Local prices, engine specs, performance, fuel economy data, reliability and safety listings for every car
sold in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait!
Chinese Chery's range of cars are hilariously named, and looking at them will give you a feeling that you've seen them before, even if you've never heard of Chery.
We have no experience with these cars either, so we'll just take stuff out of
the brochure. We start off with the A11, also known as the Wind Cloud, and a car
that looks remarkably like the Seat Toledo that was discontinued last decade.
The company promises an elegant driving experience thanks to a Ford 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine, a Siemens ABS braking system, two airbags from a company called American Breed, Webster electric sunroof and French Valeo air-conditioning. In short, it is an ideal model of outsourcing, except that other companies don't exactly brag about it. There is
only a manual gearbox, while standard features thankfully include power windows, central locking, radio cassette player and a spare tyre. Options available on the top luxury model include a CD changer, leather upholstery, sunroof, imitation wood trim and a rear armrest. At least they are upfront about the fake wood, unlike Toyota.
Competitors:
Hyundai Accent
Skoda Fabia
Toyota Yaris
Price Range
Dhs 35000 -
45000 (US$ 9500 - 12200)
Body Styles
4-door sedan
Weight (kg)
1050 - 1070
Version
Performance
Engine
Gearbox
Power (hp)
Torque (Nm)
Fuel Econ (l/100km)
0-100 kph (sec)
Top Speed (kph)
1.6 I4 FWD
5M
87
132
6.3
18.0
160
Good
Price, fuel economy
Bad
Power, noisy engine, unproven reliability
Chery B11 Oriental Son
The son of the Orient is the most impressive to look at. The design seems derivative, but is largely original and non-offensive, though what is under the hood is outsourced from Mitsubishi. Boasting the most advanced engine in this raggedy range, it comes with
only an automatic transmission in this region. The underpowered 2.4-litre engine is
of the same design as the one that did duty in various large Mitsubishi models
in the past. There is also a 2.0-litre engine that has almost as much power as
the 2.4-litre. With a Delphi ABS system and four airbags, it does not skimp on safety items, and with options such a visual reverse sensor, a 3-screen DVD stereo system, a CD changer, an automatic thermostatic air-conditioner and 8-way adjustable power leather seats, you'd be hard-pressed to find better value anywhere else, even among the Koreans. Other options on this front-wheel-drive compact include an electric sunroof, keyless entry and even GPS navigation. We just hope it is not loaded with a map of mainland China.
Competitors:
Chevrolet Optra
Hyundai Elantra
Kia Optima
Price Range
Dhs 49000 -
73000 (US$ 13300 - 19900)
Body Styles
4-door sedan
Weight (kg)
1460 -
1470
Version
Performance
Engine
Gearbox
Power (hp)
Torque (Nm)
Fuel Econ (l/100km)
0-100 kph (sec)
Top Speed (kph)
2.0 I4 FWD
2.4 I4 FWD
4A
4A
123
127
168
198
7.4
7.5
15.0
13.0
175
190
Good
Affordable, loaded with top-spec options, fuel economy
Bad
Slow, soft
handling, unproven reliability
Chery S11 QQ
The painfully cute QQ symbolises China's history of producing bootlegged electronics and brand-name clothes. Except in this case, they've managed to pirate a complete car. As unbelievable as it might sound, the QQ was copied from a previous-generation Daewoo Matiz, now sold as the Chevrolet Spark. It is said that the cars are so alike that parts can be interchanged between the two cars. Needless to say, General Motors is pissed and they've been fighting in Chinese courts for ages now. Apparently, former Daewoo engineers got jobs at Chery, and they brought Daewoo blueprints with them. The car, however, is cheaper than dirt and you can have the same car for less money. The tiny 3-cylinder and 4-cylinder engines in the QQ produce almost as much power as the Spark, so it is still a painfully slow car. Keyless entry and power windows are standard, while dual airbags and CD player are optional. If anyone is interested in a brand new pint-sized car as small as this for fuel economy or whatever other reason, they might actually be happy with this thing. From what we hear, they are far from perfectly reliable, but we haven't exactly heard good things about GM-Daewoo either.
Competitors:
Chevrolet Spark
Daihatsu Charade
Kia Picanto
Price Range
Dhs 23000 - 26000 (US$
6250 - 7100)
Body Styles
5-door hatchback
Weight (kg)
910 - 950
Version
Performance
Engine
Gearbox
Power (hp)
Torque (Nm)
Fuel Econ (l/100km)
0-100 kph (sec)
Top Speed (kph)
0.8 I3 FWD 1.1 I4 FWD
5M/4A 5M
52 63
77 83
4.4-5.3 4.4-5.3
19.0-21.0 18.5
130 135
Good
Dirt cheap, easy to park, economical, plays pirated CDs
Bad
Slow, unrefined, luggage space, pirated car?
Chery T11 Tiggo
The Chinese Tiggo beautifully illustrates the Koreans' fight for dominance in the small-4WD segment over the Japanese. The Tiggo has a bit of the Kia Sorento front end slapped onto the body of a previous-generation Toyota RAV-4. It kind of reminds us of a fake Rolex watch that has a Swatch lookalike face--a bit of the best and a bit of the average, but still ultimately neither. The five-door five-seater Tiggo does benefit from a versatile interior though, with fold-flat seats and a spacious cargo area. Features, standard or optional, include front dual airbags, rear three-point seat belts, ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, disc brakes, keyless entry, alloy wheels and a rear windshield wiper. Powered by a 2.4-litre Mitsubishi-sourced 4-cylinder engine, it comes with either a four-speed auto with two-wheel-drive, or a five-speed manual gearbox with all-wheel-drive. Chery also brags that sports car maker Lotus Engineering had a hand in developing this mishmash, so we expect decent handling. Don't put too much faith in the incredibly low manufacturer-quoted fuel consumption numbers though.
The V5 Crossover is aptly named, although we'd say it is more of a minivan segment player. From what we can gather from vague press materials, it aims to include all the comforts of a luxury car with the space and versatility of a wagon. The interior is beautiful in design, though the build quality is far from perfect. The centrally-mounted gauges and the fake wood trim are expected downsides. Powered by the same 2.4-litre four-cylinder Mitsubishi engine that serves most other Chery models, it comes with a 4-speed automatic. Standard features include power windows, remote central locking, CD player with optional 6-disc changer, 16-inch alloy wheels, manual cloth seats or optional electric leather seats, dual front airbags with optional front-side airbags, ABS-assisted four-wheel-disc brakes with EBD, power mirrors, parking sensors, power steering, optional DVD navigation, sunroof and of course an alarm system should someone try to steal your Chery.
