Haval Jolion vs Kia Seltos 2021 comparison | cheap newcomer vs established SUV rival | Chasing Cars 

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With the Jolion, I rarely get beeped at, even in heavy traffic. I think it comes down to how you drive, if you’re constantly too close to a car then the Jolion is going to tell you, it knows what’s too close, so I’m more inclined to think it’s the driver causing the problem as opposed to the Jolion just beeping because of over sensitivity, if that makes sense haha My partner gets beeped at all the time, he’s a lead foot and likes to tailgate, I have to keep telling him to back off the car in front, as does the Jolion. He also likes to look around and not pay attention so he constantly gets distraction warning beeps, as well. I’ve put 4500 kms on my Jolion to date, so I’m talking from experience rather than test driving for the day :)

Why do you say 'not that bad' when commenting on the Jolion Why don't you say GOOD when one can clearly see its good and what's the big deal with lack of steering rake. At 15 k cheaper with more features than any car in that segment it's a bargain.I think you are bias. I watched the south african review which was very impressive.

All factors mentioned are relevant but one more important factor right now. Huge wait time to get a new Kia, and several other brands. I decided on Jolion, and picked it up 2 day later.

I don't think the Seltos lives up to the $10-$15000 more expensive price, compared to the Jolion

Test drove the Jolion with my girlfriend, for her. It drove way better than my tuscon and nothing touches it for price. Surprisingly it has less power than the Tuscon but the gearing makes it feel more powerful - hard to explain. Anyway, I bought it.

I would go for the Jolion no doubt but with Ultra spec.

I think you should've compared the top spec Jolion against the KIA ....why handicap the comparison?

Am amazed at the bulk of your comments on the Haval Jolion!! Obvious that you were NOT driving my Jolion Lux. I have almost 5000k's on it now and am MORE than happy with it. Actually traded a Hyundai Kona . similar spec vehicle on it.

The Jolion is absolutely awesome!! I couldn't believe it when I tested it!!!

I would have liked if you used the ultra one at least but for me Jollion is much better car I don’t like the look of Kia outside and inside but great review 😇

I love when you do these type of comparison reviews. I reckon Haval is on the right track, just needs a bit more polish.

This is what I have been waiting for..thank you 👍👍👍👍

Another good comparison, looking forward for your review on MG ZST and potentially comparison of MG vs Haval.

So I drive a Seltos with a 2.0 IVT. And it's actually quicker than the Jolio. 1.5t to 100kmh. But yes it does lack low end grunt. But the cvt does it's thing rather well so you never feel like you have no power. Except at a standing start. But as for the Jolion. We are looking to pick one up as a replacement for my wife's car. We get a fair bit of snow here and high ground clearance is a good thing to have. Also one of the reasons why we are looking into the Jolion is the ample rear seat room. Childseat+active child = plenty of kicking on the front seat. In the Jolion our kid can barely reach the front seats. So we thought it would be great to give him a bit more space back there. And less massage for us too

Expert Verdict: If you feel comfortable spending 40 AUD on a SUV, then f*ck the Kia Celtos and go for a Haval H6 AWD Top of the line for $38,990 and use the extra 1k for awesome liquid crystal paint treatment + nanoceramic window tint or the insurance. EASY.

Another great and informative review over how much bang/bling you get for your hard earned Aussie buck. Would be good to see a similar comparo on the Haval H9 versus Prado...thoughts Tom?

Tom love your work as always. Just FYI in case you didn’t pick it up in the edit, it seems like the wind (or something) is shaking the camera in the external shots to camera. This one gave me motion sickness.

With that minor differences but huge gap in price point, it's no brainer to get a Jolion. Decent car with good warranty period plus good safety features, i might as well save the money for my maintenance and petrol.

For KIA Seltos money you can get a Haval H6 which I reckon is a much better car than the Seltos.

Hi I appreciate your review But have to take you to task about the Jolion In my retirement village we are all pensioners So $28k against $38 drive away is huge My neighbours have a Seltos and another a Kona both are envious of the Jolion If you live with the Jolion over several months you will love it Points I live on the coast and use the M1 all the time Jolion is quieter than Mazda6. Mazda3 xtrail and ASX Jolion electric seat gets you close to steering wheel without reach adjustment Stereo sound in Jolion is much superior If you drive in comfort mode but set steering to quicker turn mode the Jolion is very pleasant to drive I am achieving 7.4 litres/100 without trouble I did run the very tight motor in carefully

It seems that 90% of the comments seem to agree that buying the Jolion makes far better sense. That would be my first choice as well.

