Archive for Chery

Chery has announced that it will compete in the 2010 Dakar Rally, and with that be the first Chinese automaker to participate in what’s famously known as “The World’s Toughest Race”. Next year’s Dakar will again be held in South America over the challenging terrain of Argentina and Chile. Chery acknowledges the difficulty that lies ahead – it calls the race “devil rally”!

Chery will campaign its Rely fleet of SUVs – two X5 race cars, one X5 conductor car and one H5 support car. Ningjun Lu, who has raced in Dakar five times, will lead the driver lineup. Jiang Yaoheng is the other driver with Dali Ma as the team manager. “It’s definitely stressful to attend the 2010 Dakar Rally, but X5, as a real Chinese brand, has different meaning, we have to get good scores,” said a motivated Lu.

Rely is a sub-brand created by Chery for its home market focussing on “high-end all-round commercial vehicles”. Besides Rely, Chery also has Riich (premium passenger cars) and Karry (compacts) brands under its portfolio, but just for use domestically.

The 2010 Dakar Rally will start on New Year’s Day at Buenos Aires and end on January 16 in the same city. This year, the route will measure 9000 km, with a long stint in the Atacama Desert.

Chinese auto manufacturer Chery claims the new Chery S18 (it’s not wrong for you to see a resemblance to the Suzuki Splash) to be Chery’s first self-developed electric car, capable of hitting a top sped of 120km/h and a maximum range of 150km on a full charge. The Chery S18 uses iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion batteries which can be charged in between 4 to 6 hours, and 80% charged in half an hour.

This makes Chery the 2nd Chinese manufacturer to unveil an electric car after BYD unveiled its plug-in hybrid BYD F3DM last year. Chery also demonstrated its hybrid systems as part of the Beijing Olympics fleet. Hybrid versions of the Chery A5 with electric motors and hybrid systems developed by supplier Ricardo were used as part of transportation arrangements. Its rival BYD on the other hand, has the confidence, support and investment of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway.

Look after the jump for a rear shot of the S18.

Click here to read the rest of Chery unveils new Chery S18 electric car

Chinese automaker Chery Automobile Co Ltd signed an agreement with Thai company Thai Chery Yarnyon last Friday to assemble SKD (semi-knocked down) packs of Chery vehicles in Thailand. An initial planned capacity is 5000 vehicles annually and will include vehicles such as the Chery QQ compact car and the Chery Tiggo SUV. The output is aimed at both domestic and South East Asian regional markets.

It looks like Chery is taking a multiple-base approach for its ASEAN production centers. It also partnered up with Malaysian company Chery Alado Holdings Sdn Bhd to set up an assembly line at the Oriental Assembler Sdn Bhd’s assembly plant in Johor.

The Malaysian assembly line will also have a capacity of 5,000 units a year and will also produce the Chery Tiggo SUV together with the Chery V5 MPV (known as the Chery Eastar in Malaysia).

Chery is currently the number 1 exporter of passenger vehicles in China, with vehicles from the company making up nearly 50% of China’s vehicle exports in the first 9 months of 2008. It has exported 115,500 vehicles this year so far, and exported 119,800 units during the whole of 2007.

Source

Chery’s B240 MPV has been relaunched in Malaysia as a locally assembled car and it is now called the Chery Eastar. The locally assembled Chery Eastar MPVs will roll out of Oriental Assembler Sdn Bhd’s plant in Johor, but a new CKD plant will be up and running in Pekan, Pahang by the end of 2009.

The Pekan plant will include an investment of over RM50 million in equipment and will begin assembly of up to 100,000 Chery vehicles a year, including 10 models such as hybrids, SUVs, MPVs and executive cars.

According to Chery Alado Sdn Bhd’s chairman Tan Sri Cam Soh Thiam Hong, more details on the plant will be announced in the next two months together with its joint venture partners which may include a GLC. “Malaysia is the largest passenger car market in ASEAN and also the important link for Chery to other ASEAN countries’ market. We currently have 7 other overseas factories in countries like Russia, Iran, Egypt and Argentina and are planning to accelerate more overseas factories in the coming 2 years,” said Chinese automaker Chery Automobile Co Ltd’s president Yin Tongyao.

