Hyundai or Haval: which of these two value-packed urban SUVs is the better choice for canny consumers?
Overview
The Hyundai Kona is the second-best-selling small SUV in Australia, hot on the heels of the MG ZS, and for very good reason. But there’s a new player in town from Haval, pushing a strong value argument in an attempt to steal sales from the incumbents.
We wanted to see how this well-equipped Chinese newcomer stacks up against an established leader from Korea, so let’s get started.
Introduction
Haval Jolion
The Haval Jolion is a good car that mounts a compelling value argument in the hotly contested small SUV segment.
The Jolion range in Australia has three tiers kicking off at $26,490 drive-away for the Jolion Premium. Then there’s the Jolion Luxury at $28,990. The variant we’re testing today is the top-spec Haval Jolion Ultra priced at $31,990 drive-away.
Powering all models locally is a 110kW and 210Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Identical power and +10Nm compared to the outgoing Haval H2 from a re-engineered engine paired to a new gearbox.
Six colours are available: Hamilton White, Mars Red, Energy Green, Ayers Grey, Blue Sapphire and Golden Black. All colours bar the Hamilton White of our test car command a $450 premium.
Externally, the Jolion Ultra makes a good first impression. The design is modern, classy and compact, although the front grille does look a touch cheese-grater.
In size terms, the Jolion five-door may share the same 2700mm wheelbase as a Mazda CX-5, but its true Mazda rival is the smaller CX-30, against which it is 77mm longer, 46mm wider and 34mm taller. This all translates into more interior space.
The Jolion Ultra comes with 18-inch alloy wheels and tyres, a panoramic sunroof with soft cover, sharp-looking LED headlights, fog lights and DRLs, and a 360-degree camera to aid manoeuvrability.
Hyundai KonaThe Hyundai Kona city SUV received a midlife update in early 2021, after this generation went on sale locally in 2017.
It may not quite be a household name yet, but since the update arrived in February 2021, the Hyundai Kona has become the third-best-selling model in the category behind the Mitsubishi ASX and MG ZS.
The Hyundai Kona has always been among the top four sellers in a class that includes close to two-dozen choices. But it now has a new lease on life.
Its unconventional design may be polarising to some and, as with many city SUVs, the Kona has a touch less space than the hatchback on which it’s based.
For example, the Kona has a smaller boot than the Hyundai i30 hatchback, which thankfully has a full-size spare wheel and tyre under its boot floor, while the Hyundai Kona SUV only has a space-saver despite its off-road pretensions.
As with most cars in this class, the Hyundai Kona is front-wheel drive rather than all-wheel drive, so it’s more about surviving the urban jungle rather than appealing to those who want to embark on the great outback adventure. But buyers have embraced this type of vehicle with open wallets. City SUVs deliver a tall driving position and flexible cabin space.
Grey fender flares and bold bumpers are designed to protect the Hyundai Kona from car park scrapes rather than off-road obstacles. The thinking behind this, say car designers and industry marketing types, is that an SUV effectively says to the outside world ‘I can escape this mess if I want to, even though I’m stuck in the same traffic jam as you’.
In essence, city SUVs are the activewear of the automotive world; a bit like wearing gym gear to go grocery shopping. If SUVs make people comfortable in the daily grind, who are we to argue?
There are six models in the 2021 Hyundai Kona range priced from $26,600 to $42,400 plus on-road costs. The Hyundai Australia website shows prices ranging from $28,990 to $46,500 drive-away. The prices for most Kona models represent an increase of $500 to $1400 compared to pre-facelift versions.
The base model is simply called Kona, then there is the Active tested here (from $28,200 plus on-road costs, or $31,800 drive-away), Elite and Highlander. These four model grades have a 2.0-litre petrol engine and CVT automatic transmission that drives the front wheels.
Two flagship models, dubbed N Line and N Line Premium, are powered by a turbo 1.6-litre paired to a seven-speed twin-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive.
| Key details | 2021 Haval Jolion Ultra | 2021 Hyundai Kona Active |
| Price (MSRP) | $31,990 drive-away | $28,200 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Hamilton White | Dark Knight |
| Options | None | Metallic paint ($595) |
| Price as tested | $31,990 drive-away | $28,695 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $31,990 (national) | $32,469 (Sydney) |
Inside
Haval Jolion First impressions of the interior are overwhelmingly positive. This is a very classy cabin that would not look out of place on a car charging twice the Jolion Ultra’s $32K ask.The materials all exude high quality, from the soft etched leatherette covering the lower dashboard, to the knurled chrome transmission dial clearly inspired by Jaguar and Land Rover’s rotary transmission selector. A big 12.5-inch touchscreen dominates an otherwise minimalist cabin, and at first glance, the lack of switchgear is confronting – especially if the driver before you left the radio blaring.
