GWM Haval H7: PHEV-heavy sales forecast following strong pre-launch interest

The new GWM Haval H7 SUV has been subject to "record levels of pre-launch interest", with the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant taking up the bulk of pre-orders.

Chief operating officer (COO) for GWM Australia and New Zealand, John Kett, told media at the launch of the new H7 that pre-orders for the off-roader-inspired SUV are currently sitting at "100 to 150 a week" with the PHEV range taking up "two thirds" of the pie.

In a follow-up interview with CarExpert, Mr Kett added that the H7 is forecast to do "1000 [units]" per month in Australia.

"We want that segment to give us a top three volume, which is like 2500 a month. Our preference would be to see H7 be 1000 and H6 to be anywhere between 500 to 1000," Mr Kett told CarExpert.

Such volume would quickly see the H7 become one of GWM Australia's top-selling vehicles, with the smaller Haval Jolion currently the brand's top seller at an average rate of 1850 units per month in 2026, with the Haval H6 range averaging 1170 units per month.

While solid numbers, those figures still pale in comparison to the segment's top sellers, with the Toyota RAV4 and Tesla Model Y currently averaging 3590 and 3900 monthly registrations year-to-date.

The incremental volume from the H7 alone, however, will help GWM edge closer to its goal of becoming a top five brand in Australia, currently tracking in seventh place this year with 49,376 registrations Down Under to the end of October (up 12.8 per cent) – still more than 11,000 behind sixth-placed Hyundai.

GWM is currently Australia's second most popular Chinese brand behind BYD (86,639), leading Chery (42,339) and MG (41,508), which are currently sitting in eighth and ninth positions, respectively.

Following the launch of the H7 this month, GWM will add two additional mid-sized SUVs in the new Jolion Max and Ora 5 Plus, both due in first quarter of 2027.

The GWM Haval Jolion Max will be offered in both plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric (EV) versions, slotting between the existing Jolion Hybrid (HEV) and H6 PHEV.

Meanwhile, the as-yet-unrevealed GWM Ora 5 Plus will be EV-only and is understood to be a larger version of the existing Ora 5, finally giving GWM an entrant in the burgeoning mid-size electric SUV segment currently dominated by Tesla and Zeekr, amongst others.

MORE: Explore the GWM Haval H7 showroom