Chery currently exports 120,000 vehicles yearly and plans to hit 400,000 vehicles by 2010. As it is, the Malaysian plant will export 30% of its Chery Eastar production to countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. Local sales of the MPV is expected to be between 120 to 200 units monthly.

Under the hood of the 7-seater Chery Eastar MPV is a 2.4 liter SOHC Mitsubishi long-stroke engine producing a rather sedate 127 horsepower at 5,500rpm and 198Nm of torque at 3,000rpm. This is quite a conservatively-tuned basic engine (SOHC, 9:1 compression) which does not produce much power for its displacement but should be relatively easy on maintenance. It is mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting. The MPV measures 4662mm long, 1820mm wide and 1590mm tall with a long 2800mm wheelbase.

The new Chery Eastar is priced at RM79,888 for the standard version and RM86,888 for the high-spec version. The standard version includes LED rear lamps, side turn indicators on the wing mirrors, all-round disc brakes, a radio cassette player with 6 speakers, manual windows and 16 inch steel wheels while the premium version adds a CD player with MP3 support, steering wheel audio controls, ABS brakes, traction control, power windows for all four doors, dual SRS airbags for the front, and 16 inch alloy wheels. Further options include 18 inch alloy wheels and an NGV kit.

The high-spec version adds It comes with 1 year free service (for the first 1,000 units sold) and a 3+2 year warranty.

Click here to read the rest of Chery Alado launches locally assembled 2.4 liter Chery Eastar 7-seater MPV

Click to enlarge

Chinese automaker Chery and automotive components supplier Ricardo developed these hybrid versions of the Chery A5 as part of transportation arrangements for the Beijing Olympics. The 50-unit fleet comprise of two different types of A5s. One is a start-stop “hybrid” which is basically a regular 1.6 liter petrol engine with a 5-speed manual equipped with start-stop system called the Belt Starter-Generator (BSG).

The other is what we would normally consider a hybrid vehicle. A 1.3 liter petrol engine is combined with a crank-mounted 12kW 151 volt motor. The system was fully developed by Ricardo, using an integrated hybrid control unit comprising of motor drive electronics, DC to DC converter and a high-voltage battery pack positioned behind the rear seats with minimal intrusion into the luggage area.

Ricardo claims the 1.3 liter hybrid system provides similiar peak power and torque to a 1.6 liter benchmark engine, with a 15% improvement in fuel consumption over the benchmark. In addition, the start-stop system can restart the engine within 200ms.

More images after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Chery A5 Hybrid for Beijing Olympics by Ricardo

See rest of upcoming Chery MPV spyshots

Ever since initial sketches of the Proton MPV was revealed by Buletin Utama TV3, there have been readers who have noticed similarities with a disguised next generation Chery MPV that has been spotted and captured on camera in Europe. It’s only natural to start speculating. Let’s take it beyond speculation for abit shall we?

Click here to read the rest of Does the Proton MPV have anything to do with an upcoming Chery MPV?

Chery Alado Holdings Sdn Bhd will assemble 5,000 Chery vehicles at Oriental Assembler Sdn Bhd’s assembly plant in Johor in the next 12 months beginning July 2008, with 60% intended for ASEAN export and the remainder for the local market. Chery Alado Holdings Sdn Bhd is a 50:50 joint venture between Alado Corp Sdn Bhd and China’s Chery Automobile Co Ltd.

Chery intends to make Malaysia its right hand drive production hub for the ASEAN market, and this first stage investment includes a total amount of US$12 million (RM38.5 million). According to Alado president Tan Sri Cam Soh Thiam Hong, the second phase is for export to Commonwealth countries and European right hand drive countries.

Oriental Assemblers Sdn Bhd also assembles CKD Hyundai vehicles in Malaysia. Chery vehicles to be assembled are 2 variants of the Chery B14 MPV (B200 2.0 liter and B240 2.4 liter), as well as the 2.0 liter Chery Tiggo T11 SUV (shown above). The Chery B240 and Chery Tiggo launched in Malaysia last year priced at RM132,972.20 and RM80,292 respectively are CBU units, so the new CKD units will most probably be cheaper.