The main bank of audio controls is embedded in one of the steering wheel’s three spokes, which for a guy used to having two or three ways to do things does require a bit of mental rewiring. Once you get used to it, though, the lack of clutter gives the cabin a serene ambience.
That said, easy access to air-conditioning temperature controls would be nice to have. Instead, these require a swipe down on the screen before you can access them.
The seats in the Jolion Ultra are all faux-leather, and the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable. Both front seats also have heating, but you’ll have to go hunting for it in the infotainment screen – hint: ignore the climate-control menu and look under car settings instead.
The driver’s seatbase is flat, there’s no tilt adjust to correct its pitch, and the electric motor whines noisily as you lower the seat. The seatback has good bolstering but needs more support in the middle.
The steering wheel is leather-rimmed and has chrome accents that make it look classy, but it feels a bit thin and flimsy in hand. It also doesn’t adjust for reach. The indicators’ loud clacking noise when operating is jarring in a cabin that presents with such a refined air.
In terms of storage up front, there are bottle holders in the door and cupholders in the centre console. There’s also a secret cubbyhole under the centre console, big enough for a handbag, where a pair of USB-A ports and a 12V charging port also reside.
The back seats have loads of leg room thanks to the Jolion’s long wheelbase and head room is good too. The seat base is at a good angle, if a tad short, which might become uncomfortable on longer journeys.
There are map pockets in both back seats, bottle holders in the doors and cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest. There are also two USB-A ports back here, air vents to aid airflow, grab-handles and lights.
There are two ISOFIX points in the outer back seats and three top-tether points.
The boot is a decent 430L with the back seats in place, expanding to 1133L with the 60/40 split fully folded – although they don’t fold down far enough to present a flat loadspace. The boot has a hard cargo blind that doubles as a parcel shelf, and there’s a space-saver spare tyre under the floor.
Interestingly, the car’s key has a boot button… That does nothing. If this weren’t the top-spec Jolion, the button would make us think there was a higher-spec variant with an electric-opening boot. Maybe there is overseas, but not here.
Hyundai Kona Distinguishing features on the Hyundai Kona Active tested here (versus the base model) include 17-inch alloy wheels (instead of 16s), tinted rear windows, leather-accented seats, rear parking sensors (front parking sensors are a dealer-fit accessory), power-folding, heated side mirrors, front seatback pockets and a centre armrest.The two base-model Hyundai Konas (including the Active tested here) come with power windows (with one-touch auto-up and auto-down function for the driver), remote central locking with an ignition key (rather than sensor key and push-button start), wireless phone charging, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, digital speed display, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
While the base and Active Kona models at first glance may seem like basic propositions, they will suit the needs of most buyers.
The Kona has a comfortable cabin, there is plenty of oddment storage, and all buttons are well placed and intuitive to use.
| 2021 Haval Jolion Ultra | 2021 Hyundai Kona Active | |
| Seats | Five | Five |
| Boot volume | 430L seats up, 1133L seats folded | 374L seats up, 1156L seats folded |
| Length | 4472mm | 4205mm |
| Width | 1841mm | 1800mm |
| Height | 1574mm | 1565mm |
| Wheelbase | 2700mm | 2600mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Haval Jolion The Jolion Ultra comes with a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen (compared to a 10.25-inch display on lesser models) that, just like the cabin, presents beautifully. The graphics are very classy and intricate – with a choice of two visual themes – but that can make them hard to use, especially in a moving car with the Jolion’s firm and sometimes jiggly ride.The controls also aren’t as intuitive as they could be. For example, the home screen offers controls for radio, phone, audio, picture gallery and video gallery. Does any car really need those last two?
The eight-speaker sound system puts out a decent sound, but AM radio reception is sub-par, and it is hard to figure out how to tune manually when the auto-tune misses your desired station. After two minutes of searching I gave up, but I admit, I didn’t check the climate-control menu.
The Jolion Ultra has wireless phone charging and wired smartphone mirroring for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. It does not have digital radio or satellite navigation.
