Haval has again hopped onto the
coupe crossover bandwagon, revealing a slinky concept car at 2017
Auto Shanghai called the HB-03. The BMW X4 lookalike sports what appear to be
largely production-ready lines, and cloaks a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid
drivetrain.
The HB-03’s lines make sense when you consider the lead designer
was Haval’s styling director, Pierre Leclercq, who designed the original BMW X6
in his days with the Bavarian brand. Leclercq said at the show that the HB-03
was a continuation of the HB-02 concept from the Beijing show in 2016, but that
this iteration was much closer to production form.
The cabin is a little louder than the brand’s
staples, with a mix of orange leather, plus carbon and black chrome. The
instrument panel has horizontal theme and a number of small details that
suggest this is essentially showroom-ready.
The concept vehicle is powered by the “intelligent
hybrid” drivetrain Haval unveiled in Beijing in 2016, which apparently offers
more than 272 hp and 450 Nm, while consuming a claimed 2.1 litres pr 100 km of
petrol. The drive unit combines a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol
engine with an electric motor and transmission. The motor is linked to a
rear-mounted NCM lithium-ion battery.
In Pure Electric mode, drive is provided solely by
the electric motor. The 95 kW/278 Nm motor is fuelled by a 13kWh battery,
providing a claimed EV range of 65 km. Haval says the battery can be recharged in
about four hours from a standard household power point.
There’s also a Power mode, where drivers get the
combined performance of both energy sources. On start-up, there’s the typical
instant response of the electric motor, with the petrol engine maintaining the
acceleration.
The claimed 0-100 km/h time is 9sec. The default mode is Hybrid
Drive, which is designed for everyday use. The vehicle will automatically
alternate between drawing power from the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine and the
electric motor to deliver the best overall consumption.
