Cars.co.za Consumer Awards: All four nominees from GWM progress from the semis to the finals

Johannesburg, South Africa – All four models within GWM’s comprehensive range in South Africa selected as semi-finalists in the 2023/24 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards motoring awards programme, have now progressed to the final stage of the prestigious awards – serving as further recognition of GWM’s position as one of the top ten manufacturers on the monthly vehicle sales charts.

The Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, now in its seventh iteration, recognises the best purchasing propositions in 13 categories of the South African new-vehicle market, and every model within the GWM stable selected as semi-finalist – two from the HAVAL JOLION range, the HAVAL H6 HEV and the ORA 03 – have made it through the first stage of the selection process.

Since it was first introduced locally in 2021, the HAVAL JOLION SUV has become the bestselling model in the GWM range and has played a major role in HAVAL Motors South Africa (HMSA) becoming the first Chinese automaker to regularly feature in the top ten since GWM entered the South African market 16 short years ago.

Featuring a futuristic and eye-catching exterior design, the JOLION has a sporty, yet elegant look whilst keeping a wide body stance and its interior feel is premium and sporty, a combination rarely felt in small to mid-sized SUVs. The attention to detail inside the cabin is class leading with soft touch materials and personalized HAVAL branding welcoming you.

The high level of technology packed into the JOLION includes a centre console with innovative Rotary Dial shifter in Auto models, an electronic parking brake, wireless charging station, floating 12.3” infotainment and smart touch panel, a Virtual Instrument Cluster with three visual modes, a Head-Up Display, as well as standard Push Button starting and Keyless Entry.

In terms of safety, the JOLION features EPB, Cruise Control, Dual and Front airbags, Child locks, ABS and EBD as well as electronic stability control and traction control. Anti-Roll, Secondary Collision Mitigation, Hill assist, Tyre pressure monitoring system, rear park sensors and Bluetooth compatibility as standard.

The HAVAL JOLION 1.5T Premium is now a finalist in the Entry-Level Crossover (R300 000 to R400 000) category, with the sportier HAVAL JOLION S Super Luxury with a unique and stylish front grille, black finishes, and a new-generation 1.5-litre petrol turbo engine delivering 130KW and 270Nm of torque, chosen as finalist in the Compact Family Car (R400 000 to R500 000) category.

The HAVAL H6 Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Ultra Luxury introduced the GWM New Energy Vehicle (NEV) portfolio to South Africa as the most recent model added to the successfully established H6 range. The H6 HEV was selected as a finalist in the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) 2023 Car of the Year (COTY) competition and has now received the same accolade in the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards.

The H6 HEV Ultra Luxury – selected as a finalist in the Family Car (R600 000 to R800 000) category – combines a responsive 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and an electric motor to generate 179kW and 530Nm of torque, lower harmful CO2 emissions and a combined fuel consumption of only 5.2L/100km, and for the Cars.co.za.

The new ORA 03, first displayed at the 2023 NAMPO Agricultural Show in May and the 2023 Festival of Motoring held at the Kyalami racetrack in August, has now progressed to the finals of the

CarsAwards (#CarsAwards) in the newly created affordable EV (Electric Vehicles below R1.3 million) category.

Priced from R686 960, the ORA is now the most affordable EV in South Africa. Power in the ORA 03 Super Lux comes from a front-mounted electric motor generating 105kW of power and 210Nm of torque from a 48kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, giving the ORA a claimed range of 310km on the WLTP test cycle.

The 13 Cars Awards category winners will be selected from the list of 39 vehicles, which includes model derivatives from no fewer than 18 brands represented in the South African market. Each of the finalists (three per category) will now be subjected to back-to-back testing at the Gerotek proving ground in Gauteng on 2 and 3 November 2023.