

Great Wall Motors (GWM) sold 10,684 of those vehicles, less than half of that sold by MG (27,525) but well ahead of commercial vehicle focussed LDV (8391). It has sold 3176 examples of the Haval H6 in Australia so far this year, a number that places the model in ninth place in its segment (SUV Medium under $60K).

The GWM Haval H6 GT is available in entry-grade Lux ($40,990 drive-away) and high-spec’ Ultra AWD ($46,990 d/a), a $4000 premium over regular H6 SUV derivatives.

As well as offering a distinctive body-style, the H6 GT is also well equipped with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, twin 10.25-inch display screens with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, an eight-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control, artificial leather seats, 360-degree camera system, power tailgate and roof rails – all in base form.

The Ultra AWD variant (tested here) adds a 12.3-inch media screen, auto-parking, panoramic sunroof, wireless phone charging, head-up display, power front seats, gesture tailgate, Michelin rubber, heated and cooled electrically adjustable eco-leather front seats, heated leather steering wheel, and fully automatic parking.

Built on the same global modular platform that also underpins the H6 wagon and the Jolion, the new GT is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with 150kW of power and 320Nm of torque mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and an active exhaust booster for a sportier engine note.

Fuel economy is rated at 7.5 litres per 100km for the H6 GT Lux and 8.4L/100km for the H6 GT Ultra AWD using 91 octane unleaded petrol.

The H6 GT further comes equipped with an impressive array of safety equipment that enabled the model to score a five-star ANCAP safety rating.

Advanced driver-assist and safety features include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist recognition, intersection detection, lane-keeping assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitor, and traffic-sign recognition.

All GWM vehicles are covered by a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty which includes five years’ roadside assistance and capped-price servicing.