GWM H7 vs Lexus UX

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.

GWM H7 in South Africa

GWM H7

2.0T LX Petrol 8-Speed Automatic Current
ZAR 799,900 ex-showroom
⚡ 185 kW 🔧 420 Nm ⛽ 11.8 km/l
VS
Lexus UX in South Africa

Lexus UX

UX 300h EX Hybrid e-CVT Current
ZAR 957,100 ex-showroom
⚡ 146 kW 🔧 188 Nm ⛽ 23.8 km/l
Add a 3rd car

At a Glance — Who Wins What

Performance H7
Fuel Economy UX
🛡 Safety H7
📦 Practicality H7
🔑 Ownership UX
H7 starts ZAR 307,200 cheaper H7 from ZAR 649,900 · UX from ZAR 957,100

Key Specs Side by Side

The specs that matter most — highlighted where one car leads.

Spec H7 UX
Maximum Power 185 kW @ 5500 rpm 146 kW @ 6000 rpm
Maximum Torque 420 Nm 188 Nm
Engine Size 1999 cc 2000 cc
Claimed Mileage 11.8 km/l 23.8 km/l
Ground Clearance 195 mm 160 mm
Boot / Load Bay 620 l 268 l
Airbags 8 Side,Knee,Curtain,Driver,Passenger
Kerb Weight 1830 kg 1585 kg
Seating Capacity - -
Warranty 5 Years / 100,000 km 7 years / 105,000km

= leads in this spec

The Bottom Line

Both H7 and UX are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Where They Actually Differ

Performance H7 +25 pts
Efficiency UX +46 pts
Safety H7 +6 pts
Practicality H7 +18 pts
Ownership UX +28 pts

What Each Car Gets Right (and Wrong)

H7

Strengths
  • More powerful engine output
  • Stronger safety package
  • More practical for daily use
Weak Spots
  • Lower fuel efficiency
  • Shorter warranty coverage
Best suited to: Highway Driving Family Usage
🏆 Overall Winner

UX

Strengths
  • Better fuel efficiency
  • Better long-term ownership value
Weak Spots
  • Less powerful engine setup
  • Less comprehensive safety features
  • Less practical in daily usage
Best suited to: Fuel Efficiency

Which One's Right for You?

H7

  • Drivers who prioritise strong highway performance and overtaking power
  • Families prioritising stronger safety equipment
  • Large families needing more practicality and usability

UX

  • Buyers looking for better fuel efficiency
  • Long-term owners valuing warranty and ownership peace of mind

Full Specs, Side by Side

Spec H7 UX
Hybrid System Not Applicable Self Charging Hybrid
Combined Power Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Combined Torque Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Number of Motors Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Motor Location Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Quarter Mile Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Rev Limiter Not Officially Disclosed Not Officially Disclosed
Power-to-Weight Ratio 101.1 kW/tonne Not Officially Disclosed
Torque-to-Weight Ratio 229.5 Nm/tonne Not Officially Disclosed
Usable Battery Capacity Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Electric Range Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
DC Charging Time Not Applicable Not Applicable
AC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Aspiration Turbocharged Naturally Aspirated
Battery Capacity Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Bore 82.5 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Compression Ratio 10.5:1 Not Officially Disclosed
Cylinders 4 4
DC Charging Power Not Applicable Not Applicable
Drive Type AWD FWD
Engine Code GW4C20D Not Officially Disclosed
Engine Displacement 1999 cc 2000 cc
Fuel System Direct Injection Petrol Hybrid EFI+D-4S
Fuel Type Petrol Hybrid
Launch Control No Not Officially Disclosed
Maximum Torque 420 Nm 188 Nm
Stroke 93.1 mm Not Officially Disclosed
Top Speed 210 km/h 177 km/h
Valves 16 Not Officially Disclosed
Valves per Cylinder 4 Not Officially Disclosed
0-100 km/h 7.9 sec 8.1 sec
Battery Type Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Battery Voltage Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Cylinder Layout Inline Inline
Drive Modes Not Officially Disclosed Standard Eco, Normal, Sport
Maximum Power 185 kW @ 5500 rpm 146 kW @ 6000 rpm
Motor Type Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Regenerative Braking Not Applicable Not Officially Disclosed
Transmission 8-Speed Automatic e-CVT
Engine 2-litre Turbocharged Petrol 2-litre Naturally Aspirated Petrol Hybrid
Spec H7 UX
360 Degree Camera Yes Not Available
Active Engine Braking No -
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Standard Adaptive,All Speed
Around View Monitor Yes Not Available
Attention Assist Yes -
Autonomous Emergency Braking Yes Standard
Auto Highbeam Yes Standard
Auto Lights Yes -
Auto Park Assist No -
Auto Wipers Yes Auto,Rainsensing
Blind Spot Monitoring Yes -
Blind Spot Warning Yes -
Cruise Control Yes Standard Adaptive,All Speed
Driver Fatigue Alert Yes -
Eco Mode Yes -
Emergency Braking Yes -
EV Mode No -
Forward Collision Warning Yes Standard
Front Camera Yes -
Lane Departure Warning Yes Standard Steering Vibration,Lane Trace Assist
Lane Keep Assist Yes Standard Steering Vibration,Lane Trace Assist
Park Assist Yes -
Parking Distance Sensors Front and Rear -
Parking Sensor Front and Rear -
Parking Sensors Front and Rear Standard Front + Rear,Intelligent Clearance Sonar,Rear Cross Traffic Alert + Braking
Pre-Collision System Yes -
Rain Sensor Wipers Yes -
Rear View Camera Yes EMV// With guidelines
Rear Cross Traffic Alert Yes -
Rear Parking Sensors Yes Standard Front + Rear,Intelligent Clearance Sonar,Rear Cross Traffic Alert + Braking
Rear View Camera Yes -
Reverse Camera Yes EMV// With guidelines
Reverse Camera Type Yes -
Reversing Camera Yes -
Sport Mode Yes -
Surround View Camera Yes Not Available
Traffic Sign Recognition Yes Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control Yes Standard Adaptive,All Speed
Automatic High Beam Yes -

