The Chitu was presented as the successor of the Haval F5 in February 2021.[2] Sales of the Chitu started two months later at Auto Shanghai in China two months later.[3]
The term Chitu is the Chinese word for "red hare" in English.[4] This makes the Chitu, after the Big Dog, the second model of the brand to be named after an animal.
Powertrain
The Haval Chitu was originally powered by a 1.5-litre (1.499 cc) turbocharged petrol direct injection (PDI) GW4B15C engine for the 2021 model year.[5] In the late 2021 for the 2022 model year, the PDI engine was replaced by a less powerful 1.5-litre (1.497 cc) turbocharged petrol engine, called GW4G15K.[5] Both engines are paired with a 7-speed DCT transmission. A hybrid variant was also introduced for the 2022 model year with a combination of 1.5-litre (1.497 cc) naturally aspirated petrol engine (GW4G15H) and an electric motor, developing a combined power of 190 PS (187 hp; 140 kW).[6] Paired with a 2-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).[5]
For the 2023 model year, the PDI engine was reintroduced with new code called GW4B15L, available for the higher trims. The lower output turbocharged engine is also received new GW4G15M code, set for the lower trims.[5]
