Driving the small Chinese Haval Jolion front drive SUV, as I said earlier, more medium than small in size, rather stylish with nice fit and finish and very highly equipped with a seven-year/ unlimited kilometre warranty.

Three models, powered by a 1.5-litre turbo 110kW four-cylinder driving through a 7-speed dual clutch automatic with manual shift paddles. I tested the flagship Jolion Ultra sharply priced at $32,990 drive-away. Value for money the keynote feature, but driving elements somewhat of a letdown.

The engine course under load with poor throttle response and turbo lag while gear changes are hesitant. I also couldn’t match the stated combined cycle fuel economy of 8.1 L/100, my best just under 10L/100.

Steering nicely weighted with suspension great for ride but lacking control with inadequate damping. My biggest gripe, the lack of finesse in some of its active safety elements – lane keep assist far too intrusive and unsettling. To turn it off also requires several actions on the wide multi-media touch screen which is annoyingly orientated for left hand drive.

Most disappointing feature, active cruise control – cruising at 110km/hour on the freeway the radar on a bend will pick up a slower car doing say 90k in the adjoining lane and brake abruptly, which is simply dangerous in fast moving traffic. But if you’re limited by budget then the Haval Jolion offers incredible value for money.

I’m David Berthon.

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