Hyundai Kona Despite serving duty as one of the price-leaders for the range, the Kona Active is pretty well equipped. Standard-kit includes an 8.0-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, a rear-view camera, wireless phone charging and a 4.2-inch driver information display.As mentioned in earlier reviews, Hyundai’s wireless Apple CarPlay is plagued with gremlins that constantly disconnect the phone and, unlike most other cars, there is no wired backup. You need to use Bluetooth or earbud headphones if you want to talk hands-free on the phone when driving. Hyundai says a fix is on the way, but we’re yet to experience it. Dearer Hyundai Kona models have wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and work fine.
Safety and Technology
Haval Jolion ANCAP has not crash-tested the Jolion at the time of writing. The only two Havals tested so far are the H2, which earned five stars in 2017, and the H9 large SUV that was rated four stars back in 2015.A good level of safety features is standard across the Jolion’s three-tiered range. This includes seven airbags, electronic stability control, emergency brake assist with cyclist awareness, secondary collision mitigation and tyre pressure monitors.
The Jolion also has active cruise control, forward and rear collision warning, lane-keep assist (which is a touch crude), intelligent speed assist and a drowsy-driver monitor.
The Jolion’s rear-view mirror hub has a USB port, presumably for powering your dash-cam, should you install one.
To aid low-speed manoeuvring, the Jolion has reverse parking sensors and cameras all around.
Hyundai Kona Standard safety features include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, radar cruise control, individual tyre pressure monitors, a rear-view camera, six airbags, and a five-star crash safety rating from 2017.Not available, even as an option, are rear cross-traffic alert and blind-zone warning. You need to step up to the Elite, Highlander, N Line or N Line Premium for these features in a Kona.
And the Hyundai Kona still does not have speed sign recognition – a handy licence-saving feature that is increasingly becoming standard on new cars these days. Instead, the speed warning in the Hyundai Kona relies on navigation data (on models equipped with embedded maps), which can become outdated and don’t pick up works zones.
| At a glance | 2021 Haval Jolion Ultra | 2021 Hyundai Kona Active |
| ANCAP rating & year tested | Unrated (as of Dec 2021) | Five stars (tested 2017) |
| Safety report | N/A | ANCAP report |
Value for Money
Haval Jolion The Jolion Ultra is very well specified in terms of equipment and safety for $31,990 drive-away, which makes it fantastic value.As per all GWM Haval vehicles, buyers get a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, five years of roadside assist, and five years of capped-price servicing, the latter requiring services every 12 months/15,000km (or 10,000km to the first service only), and equating to a total spend of $1550.
All models claim to consume 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle, with support for 91RON regular unleaded offered across the range. During our test we hovered in the 10s (10.2L/100km), which is not great for a small SUV.
Hyundai Kona All 2021 Hyundai Kona models are covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Service intervals are 12 months or 15,000km for 2.0-litre models, and 12 months or 10,000km for turbo models.Individual capped-price servicing costs are no longer disclosed on Hyundai’s public website, and instead a query about future costs directs you to a dealer.
Prices for pre-paid service plans are published, however, and for the Hyundai Kona Active routine maintenance costs $957 over three years/45,000km, $1276 over four years/60,000km, or $1595 over five years/75,000km – provided these amounts are paid upfront when the vehicle is purchased.
Fuel economy was also par for the class returning an average of 8.0L/100km in a mix of urban and inter-urban use. The Hyundai Kona Active runs on 91 regular unleaded, too, which helps the hip pocket.
| At a glance | 2021 Haval Jolion Ultra | 2021 Hyundai Kona Active |
| Warranty | Seven years, unlimited km | Five years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km | 12 months or 15,000km |
| Servicing costs | $810 (3 years), $1550 (5 years) | $1377 (3 years), $2182 (5 years) |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 8.1L/100km | 6.2L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 10.2L/100km | 8.0L/100km |
| Fuel type | 91-octane Regular Unleaded | 91-octane Regular Unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 55L | 50L |
Driving
Haval Jolion If value is the Jolion’s strength, driving is its weakness.Let’s start with the positives. The Jolion’s steering is light, and the drivetrain accelerates with moderate enthusiasm when pushed. Apart from that, well, the Jolion will get you where you want to go, it just won’t do it with the refinement, comfort, composure or competence of other cars in the heavily populated small SUV marketplace.
The Jolion’s 110kW and 220Nm turbocharged petrol engine is loud, suffers from turbo lag and has poor throttle response. Every increase in accelerator pressure comes with a marked delay before the engine and transmission respond.
When it does respond, it often drops gears instead of relying on what is a decent whack of torque for a car weighing just 1400kg. And those gear changes are not as smooth as we’ve come to expect from dual-clutch transmissions, either.
