GWM H2 vs GWM H1

A proper head-to-head in South Africa — we cover price, performance, petrol economy, safety and what it'll actually cost you to own each one long term.

Historical comparison

Every selected record is historical. Verified South African specifications and last-listed prices remain available for owners and used-car shoppers.

GWM H2 Discontinued model GWM H1 Discontinued model
GWM H2 in South Africa

GWM H2

1.5T LT Petrol 6-Speed DCT Discontinued model
ZAR 339,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 110 kW 🔧 210 Nm ⛽ 7.5 km/l
VS
GWM H1 in South Africa

GWM H1

1.5 LS Petrol CVT Discontinued model
ZAR 229,900 last listed
Discontinued model Verified historical specifications remain visible for owner and used-car comparisons.
⚡ 78 kW 🔧 135 Nm ⛽ 7.0 km/l
＋ Add a 3rd car

Decision summary

GWM H2 vs GWM H1: the short answer

H2 and H1 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Recorded price context H2: last listed from ZAR 299,900 · H1: last listed from ZAR 229,900

Five key differences

Exact selected derivatives
Specification H2 H1
Maximum Power H2110 kW @ 5500 rpm H178 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque H2210 Nm H1135 Nm @ 4000 rpm
Engine Size H21497 cc H11497 cc
Combined Fuel Economy H27.5 km/l H17.0 km/l
Ground Clearance H2175 mm H1160 mm

Strongest published figure in that row; no road-test winner is implied.

Evidence for GWM H2 1.5T LT

Source type: Hagalu catalogue record

Evidence for GWM H1 1.5 LS

Source type: Hagalu catalogue record

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

Specification evidence leader

H2

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger listed safety equipment
  • Stronger published practicality figures
Weak Spots
  • No obvious weak spots to flag.
Best suited to: Published Performance Published Practicality

H1

Strengths
  • Nothing stands out clearly here.
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Fewer listed safety features
  • Lower published practicality figures
Best suited to: General Use

Which One's Right for You?

H2

  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published powertrain figures
  • Buyers prioritising the more complete listed safety equipment
  • Buyers prioritising the stronger published space and capacity figures

H1

  • Buyers who prefer this derivative's confirmed specification mix

Full Specs, Side by Side

Archived cars use verified historical spec records. Rows remain comparable; unavailable historical values are shown plainly rather than estimated.

Spec H2 H1
Model Introduced Year 2017 2015
Generation First generation Haval H2 in SA, on sale 2017-2022. Discontinued in favour of the Jolion, which used a more modern platform and powertrain. Single generation in South Africa from 2015-2019. The H1 was based on an older Great Wall platform and was discontinued without a direct successor.
Facelift History H2 received a mid-cycle update in 2019 that brought minor exterior styling changes, improved infotainment software and refinements to the DCT calibration. Updates continued through the model life to address recurring DCT issues, with the final 2022 specification being notably improved over the original 2017 launch model. H1 received a single mid-cycle update in 2017 that brought minor exterior styling refinements and an updated infotainment system. No significant mechanical changes through the model life.
Facelift Launched Since 2022 2017
Spec H2 H1
Length 4290 mm 4002 mm
Width 1800 mm 1740 mm
Height 1645 mm 1567 mm
Wheelbase 2560 mm 2450 mm
Ground Clearance (Default) 175 mm 160 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 52 l 42 l
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) 1800 kg 1770 kg
Seating Capacity 5 seats 5 seats
Doors 5 doors 5 doors
Minimum Turning Radius 5.4 m 5.2 m
Front Headroom 990 mm 975 mm
Rear Headroom 960 mm 950 mm
Front Legroom 1040 mm 1020 mm
Rear Legroom 870 mm 840 mm

In depth: how these cars differ

This H2 and H1 comparison uses the exact South African derivatives selected above. The catalogue index covers performance, efficiency, safety equipment, practicality and ownership cover only where comparable source-backed fields are present.

Performance index: H2 45 vs H1 30.

Efficiency index: H2 35 vs H1 35.

Safety-equipment index: H2 72 vs H1 68.

Practicality index: H2 66 vs H1 63.

Ownership-cover index: H2 44 vs H1 44.

These figures are Hagalu catalogue-comparison indicators, not customer ratings, crash-test scores, resale guarantees or a substitute for a road test. Each page shows its weighted source coverage beside the result.

Specification Evidence Index

A transparent comparison of published catalogue fields. This is not a road-test score, owner rating or editorial review rating, and it appears only when every vehicle clears the same comparable-data threshold.

Evidence / 100
Evidence-index readout

H2 leads by 5 points

H2 and H1 are close on the comparable published fields, so buyer priorities should decide.

Evidence leader 54 /100
Lead 5 points
Data 82% source coverage
54
#1 Evidence leader

H2

82% source coverage 1 strong categories
Best at Safety 72 Check Efficiency 35
Performance 45
Efficiency 35
Safety 72
Practicality 66
Ownership 44
Leads by 5 points
49
#2

H1

80% source coverage 0 strong categories
Best at Safety 68 Check Performance 30
Performance 30
Efficiency 35
Safety 68
Practicality 63
Ownership 44
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance H2 +15 Efficiency Level Safety H2 +4 Practicality H2 +3 Ownership Level

Close catalogue match. Buyer priorities should decide the outcome.

Why this score View full breakdown
Evidence-index leader

H2

Performance 45/100
Efficiency 35/100
Safety 72/100
Practicality 66/100
Ownership 44/100

H1

Performance 30/100
Efficiency 35/100
Safety 68/100
Practicality 63/100
Ownership 44/100

What the evidence means

Evidence index GWM H2 leads the specification evidence index with 54 pts vs 49 pts for H1

In Hagalu's specification evidence index, H2 leads. However, H1 may suit buyers prioritising different confirmed fields. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

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H2 vs H1 questions

There is no universal winner. Use the comparison table to match the exact South African derivatives on price, safety equipment, space, powertrain and ownership cover. The category indicators summarise published catalogue data; they are not a road test or customer rating.

Compare the published consumption or mileage rows for the exact derivatives using the same unit and test basis. A catalogue figure is useful for like-for-like comparison, but traffic, speed, load, weather and driving style can change actual fuel use.

Compare only equipment explicitly listed for each derivative, including airbags, stability control and driver-assistance systems. Confirm the exact trim with the manufacturer, and treat any independent crash-test result separately because equipment and ratings can differ by market.

A reliable five-year total cannot be calculated from catalogue data alone. Add the exact purchase and finance cost, fuel or electricity, insurance quotes, scheduled servicing, tyres and expected resale value. Check whether the selected derivative includes a service or maintenance plan.

Use the seating, boot or load-space, ISOFIX and safety rows as a first check. Then test the exact cars with your child seats, passengers and typical luggage, because published dimensions do not show every access or comfort difference.

Compare the published power, torque and 0–100 km/h rows when they are available for both exact derivatives. Vehicle weight, gearing and power delivery also matter, so catalogue outputs alone do not establish real-world overtaking or response.