Great Comparison, now on to Jolion Ultra vs H6 base model!

Hi, I tried a lot of different vehicles. We found to hop into an SUV was easier then the hatchbacks plus the cost in some cases of $15,000.00 over the price of the Jolion Ultra made our choice easier, so far I am enjoying the Jolion if I need extra speed and handling I can go old school 2008 Ford Fairmont Ghia ll my wife is happy so that is all I need thank you for your thoughts

I have tested Kia Seltos and Haval Jolion. I drove them on the same road and found the Jolion a far better drive. It felt steady on the road and had less shudder than the Seltos. So I differ from the review, in fact I have purchased a Haval.

While I hate the idea of buying a chinese car too, I watched all your reviews on the havals and find your tone irritating. I drove yesterday the seltos gt line and the entry level jolion and difference is night and day in favour of the jolion. Your descriptions and reviews are like audi/bmw/mercedes vs haval. No, that is a kia seltos, and not even the gt-line is as good as the jolion entry level. And the difference in price of these 2 in the picture is almlst 20 thousand, not 10 or 15.

KIA is over 75% more expensive, and tbh I don't think KIA have much reputation apart from being cheap. In this case, the Seltos is terrible value for money. Jolion on the other hand, still need to prove it will outlast the scorching Australian conditions.

Drove a H6 today and am very impressed

Can anyone comment in the Jolion's ANCAP rating? I understand it's not rated at the moment but I wonder if the ANCAP rating will cause any concerns in the future. Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Has a small hatch got the same room as the jolion, I don't think so.but who would pay an extra 15000, I love our ultra jolion, and the ride is great.

I think Haval jolion is much better 👌👌👌

For the seltos price, I’ll pay more to get a Ford Escape! Jolion wins..

Jolion no doubt

I’ve driven sealed roads in North America, Europe and Asia. Please tell me what is so unique about Aussie sealed roads. You place way too much emphasis on the Kia’s so called “tuned” suspension but do not explain exactly what has been done to suspension to make it custom to our road. I call bullshit on the suspension tuning for Australian roads With consideration to features, value , ride quality and price. The Haval is a clear winner for me.

can you add a Stabilizer antisway bar on the jillion? if so it will it affect my car warranty?

I did not expect you to say what you did at the end of the video. Blew my mind. Thinking about it, you’re probably right about choosing a hatch over a small SUV. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Keep up the great work.

10 years ago everyone was laughing their heads off about Chinese car manufacturers copying major international brands, and now they are definitely catching up the game, in another 10 years, there will be Chinese electric cars on every road.

Jolion top spec for me. thank you.

No reach adjustment, my long arms will always be uncomfortable “You can adjust your sea...” “I SAID MY ARMS TOO LONG”

JOLION comes with paddle shifts and the Ultra spec has the lot at around 32K! If you tnink Cinese goods are inferior try checking where your mobile phone, PC, laptop, TV and white goods come from - you might be surprised? Considering a good second hand vehicle is around 15K with less options a new Jolion Ultra makes a sound bargain.

As someone with an ordinary back, I find it near impossible to get 'down' into a hatch. These things are just a good height ot slide into. Worth mentioning as well.

Top spec comparison would have been much more informative and helpful.

Hi 👋 I'm from Russia :) jolian has been driving on the roads for several months, an excellent car, 4x4 ultra costs 26k US dollars, in the market of supported cars, and Haval loses 10% of the cost per year, for example H7 2021-28k usd, H7 2019-22k usd, in addition, in Russia you can control the car through the myhaval application, launch, climate, windows, doors, parking, etc. this is already in the middle and top equipment

Definitely the Jolion... It is a far better looking inside and out than the Kia. And the Jolion has more specs than the Kia...

Absolutely 💯 Haval Jolion 2021 😍😍😍👌👌👌💞💞💞

These two are both among the best in the segment

I thought that the Chinese cara were not good. I just recently searched on internet. They have improved their cars a lot. I am waiting Haval h6 hybrid coming the end of this year in Australia.

easy conclusion. under 30k get Havel. beyond 35k get Korean or japanese car, if budget between 30k -35k, work hard or spend some money

I'd question your opinion on driving position. If you sit back in your seat and hold your arms out straight then your wrists should be resting on top of the steering wheel. You pretty much did exactly that when demonstrating the steering wheel position in the Haval.

Haval Jolion is better in every way and almost $16000 cheaper, a no brainer. If you have more than $30,000 to spend the Haval H6 is a much better choice than any Kia.

