Chatenet CH26: the French’s idea of a ‘smart’

Chatenet CH26

I don’t blame you if you think this is what happens when a Chinese car company cannot decide whether to rip off the MINI or the Alfa Romeo MiTo and decided to just do both at once. But no, this is actually a product of a French company, and the car is called the Chatenet CH26.

I’m sure you are wondering where did this Chatenet company come from. Automobiles Chatenet currently only has one other car for sale called the Barooder. That particular car is a tiny two-door with a 505cc engine that makes just over 20 horsepower. There is even a convertible version.

Chatenet CH26

The new CH26 however, is powered by a diesel engine (looks like there’s no turbo) and apparently it puts out just over 5 horsepower from a 523cc diesel? Even with a kerb weight of about 350kg that still seems awfully low. It measures 3065mm long, with a wheelbase of 2054mm.

Look after the jump for more pix of the abomination.

[zenphotopress number=99 album=324]

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Smart? i would say it's a smart mini though.

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  • Nutty on Jun 14, 2009 at 4:07 am

    Ahh…looks cute in a way…

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  • First!

    weird car…

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  • mitlanevo on Jun 14, 2009 at 4:40 am

    5hp????? u gotta be kidding…….

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  • Julian-Lee on Jun 14, 2009 at 4:48 am

    BMW 1-series better than China crap car

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  • below100k on Jun 14, 2009 at 4:57 am

    not 5 lar..additional 5hp ftom other model..means 25hp..if 5hp, better buy ex5

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  • mystvearn on Jun 14, 2009 at 5:07 am

    IMHO its very ugly. The front end that is. Rear, fine.

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  • ali38hak on Jun 14, 2009 at 5:22 am

    i think this a new 'no driving licence need car',

    in france there is allowed to drive with no licence if its drives less then 25(or 35) Km/h

    very normal there, i saw a lot of them in france, and my friend in france has had one, they are very loud :)

    but its populer by older ladies and gentlemens in the city..

    P.S.: Actually not the correct place but

    i think my love to proton is going down very fast :(

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  • watcha gonna do wit tat man. let 10 yr old play wit it? 20hp is not todays world. remind me of fiat 500

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  • mini look-alike

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  • Gajen on Jun 14, 2009 at 7:59 am

    too light no good…very unstable…esp if its a small car…the shape is really weird..

    ill take toyota IQ anytime…

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    • sarawak sarawak on Feb 24, 2018 at 5:03 am

      Bodoh malaysian tak skolah. Since when light is unstable? Light or heavy at high speed is a function of downforce.

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  • 5 hp from a diesel?

    lets calculate. 350kg x 3= 1050kg. (estimate)

    5hp to move 1050kg, seriously underpowered.

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  • opps, i mean 15hp to move 1050kg.

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  • natkid on Jun 14, 2009 at 7:02 pm

    gotta admit, it's quite cute..

    but 5hp?

    it'll go faster if there're 2 slaves carrying d car

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  • wonderful small dies on Jun 14, 2009 at 7:12 pm

    Small diesel engine car nust be very economy. It is a right time to sales in the present bad economy situation.

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  • droll on Jun 14, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    0-100 in 35 hours? LOL!

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  • bahtosaius on Jun 14, 2009 at 11:22 pm

    what a weird car…..how come the french start copycatx10 like china car maker???

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  • Fiziks on Jun 15, 2009 at 12:21 am

    worst than china car, completely rubbish

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  • got character

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  • raybrig85 on Jun 15, 2009 at 6:08 am

    [quote comment="244478"]BMW 1-series better than China crap car[/quote]

    wtf u alwiz compare all cars with bmw…

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  • raybrig85 on Jun 15, 2009 at 6:09 am

    ugly version of mini

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  • lazyf on Jun 15, 2009 at 6:10 am

    eventhough it looks weird…but i like it…

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  • wahhhh!! if this car has P1 name on it.. sure kena hemtam kaw-kaw punyaa more than 30 comments for sure

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  • azrai on Jun 15, 2009 at 3:44 pm

    Maybe our local car manufacturer should name their car with Chedet to pay tribute. :-)

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  • the stik on Jun 15, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    rear light macam Mito.. sape agree?

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  • initial R on Jun 15, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    BMW mini cooper wanabe.

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  • looks like it's got aircond.i estimate the aircond only gonna sap 2 hp.so left only 3 hp to move the car?

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  • mkrafz on Jun 16, 2009 at 2:03 am

    ya..

    the front is from Mito,

    and would u look at the rear end…!

    a ferrari rip off…!

    copycat..!

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  • looks like it's design and made in China… lol…

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  • John Ash on Nov 15, 2009 at 4:53 pm

    I would very much like to know were i can buy one of this car, and also the cost of same

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  • sarawak sarawak on Feb 24, 2018 at 4:59 am

    you have to go to france to see how the french do things. Everything they do is solution to problem. Unlike in bolehland. Malaysians are ‘monkey see- monkey do’ (See other people do, they do it but don’t know why doing it)

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