Rent Haval Jolion 2024 in Dubai

The Haval Jolion 2024 rents in Dubai for close to what a base-spec Japanese hatchback costs, yet the cabin comes with a panoramic sunroof, a wide touchscreen and safety kit that pricier SUVs charge extra for. That gap between what you pay and what you sit in is the reason people ask for it by name. We get it to your door in one to two hours, no counter and no queue. What this page settles is whether the spec sheet is enough to outweigh a badge most residents don't recognise yet, or whether that unfamiliarity is reason enough to spend more on a known name for your week.

What you get for the money

Haval is a newer name in Dubai than Toyota or Hyundai, but the Jolion's spec sheet doesn't read like a budget car. The engine is a 1.5-litre turbo four making 147 hp and 220 Nm, sent through a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic rather than the CVT most rivals in this class use to keep costs down. That matters on the road. A DCT holds a gear and delivers power directly instead of letting the engine flare and drone the way a CVT does, so the Jolion feels more responsive pulling away from a light on Sheikh Zayed Road than its price would suggest.

The cabin backs this up. A panoramic sunroof, a wide central touchscreen and a decent list of driver-assist features come standard here, items some mainstream rivals hold back for a step-up trim. Front-wheel drive keeps things simple, and there's no all-wheel-drive Jolion sold in this region, so this is a car built for tarmac, not one pretending to be a 4x4.

Space, boot and the family week

At 337 litres, the boot is the number to plan around. That's enough for one large suitcase and a couple of soft bags, not the two-suitcase-plus-bag boot you'd get in a Kia Seltos or Nissan Kicks. For a couple heading to DXB with carry-on and one hold case each, it's fine. For a family of four doing a proper airport run with hold luggage all round, you'll be stacking bags on the back seat or leaving one behind.

Cabin space is more generous than the boot suggests. At 4,468 mm long and 1,841 mm wide, the Jolion sits in the same footprint as its class rivals, and the raised seating gives the commanding view people rent a crossover for in the first place. Two adults sit comfortably up front, and the back seat handles two adults or three kids across on a normal week of mall runs and errands. Put a fourth adult back there with full luggage and it gets tight, the same honest limit as every compact SUV in this class.

Ground clearance runs around 180 mm, enough to clear Dubai's speed bumps and the steeper multi-storey ramps at the malls without scraping. At 1,841 mm wide it needs a touch more room in a tight tower bay than a hatchback, but nothing a normal reverse-in can't handle.

Running cost, heat and the cabin

GWM quotes the Jolion's combined economy at 6.8 litres per 100 km. That number comes off a lab cycle, and Dubai traffic with the AC pinned rarely matches it. Expect closer to 9 litres per 100 km across a normal week of driving, which still puts the 55-litre tank at around 600 km of real-world range, enough that most renters fill up once or twice across a week of commuting and errands.

Your daily allowance on this car is 250 km, which covers city driving without a second thought. Go past it and it's AED 0.5 per extra kilometre, so a full day trip to Hatta and back is worth watching on the odometer. Salik tolls and any RTA fines land on the renter, as with every car we rent, and you'll need to be 25 to take the keys on the Jolion.

The panoramic sunroof that makes the cabin feel bigger works against you here. Glass holds more heat than sheet metal, so after a few hours parked under the August sun the cabin starts out a notch hotter than a car without one. The front vents pull it down to comfortable within a few minutes once you're moving, and there's enough strength behind them to keep two front-seat passengers cool through a normal drive. Park in shade when you can, and it's a minor issue rather than a real one.

Who should rent it, and who should pay up for a mainstream badge

Rent the Jolion 2024 if the spec sheet matters more to you than the badge on the bonnet. For the price, you get a turbocharged engine, a proper twin-clutch automatic and cabin kit that costs extra on more familiar names, and for a couple or a small family doing mall runs, commuting and the odd airport pickup, it does the job without complaint.

Pay up for a Hyundai Creta or a Kia Seltos if brand recognition and a longer track record in the region matter to you, or if you need the extra boot space for two full-size suitcases without compromise. Look at a Renault Duster if your week includes an actual trip off the tarmac, since the Jolion is front-wheel drive only and stays on the road. For a renter who wants a well-equipped small SUV at a fair price and isn't worried about driving something less common on Dubai's roads, the Jolion earns its place.