No comparisons needed. Just start with prices job done🤣 Haval should get a new slogan. But how?

In China from January to July in 2021 Hyundai and Kia sold 249,233 cars, Great wall cumulative sales reached 709,766.

If you are looking for a 2nd car with all the safety kit it's hard to go past a Jolion. Even to get all that on a 2nd hand car at the moment is going to cost you $15K+ and you won't get a warranty or the peace of mind of a new car.

Kia has a nicer front end, haval is great value

In response to those questioning the longevity of a Chinese car, and the quality of them, I can't speak for Kia, but do you realise Hyundai launched in Australia in 1986? I'm sure people said the same thing about them, back then: 'I wouldn't trust something made in Korea, and what's the resale value gonna be like?' etc. Actually, with so much Aussie manufacturing going on, I'm surprised anybody bought one. But they did. Around the turn of the century, I was working at a Hyundai and Subaru dealer. We would get old X1 and X2 Hyundais in for servicing, that were in mint condition. Even though they were a 'cheap' car, the people who bought them and treated them like an expensive car, still had them, 15 years on. Hyundai's aim, in the Australian car market, was to enable Aussies to become 2 car households. Which they really did achieve, IMHO. Especially once the X3 was released. Their further stated aim was to eventually compete with the prestige car market, which I'm sure we'd agree they're well and truly doing, considering this goal would have been based on inclusion of features, as only European cars had heaps of features, back then. So for Haval/GWM to be making this Jolion as 'cheaply' (inexpensively) as they are now, it's the equivalent of Hyundai releasing their X3, back in the 90s. GWM have been in Australia now for 13 years. Good on them. And for those who haven't read through the comments, Haval are not owned by the CCP, as opposed the the manufacturer of the current crop of MG cars that are new to market. As for the quality of Chinese products, I'm sure almost all of your comments were typed on a Chinese made item. I know dozens of people who manufacture in China and sell in the US market, and if you want quality, they will deliver. It's up to the brand owner, whether their products are amazing or nasty. Yes, I understand the issues with China 'owning' Australia, but that is bigger than the manufacturing sector. That's an issue of global politics, and something more and more people are waking up to. I'm sure the Chinese people would speak out against the CCP if they were able to without being punished for it. I predict the CCP will fail, soon enough. But the Chinese people will continue with their private enterprise.

Booked Haval Jolion Ultra Spec . Can’t wait to drive 🙌

"I will give you the objective unvarnished truth" except for my inherent bias against Chinese cars and hammer on the shortcomings of the Jolion while downplaying those of the Seltos. I will approach the Jolion negatively and be upbeat when talking of the Seltos. Anything good with the Jolion(note: I will use "Not Bad") will be immediately diluted by some complaint, something you will notice I will not do when it comes to the Seltos. Whenever the Jolion is better I will play it down by prefixing that with "a little bit ". Also note that whenever the comparable Seltos does not match the corresponding Jolion in tech or safety I will highlight the higher trim level of the Seltos, something I will not do for the Jolion. Oh yeah, I will call the Jolion cheap not affordable even if its great value for money. Dude, you think you are not biased, but your inherent bias is very clear.

What is the sound system like on the haval jolion????

16k is enough to buy 8 years of fuel.

The problem with this review is that base price of a the Kia is more than the price of the top line Haval. Further you have to go up to the $44k GT Line to get a reasonable engine. No one wants the n/a 2.0 four. The way I look at it, I dont think the Kia is 50% better than the Haval. This is Haval's 1st go on this platform. Expect them to get better. Haval should be rolling out continuous firmware updates to fix those crazy cruise control issues. Also $45k for a sub mid sized SUV is kind of crazy as it is. There's much better buying at the CRV Xtrail RAV4 size.

28k vs 44k - not the same range, one is obviously overpriced if comparable

I would use the top spec Jolion S agains the Kia Saltos and it will still kick ass on price comfort and performance and then you will see all the extras that come with the Jolion S + power that is 130KW

Kia used to be cheap, now it is getting too much.

Can you please do MG zst non turbo model please ?

Fantastic review, narrowing down a decent car for price range, eventually Havell will catch up with the finer things as stated by yourself. Resale value is only thing, if you keep a car for the 7 year warranty they will probably have an equally resale price, compared to purchase price.

Haval has a space saver spare. That's a big deal to me. Service prices on the Haval look excellent, but they are unknown and as such we have no idea about their customer service and reliability. Kia is a winner provided you take a mid spec.

