The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, as we all know, is one of the most popular, well established full-sized SUVs in Bangladesh. Competing against a car with this pedigree in Bangladesh is like comparing silver with platinum.

Knowing these conditions, Haval, with high hope and a strong will, came up with the H9, a direct competitor with the Prado, for half the price. But the main questions are always perpetual. Is it a worthy contender of the Prado or should you trust Toyota?

This week, we are going to compare the second-generation Haval H9 with the fourth-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

How does the Chinese samurai hold up to the Japanese connoisseur?

Haval does bring a lot to the table in this confrontation. But the car is almost identical to the Prado. Almost to the point, it's sort of like playing a game of spot the difference. You could easily mistake an H9 for a Prado but either way, they both have their fair share of differences.

On paper, both are full-sized SUVs sporting seven seats, a 4WD system, and rear diff lock capabilities. Step inside the car and you could find that differences are keen. Both the cars have tri-zone climate control systems, leather dashes with wooden trim, albeit the Haval wooden panels look a little fancier than the Prado trims in my opinion. Leather front and back seats, front seats are power in both cars, leather stitched steering wheel and cup holders in their usual places to hold your favourite Crimson Cup drink.

Although the Haval has better headroom than the Prado, the backbench in the Prado is nicer. But overall though, the Haval cabin is heaps better than the Prado as mostly due to the benign leather dash and seats. It almost feels premium compared to the Prado.

What matters the most

The Prado powered by the 2.8L turbo-diesel making 130kW/450 Nm equipped with a six-speed automatic or manual transmission has a larger displacement than the H9; which comes with a 2L turbo under the hood making 180kW/350 Nm equipped with an eight-speed transmission which is far more compared to the Prado. But then, the larger displacement makes the experience smoother and comes in handy when tackling terrain on low-range gear modes.

The Haval is nothing less though compared to the Prado, having a six terrain mode system to make sure to tackle terrain, mud, and snow with ease. When it comes to commuting, the Prado sports a communicative steering and automated braking system which the Haval lacks unfortunately but it has a good enough cruise control system that makes your driving experiences on the freeway less tiring.

Although it has quite a handful of missing features from necessary driver aid to the autonomous braking systems, coming at half the price of a Prado, complaints are faint. Although the Prado has a larger displacement makes commuting experiences less harsh compared to the H9 and, the engine fluidity from a Toyota is still far better compared to the Haval, as of now at least.

Longevity wise, the Japanese never disappoint and still have that trust from the average person cashing out for a car but, if consistency is maintained from the Chinese manufacturers, things could take a turn for the better. Until then, the Prado remains an untouchable SUV in Bangladesh.

VERDICT 

To be fair, the Haval H9 puts up a great deal by showing exponential growth, being not such a popular company compared to Toyota. The H9 proves that times have changed and if not kept up with the things outside tradition, it really can switch the default.