Overall Verdict Score

Decision-grade view of the winner, score gap and category strengths.

Weighted / 100
Verdict readout

UX leads by 1 points

Both H7 and UX are extremely closely matched, making the final choice dependent on buyer preference.

Winner 76 /100
Lead 1 points
Data 75% confidence
76
#1 Winner

UX

75% data confidence 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 94 Check Performance 55
Performance 55
Efficiency 92
Safety 94
Practicality 55
Ownership 93
Leads by 1 points
75
#2

H7

97% data confidence 3 strong categories
Best at Safety 100 Check Efficiency 46
Performance 80
Efficiency 46
Safety 100
Practicality 73
Ownership 65
Performance 24% Safety 22% Practicality 22% Efficiency 17% Ownership 15%
Category leaders What moves the verdict
Performance H7 +25 Efficiency UX +46 Safety H7 +6 Practicality H7 +18 Ownership UX +28

Very close match. Final decision depends on buyer preference.

Why this score View full breakdown
Overall Winner

UX

Performance 55/100
Efficiency 92/100
Safety 94/100
Practicality 55/100
Ownership 93/100

H7

Performance 80/100
Efficiency 46/100
Safety 100/100
Practicality 73/100
Ownership 65/100

So, Which One Should You Buy?

🏆 Lexus UX wins with 76 pts vs 75 pts for H7

In structured scoring, UX emerges as the stronger overall package. However, H7 may appeal to buyers prioritising different factors. Ultimately, the right choice depends on your driving priorities in South Africa.

Buyers Also Looked At These

Other comparisons that people in the same boat tend to check out.

Questions Buyers Usually Ask

On our scoring the UX edges ahead overall. That said, the right choice depends on what you actually use the car for — the breakdown above shows exactly where each one wins and loses.

Efficiency scores: H7 46 vs UX 92. In the real world, diesel variants of either car will beat the claimed figure on long highways and fall short in Joburg traffic.

Safety scores: H7 100, UX 94. Check each model page for NCAP ratings and which trim levels include AEB and blind-spot monitoring — those features aren't always standard.

Long-term ownership scores: H7 65, UX 93. Service intervals, parts availability in SA, and whether a service plan is bundled all factor in — check the individual variant specs for that detail.

Practicality scores: H7 73, UX 55. This covers boot space, seat flexibility, and day-to-day usability — not just interior dimensions on paper.

Performance scores: H7 80, UX 55. This looks at real-world pace — 0–100 kph, highway flexibility, and how either car feels when you actually need to overtake on an N-road.

Resale varies with colour, spec, and market timing, but Japanese brands — and Toyota specifically — have a strong track record in SA. Check current used prices for both on AutoTrader to see the real gap right now.

Ground clearance and 4WD availability are what matter most here. Scroll to the spec table above to compare both side by side — if either model offers a 4WD variant, that's the version worth comparing.

Fuel, insurance, and service costs are the big three. Diesel variants of both models typically save R800–R1,500/month in fuel at current SA pump prices. The UX edges the overall ownership score, but check whether either variant includes a service plan — that changes the monthly maths significantly.

The UX scores better overall, but neither car is a bad buy here. It comes down to what features matter to you — check the full spec table above to see exactly what you gain and lose at each price point.

In Depth — Breaking It All Down

The comparison between H7 and UX in South Africa evaluates performance, efficiency, safety, practicality and long-term ownership value.

Performance: H7 scores 80 vs 55.

Efficiency: H7 scores 46 vs 92.

Safety: H7 scores 100 vs 94.

Practicality: H7 scores 73 vs 55.

Ownership: H7 scores 65 vs 93.

Final structured scoring gives UX the advantage in this comparison.