The Jolion Ultra would have been a better choice for this comparison as it it top spec and around $35,000 dollars

HAVAL looks good

Jolion for me. However I prefer a proper hatchback for lower center of gravity with practically in mind.

@ chasing cars- As you have told the infotainment system is tilted towards passenger seat and this car is not made perfectly for right hand drive system so have you checked the distance of that infotainment system in the right hand drive system? It’s seems almost same distance as in the left hand drive system

Haval Jolion is better in every way and almost $16000 cheaper, a no brainer.

Dudes honest with the verdict

I think the ultra would have been a more logical comparison here. Why compare the top of the line Kia to mid spec Haval?

The winner is obviously the one whose name sounds most like the bad guy from a Power Rangers episode.

our 1.6 turbo Seltos is getting 6.3 on a trip - 44 mpg

Honestly this review is so clearly unfairly biased towards favouring the Kia. I mean you've literally turned the huge safety feature of lane keep assist (which the Kia doesn't have) into a negative of the Jolion. 'Making drivers jump' vs veering off the road and crashing to your death.... Hmmm I wonder which one I would choose... Catch yourself on mate.

Great review! As many people are saying, Chinese cars definitely are getting better and better. My mum just recently bought the Top-Spec MG HS, what do you think your thoughts on it would be (if you’ve tested one)?

With the inflation rate at the moment the jolion and gwm cannon X are bargains.

Thanks Tom. Another great, honest review. You put the case for both vehicles very clearly and fairly and it's easy to see the pros and cons of each. Finally, your point on hatchbacks versus small SUVs is VERY well made!

I thought you could turn the beeps in the Haval down or off?

Kia is definitely not 15,000 more car compared to jolion.

All the way through I kept asking myself which one I would choose but, in reality, it would be neither. I would do what we have already done and buy hatch or small wagon or both, in our case.

Even with Tom doing the review I couldn’t be bothered watching to the end

No offence Tom but I'd like to see more reviews by older drivers. When I was in my twenties, a sporty ride was a compromise I was happy to make in order to take corners faster. Several decades later, a smooth, quiet, comfortable and spacious vehicle that is easy to get in and out are my priorities. Havel includes advanced safety features at these prices and that tips the scale for me. So great review Tom, but what does your dad think?

Haval Jolion 👍👍

I’ve been reading through comments (much more helpful than comparing two cars 10 to 15 grand different in price) and this Tom bloke is just rude, unprofessional and snotty towards people who don’t agree with him! Isn’t that the reason why channels leave comments open for people? So they CAN put comments/opinions up? Or is it for Chasing Cars Tom… to jump in and shoot people down. Being a professional “critic” I thought you would be required to take a criticism yourself.

4K please?

My pick depends on what I was looking for. Would I buy a base Seltos over a mid spec Havel? No, not with those horrible NA motors that Kia keep chucking in their base models (reliable sure, but they strain too much). If I was going to looks the Havel would not feature on my list. Its nose looks odd from the side on. It's not a car I would look back on while walking away from. I think if Havel can sort out the awkward styling you might see even more of these on the roads.

dude too biased, you will.loose alot of subscribers.... surely will hurt your ratings....

What I want to know is the availability of service and parts around Australia. Cost of servicing and where the parts are made.

$44k vs $28k, really??? Should have used the base model of Seltos. If I have $45k to spend, there are much better choices.

This is a serious question so I would appreciate a serious answer. Given the difference in price if you owned both of these cars for 5 years and then sold it would the depreciation the Haval be great enough that the Kia can claw back some of that difference? If there is a significant difference in depreciation between the two are you giving up 5 years worth of better handling, comfort etc. for not a huge saving?

Why does evey Australian car review say the same thing....kis/toyota/etc have tuned the suspension for Australian roads...what makes your roads so unique vs Sa/uk?

I chose New Hyundai Creta in indonesia front face like hyundai tucson. Same plat form with seltos. 1500 NA IVT (fast respon CVT hyundai). 15 to 20 km/ L fuel consumption.

"known durability of KIA" ... Not too long ago, no one would have said that. It's same with Chinese vehicles. In a short few years, they have come a very long way. Future is all Chinese.

The Jolion mr reviewer has a wet clutch getrag type gearbox

I will go for the haval better price more better

UP to 10 month wait for a Seltos - yeah nah

Call me a dirty commie, but I just can't get behind safety features, especially inexpensive ones like LED headlights, being locked behind top trim models. Just not football in my opinion.

so the real pick of the bunch here is a Cerato for the money ;)