Feedback from local customers and media has driven a raft of changes to the upgraded HAVAL H9 arriving in Australia later this year.
HAVAL Australia Chief Marketing Officer Tim Smith said the MY18 H9 would come with a host of performance, safety and creature comfort updates.
"HAVAL has always prided itself on listening to customers and I'm confident the Australian market will see they have clearly responded with the first major model update since launch."
Engineers have added the award-winning ZF eight-speed automatic transmission to the reworked 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. Power is now rated at 180 kW (up 12.5 percent), while torque has increased to 350 Newton-metres (up 8 percent).
That has resulted in improved responsiveness and launch feel. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h has improved 20 per cent, while fuel economy has dropped 10 percent to 11 litres/100 km.
In response to calls for new safety technology, the new H9 will also come standard with Blind Spot Monitoring and Lane Departure Warning across both Premium and LUX grades.
Visually, the MY18 H9 will feature a new front bumper and grille and redesigned front fog lamps. New 18-inch alloy rims will become standard on both grades.
Inside, the upgraded model will come standard with a new instrument panel which, in direct response to customer feedback, will now come standard with a digital speedo.
A panoramic sunroof has also been added to the LUX model, while both models get a redesigned centre console with new T-bar shifter.
"The H9 has already earned its stripes with the motoring media in Australia, where it has continued to surprise them with its impressive off-road credentials. When we asked what changes they would like to see, they listed performance, better economy and new safety technology as key updates.
"We're confident they are going to be very impressed with the updated H9 when it lands," said Mr. Smith.
The MY18 HAVAL H9 will arrive in Australia in Q4. Pricing details will be announced closer to launch.