Engine noise is not the only refinement factor; the Kumho Solus tyres kick up a fair bit of noise as well. Wind noise is also noticeable off the A-pillar each side of the windscreen and the wing mirrors.
The Jolion’s suspension is okay on smooth roads, but that’s faint praise. When the road surface deteriorates, the Jolion does not have the smarts to isolate occupants while maintaining its dynamic poise. Instead, the ride gets choppy and brittle, and takes longer to settle after a hit than popular rivals.
Hyundai Kona We sampled turbo and non-turbo versions of the 2021 Hyundai Kona at the media preview drive earlier this year. Now we’ve spent a week with the Hyundai Kona Active, the second model up from the cheapest variant.It is powered by a new-generation 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.
Unlike conventional torque converter automatics or twin-clutch designs, CVT autos have an internal belt and pulley system that delivers an infinite number of ratios. The idea being that the transmission will find the optimum engine revs based on how much throttle is applied.
Earlier versions of this type of transmission made the engine rev high, and sounded like there was a clutch slipping.
Newer CVTs such as the one in the updated Hyundai Kona – which have eight ‘steps’ to mimic a conventional torque converter automatic – have largely masked these traits and feel more natural to drive. You only really notice the technology when you floor the throttle. In commuter driving, it’s difficult to spot the difference.
In terms of performance, the Hyundai Kona Active is par for the class, doing the industry benchmark 0–100km/h dash in an as-tested 9.5 seconds (versus a rather leisurely 8.8 seconds for the turbo Kona variants).
The suspension is more comfortable on the cheaper models that run 16- and 17-inch wheels and tyres (as per the Active tested). The 18-inch wheel and tyre package on the N Line has plenty of grip, but is noisy on coarse surfaces.
Tyre performance is variable on the updated Kona range depending on which model you buy. The Hankook tyres on the base model were okay, while the Nexens on the Active tested here noticeably lacked grip and were noisier than their counterparts, pulling up in an average-to-below-average 40.5m in an emergency stop from 100km/h.
The Michelin-equipped Kona N Line stopped in 36.8m – similar to hot-hatch emergency braking performance.
| Key details | 2021 Haval Jolion Ultra | 2021 Hyundai Kona Active |
| Engine | 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol | 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol |
| Power | 110kW @ 5600-6000rpm | 110kW @ 6200rpm |
| Torque | 220Nm @ 2000-4400rpm | 180Nm @ 4500rpm |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive | Front-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic | Eight-step CVT automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 78.6kW/t | 81.3kW/t |
| Weight (tare) | 1400kg | 1353kg |
| Tow rating | 1500kg braked, 710kg unbraked | 1300kg braked, 600kg unbraked |
Conclusion
Okay, let’s find out which of these two stacks up better.
The Hyundai is slightly cheaper, but we’re talking very slight. The difference in drive-away pricing is less than $150 (using Sydney as a base, drive-away pricing may vary by location), which is barely three tanks of fuel, but is enough to give the Hyundai first blood. Add optional metallic paint to that for both cars and the margin narrows, but not enough for the Haval to take the upper hand.
Inside, the Jolion presents a more premium ambience and follows it through with more equipment. Some of that is not intuitive to use, such as the seat heaters, or less than polished in its operation, such as the infotainment screen and electric seat adjustment. So, while the equipment list is longer, using it comes with compromises, whereas everything the Hyundai has works well, so this round is a tie.
The Haval’s bigger footprint translates into more interior space and boot space, so that’s a win to the Jolion.
When it comes to safety, both cars measure up well against each other, but only the Haval has rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot monitoring. That said, the Haval has not been crash-tested, and we’re not brave enough to predict it will equal the Hyundai’s five-star rating – two Havals have been tested to date, one getting five stars and the other just four. So we’re giving the active safety round to the Haval and the passive safety round to the proven Hyundai.
Ownership costs is a win to the Hyundai, even though it has more expensive servicing costs, because it more than makes up for that with a $600 annual fuel saving compared to the thirstier Haval.
As for on-road performance, the Hyundai gets the nod here because it’s a quieter, more compliant and more refined machine in day-to-day driving. While it may not have a torquey turbo engine, the continuously variable transmission generally ensures you’re getting the best of what the engine has to offer.
Ultimately, this is a win to the Hyundai Kona, which may not come as a surprise given it currently outsells the Haval two to one. But the result was close enough that the Haval could have won if it had more polish, both in the way it drives and in how its equipment works.
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