Chinese Hatch Plan

In 2007, 30-odd Chinese brands were heading to South Africa, but First Automotive Works (FAW), Great Wall Motors (GWM), Chery and Geely were among the few who survived the recession and very critical SA buyers.

FAW J2

IMPERIAL Group, who distributes FAW cars and light commercials in South Africa, last week issued a statement to say how impressed it was with the local road test results of entry-level FAW V2 hatchback.

Pedro Pereira, the general manager for FAW cars and LCVs in SA, said the V2 will later this year join the Sirius seven-seater MPV and panel van in the passenger line-up.

He hopes to retail the V2 with its 1,3 four-cylinder
petrol engine for less than R100 k, pitting it against the Chery QQ 0.8 TX (R94 900, 38 kW, 70 Nm), Citroën’s C1 1.0i Attraction (R99 900, 50 kW, 93 Nm) and the Tata Indica 1.4 LE (R99 995, 55 kW, 110 Nm).

The V2 has these past six months been evaluated under local operating conditions by engineers from FAW in China.

FAW passenger and LCV technical manager Johan Ackerman said they had no problems during a 1 000km/day for five days trip that included a variety of roads surfaces, mountain passes and sections on gravel roads.

The route went from Johannesburg to Upington and then on to Cape Town with two days of sea-level testing in the Western Cape before travelling back to Johannesburg.

Ackerman says he was particularly impressed by the roadholding and handling as well as ride comfort with a fully-laden car and added that the V2 was stable at highway speeds.

Real world fuel consumption was 6,1 l/100 km with four occupants in the car travelling at between 115-120km/h when conditions permitted. The tank range to an empty 37-litre tank was 562 km.

Pereira said FAW now has 22 multi-franchise Imperial dealer facilities and is in talks to open a few more FAW outlets shortly.

GMW C20R

KNOWN as the Voleex C20R in China, GWM will officially launch its compact city hatch at the City Rock Concert with Vodacom in Johannesburg next month.

GWM has appointed Andreas Deufel as styling design director. Deufel previously worked for Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which is a good thing, for the C20R will go up against the likes of the Renault 1,6  Sandero Stepway (R150 k, 64kW/128Nm) and Volkswagen’s 1.6 Cross Polo (R225 k, 77 kW/155  Nm)

The C20R comes with a 1.5 VVT petrol engine that delivers 77 kW at 6 000 rpm and 138 Nm of torque at 4 200. Power goes to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission from the C10 of which Car magazine said “is a joy to use because the throws are nicely short and direct”.

GWM claims a combined cycle fuel economy figure of 7,7 l/100 km can be achieved for this model, resulting in a CO2 emissions figure of 179 g/km. Dual airbags in front, disc brakes all-round with ABS and EBD as well as emergency brake assistance (EBA) complete the active safety systems. The rear seats have Isofix child-seat anchorages and the doors feature child-lock protection. The front seatbelts are height-adjustable. An alarm and immobiliser are fitted as standard.

The C20R is available through GWM’s comprehensive dealership network, currently boasting more than 70 outlets and service centres. The C20R costs R154 900, with a three-year, 100 000 km warranty, two-year roadside assistance and a service plan of three years or 45 000 km.

Chery J2

AS reported recently in Witness Wheels, the styling by Italian design house Pininfarina hides the size of this hatch, which is the longest small hatch in the bunch.

With a kerb weight of 1 180 kg, the J2 is currently the heaviest hatchback, with a 1,5 engine. Its boot is not the biggest, at 270 litres, but its maker claims that it has the most torque among entry-level A-segment cars, with a 1,5 engine producing 140 Nm from 4 500.

While boasting the most power on paper, the engine is old-fashioned, with none of the variable valve jiggery and combustion mapping that can turn even a three-cylinder into a little power mill. (More on this on page 4).

The suspension is like a comfortable running shoe, pliant enough not to induce bone-rattling shakes over every bump, but not so soft that it has forgotten how to corner. In fact, without any passengers to weigh down the rear, the back end will even attempt a little oversteer on the right camber.

The J2 has the longest warranty among hatches, five years or 120 000 km, backed by the manufacturer. The service plan is rather short, at two years or 30 000 km. Service intervals are 15 000 km after a mandatory oil change at 5 000 km.

Chery’s J2 is not the cheapest Chinese hatch at R129 900. It competes in the cut-throat hatch segmentwith the Geely MK 1,5 Limited (R115 k, 69 kW, 128 Nm), Toyota’s Etios 1,5 XS: (R127 k, 66 kW, 132 Nm) and the GWM Florid Cross 1,5 (R130 k, 77 kW, 138 Nm).

GEELY South Africa has launched what it says is the hatch “that outperforms everything in its class as far as performance and standard equipment go”.

Geely GC2 GB

The new Geely GC2 GB has a 997cc 3-cylinder petrol engine coupled to a manual 5-speed transmission. Geely said the engine delivers 50 kW at 6 000 rpm and 88 Nm of torque at 3 600 rpm.

“The new GC2 is aimed at the entry level market such as school graduates, varsity and college students and other young people starting off in the work environment,” says Geely marketing manager Gareth Azzie.

“Theℓ GC2 GB boasts a comprehensive list of standard features, including a sound system, air-conditioning and remote central locking as well as electric windows and mirrors,” says Azzie.

Pricing is pegged at R89 900 (including VAT) for the new GC2 GB, which includes aircon and all of the features mentioned (a direct competitor with a smaller engine starts at the same price, but excludes air-conditioning).

Other optional extras that come standard include electric door mirrors with manual folding, electric windows in the front, remote central locking, anti-theft alarm, three-point seat belts (2 x front and 2 x rear), driver’s seatbelt warning, door open buzzer, rear windscreen wiper with defrosting and demisting, rear door child safety locks, 165/60R14 rubber on steel rims, a full-size spare wheel, radio with USB and AUX sockets, front door speakers, rear speakers and an on-board fire extinguisher.

All Geely models are covered by a three-year/100 000 km warranty, while optional service plans are also available.