Haval has made official the hybrid version of its Big Dog crossover — sold overseas, Russia included, as the Dargo — for the Chinese market. Word of a conventional, non-plug-in HEV first surfaced in July 2026 through certification filings with China's industry ministry, and the brand is now promoting the car itself.
Styling changes are minimal. Haval certified two front ends for the hybrid — one matching the current petrol model, the other wearing a slotted panel across the grille — and it is the latter that features in the launch imagery. The HEV also appears to gain a step up in driver assistance, with what look like extra cameras or sensors on the front fenders. Size is untouched: 4620 mm long, 1890 mm wide and 1780 mm tall on a 2738-mm wheelbase.
Inside, the one visible update is a three-spoke steering wheel, replacing the two-spoke unit introduced with last year's facelift. Everything else carries over, from the separate instrument and infotainment screens to the front-passenger grab handle and the column-mounted shifter.
According to the July certification, the hybrid pairs a 156-hp 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with either Hi2 front-wheel drive or Hi4 all-wheel drive; the electric motors' output has yet to be disclosed. The larger Big Dog Plus — treated by Haval as the second-generation Big Dog and badged H7 in Russia — will get a plain HEV variant too; in China it currently comes as a plug-in hybrid with up to 435 hp and a CLTC electric range of up to 200 km.