Haval H8: great deceiver
Chinese crossover stands out in our review of the most impressive weight and the longest wheelbase, and its other dimensions may even be misleading. Solid ground clearance and overall height of 1.8 meters make us suggest that it is a classic SUV with a separate frame and plug the front axle. The latter is true because the constant drive is rear, but otherwise everything is different: the usual monocoque body and independent suspension on a stretcher. Here we want to draw a parallel with the new Volvo XC90, which can not be called a “classmate” of course due to another price level, but it has the same engine – a two-liter turbo “four”, in full accordance with the current trend of so-called downsize. Mercedes GLC, BMW X3 and Audi Q5 – which crossover to select?
Haval has quite a risky marketing strategy, offering extremely rich version H8 prices 27,000 $ and 27,500 $. The second, called Elite Technic, differs from the “easy» Elite only by the navigation system, similar to all the rest. Keyless entry and engine start, rain and light sensors, adaptive xenon headlights, tire pressure sensor, heated front seats, various actuators, including the fifth door – quite respectable gentleman’s set. Of course, also is available leather upholstery, cruise and climate control, alloy wheels, a sunroof, a decent sound system and a full set of airbags. By the way, the manufacturer boasts the highest five-star assessment on the results of crash tests – although, according to the “home» C-NCAP procedure.
On the other hand, it does not include features such as a heated steering wheel, control dead zones, car valet, and so on. The latter is obviously explained by the fact that the power steering is not a newfangled electric, and good old WTP. So we’ll have to settle for parking assistant and a rearview camera with a “picture.
Let’s choose and compare one of the largest, most famous and expensive crossovers
Nissan Murano: available speed
Murano is the closest analogue of Havall in size: it is even for 3 cm long with less by 9 cm wheelbase. It also has the largest and most powerful six-cylinder engine in the survey, although “old school”, without the boost that does not prevent it to disperse the car to 100 km / h in eight seconds faster than anyone in tandem with a box-variator. The rest is the usual crossover, based on the “passenger” platform, front-wheel drive initially, where the drive for the rear wheels is responsible clutch with electronic control. For the main target audience, that is, the Americans, the Murano is available in another version. BMW – choose the most well equipped crossover
Represented premium audio system Bose, navigation, camera, back and sides, leather, heated rear seats are a further position, and in the starting configuration crossover has heated front seats, Start / Stop button, electric windows, rain and light sensors, cruise and climate control, Bi-Xenon and lots of other amenities. And, of course, all befitting security.
Very small Honda CR-V
Another “Japanese” satisfies our conditions on the contrary, is the most compact car in the survey. Honda CR-V is almost 23 centimeters shorter than Haval and its base is less by 28.5 cm. Of course, this affects the internal space of the salon, but Honda can’t be considered as a tight car, otherwise it would hardly so popular in the US market.
This car has a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, CVT and all-wheel drive, which gives the CR-V resemblance to the Murano, but the cylinder and “horses” here are less, and therefore dynamics is more modest. Fuel consumption: there are no any data about Haval, but Nissan is much more voracious than Honda. And no wonder, because it is also the lightest in our review: the difference in the weight of a “Chinese” is more than half a ton.
Jeep Cherokee: cosmopolitan
New Cherokee – in fact is hardly more “American” than the same Honda CR-V, produced entirely in the United States. Real American style car
At its heart is the Italian platform of hatchback of Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and the main technical highlight is the nine step “automatic”, supplied by the German company ZF and is used, in addition to the Jeep on the compact crossover Land Rover.
In size Cherokee is close to the Hyundai Santa Fe, and the range of engines at the same time reminds Nissan and Honda: the base unit is 2.4-liter 177-strong “four”, masthead is 3.2-liter V6 rated at 272 hp. This Jeep would be the most powerful survey participant, if not a high a price, is available all-wheel drive transmission, in conjunction with the most modest clearance in our group.