2025 Haval Big Dog still possible for Australia? Local division still interested in updated Jeep Compass rival as it weighs success in our market

In 2022 GWM decided to launch the Tank 300 off-roader and H6 mid-size SUV in Australia in place of the Big Dog, but it could be back on the menu for local buyers according to the Chinese brand.

The brand’s local communications manager Steve Maciver said there may still be a place for the Big Dog in our market at a price-point between the two.

He said there’s a “niche” opportunity for a more capable alternative to the H6, and while the model overlap was “too much four years ago” the success of Haval’s range in Australia has it considering a more expansive line-up going forward.

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"It was never going to replace H6, it was always going to be additive to the range - we brought it out because all the vehicles at that time had strong appeal," said Maciver.

He explained, the focus on the hybrid is part of the local division's move to "maximise share of new energy products".

The Big Dog was first revealed in 2022 and is already on its second-generation, with the introduction of hybrid tech also giving it more appeal as a soft-roader.

The brand’s local communications manager Steve Maciver said there may still be a place for the Big Dog in our market.

The H6 is a more conventional shape and size, competing with the Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage, and Hyundai Tucson, while the Tank 300 is pitched more at off-road rivals such as the Jeep Wrangler. The Big Dog’s monocoque underpinnings blended with more robust off-road capability make it compete with vehicles such as the Jeep Compass.

In China the current Big Dog and the next-generation replacement are sold side-by-side. A facelift of the 2022 car is available with either a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine and seven-speed dual clutch and front-wheel drive or a 2.0-litre turbo version (175kW/385Nm) with a new nine-speed dual-clutch. All-wheel drive comes in the 2.0-litre petrol variant and has both centre and rear differentials.

The Big Dog was first revealed in 2022 and is already on its second-generation.

The alternatively-styled ‘second-generation’ plug-in hybrid version also exists on an updated platform using the brand’s new HI4-T drivetrain. It is able to put down a combined 240kW/530Nm through a combination of a 1.5-litre turbo engine and dual electric motors on each axle.

It is capable of travelling 105km on a single charge according to the WLTC standard. Unlike the other versions, the PHEV Big Dog gets the brand’s new massive 14.6-inch multimedia screen and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, alongside other interior upgrades and hardware seen in other upcoming Haval products.

In China the current Big Dog and the next-generation replacement are sold side-by-side.

It's understood this overhauled hybrid version which is most appealing to the local division, with the brand indicating it will need to add more plug-in models to the range in light of the new vehicle emissions standard (NVES). As Maciver says: “NVES is a big reason for plug-in vehicles going forward - we need more EVs and PHEVs - HEVs are not enough.”