BYD

BYD F3 At first glance, this Chinese-built car looks like nothing more than a cheap copy of the Toyota Corolla, with the rear end of a Honda City mixture, but wearing a fake BMW badge. And it is exactly that, but if you look past the lame attempts at plagiarism, you'll find a package that actually might be a decent deal for a new car. The F3 is powered by a 1.6-litre Mitsubishi-sourced engine, mated to a 5-speed manual Mitsubishi gearbox. It includes an interior that is exactly like that of a last-generation Toyota Corolla, but with softer touchable surfaces. Available features, standard or optional, include 15-inch wheels, leather upholstery, dual front airbags, sunroof, manual air-conditioning, CD player, remote keyless entry, fake wood trim, height-adjustable steering wheel, power windows, ABS brakes and the price tag of a car half its size. Build quality seems to be of passing-grade, although some plastic pieces have an unfinished feel to them. If only they'd try a bit harder and a be a bit more original.

Compact Sedan Road Tests & Articles: none Competitors: Audi A4 Chery A11 Chevrolet Optra

Price Range		Dhs 29900 - 36000 (US$ 8100 - 9800)
Body Styles		4-door sedan
Weight (kg)		1200
Version				Performance
Engine	Gearbox	Power (hp)	Torque (Nm)	Fuel Econ (l/100km)	0-100 kph (sec)	Top Speed (kph)
1.6 I4 FWD	5M	98	134	6.3	12.3	185
Good		Lots of cabin features, low price, fuel economy
Bad		Slow, unfinished feel, no automatic, pirated image

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