Driving H6 Hybrid like a song in the park

The design of the GWM H6 1.5T DHT Ultra Luxury Hybrid is pleasant, but the real story is the technology humming away beneath the sheet metal.

The heart of the experience is GWM’s Dedicated Hybrid Transmission, or DHT, as it is widely known. This is not a conventional automatic gearbox with an electric motor tacked on, but a specially designed system intended to blend power from the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and an electric motor in a manner that feels like a song.

In practice, the two-speed hybrid gearbox manages three crucial tasks simultaneously: it transmits drive to the wheels, recovers energy to recharge the battery pack, and allows the electric motor to provide a boost of torque during hard acceleration. The result is a combined system output of 179kW and a substantial 530Nm of torque, figures that translate into brisk music on the highway and a relaxed symphony around town.

I found it fascinating observing the H6 Hybrid powertrain’s decision-making in real time. I was almost glued to the digital instrument cluster display, watching the energy flow diagram as the car shuffled between pure electric driving, series hybrid mode, and parallel hybrid drive. This is the technology behind it successfully mimicing a fully electric vehicle for the majority of a daily commute. The internal combustion engine, a 1.5-litre unit, chimes in almost imperceptibly. The integration is so polished that I struggled to detect the exact moment the petrol engine woke from its slumber, making the cabin a supremely serene place to listen to music.

Inside, the conversation with technology continued via GWM’s Coffee OS infotainment system. The sheer acreage of screen real estate is noticeable; a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster sits in front of the driver, while a massive 14.6-inch central touchscreen dominates the dashboard and serves as the command hub for nearly all vehicle functions. The graphics are crisp and modern. Wireless or wired Android Auto was a challenge and, unfortunately, left me relying on my phone screen for mapping and directions.

An understated but delightful feature was the 540-degree panoramic camera system, which stitches together a bird’s-eye view of the vehicle and combines it with a transparent chassis function, making tight urban parking manoeuvres feel like a song in the park.

One of my favourite features in any vehicle is electrically adjustable seats. The H6 Hybrid did not disappoint. The seats are firm, comfortable and can be adjusted with absolute ease, like adjusting the volume of the music.

The number of advanced driver-assistance systems makes the specification list read like a flagship sedan’s. During a tedious stretch of highway, I engaged the adaptive cruise control, which worked in concert with the lane-keeping assist to reduce the mental load of stop-start traffic significantly. Safety alerts, including rear cross-traffic alert and blind-spot detection, were present without being intrusive.

The GWM H6 1.5T DHT Ultra Luxury Hybrid delivers that EV-style gliding sensation without the anxiety of finding a charging station, proving that a combustion engine can coexist with electrons in a way that feels futuristic and musical.

*Pricing for the GWM H6 1.5T DHT Ultra Luxury Hybrid starts at R686,500.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.