Related Posts
Chery B240 7-seater MPV in Malaysia
Chery T11 Tiggo SUV on sale in Malaysia

Source

Chery’s new Chery A6 Coupe will go on sale in the second half of 2008. The front wheel drive coupe was based on the Chery A6CC Concept shown at Shanghai 2006.

It is built on Chery’s new B2 platform, and has a wheelbase of 2700mm. The original concept had a 3.0 liter V6, but for the production version three engine options are available – a 3.0-liter V6, a 2.4-liter V6, and a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine.

Read the linked post below for more photos of the A6CC Concept.

Related Posts:
Chery A6CC Concept

UPDATE: Chery Alado launches locally assembled Chery Eastar 7-seater MPV

Alado Automobile has introduced the Chery B240 in Malaysia, another CBU fully imported model for us to consider soon after launching the Chery Tiggo earlier.

The Chery B240 is a 7-seater SUV powered by a 2.4 liter 16 valve SOHC Mitsubishi engine that makes 130 horsepower and 198Nm of torque, likely a similiar unit to the one found in the LMG Trekker, Shuttle, and Tourer. It is mated to a 4-speed gearbox with manual shifting features.

Features include a 6-CD changer audio system, a sunroof, electronic headlamp levelling, a pollen filter for the air conditioning system, dual front airbags, anti-lock disc brakes on all four wheels, electronic brake distribution as well as an option for a stability control program that comes at extra cost.

It costs RM132,972.20 including insurance. No word on how much the version with stability control costs. This 7-seater B240 and the Chery Tiggo SUV were the two models that have been previously reported to be assembled locally in Malaysia soon, perhaps at Proton’s plant using it’s excess production capacity. No word on that as far as I know, and the B240 remains a CBU import for the moment.

More photos of the Chery B240 here, and check out a video after the jump.

Related Posts:
Proton to produce MPV and SUV with Chery
Chery B240 Crossover

Click here to read the rest of Chery B240 7-seater MPV in Malaysia

Chery S12 to enter South American market

After a short pause because of the recent change in ownership over at Chrysler, the talks between Chery and Chrysler on their small car collaboration has resumed.

Two cars are being discussed – one is a Chery model that will be badged as a Chrysler in the US market. CKD kits of the Chery S12 will be shipped to Mexico and South America, and the kit will be assembled there for sale in those markets. The Southern American states share similar fate to South East Asia, we always get the boring stuff.

For other markets where something more premium is needed, Chrysler and Chery intends to produce a production version of the Dodge Hornet concept car in China, both engineered and manufactured at Chery’s research center and plant in Wuhu, Anhui.

Production could begin in 2010.

Source

Chery wants to re-examine it’s deal with Chrysler to develop Chrysler-branded small cars for numerous markets, said Zhang Li, Chery Automobile Co Ltd’s general manager. The project has been halted for the moment and awaits renegotiation of the agreement.

This is because Chrysler has recently changed hands, now belonging to private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management LP thanks to last week’s US$7.45 billion deal. Chrysler spokesperson Mary Gauthier said Chrysler’s global growth plans remains the same, and the new owners Cerberus has not changed any of those goals.

I suppose Chery just wants to play it safe and make sure Cerberus is fully aware of all details of the plan.

Related Posts:
Chrysler goes to Cerberus for US7.45 billion
Chrysler and Chery sign small car letter of intent

The Chery A6CC Concept is a sports coupe designed by Bertone, and is supposed to feature an ACTECO 3.0 liter V6 engine under the hood. The other engine variant would be a turbocharged 2.0 liter, and both will have variable valve timing. Seems to be following Audi’s strategy with performance engine offerings there – a normally aspirated big displacement V6 and a smaller turbo inline-4.

I do hope they actually plan to put brake calipers on those huge brake rotors in the production version, otherwise I would think it would be very hard to get the car to stop. Kind of silly to build a concept model and have the fake brake rotors but miss out on the fake brake calipers.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Chery A6CC Concept

Just like the Chery QQ’s evolution is theChery QQ6, Chery has redone their Chery Tiggo and updated it as the Chery Tiggo6. It looks more modern than the Chery Tiggo that has just reached our shores this month, and doesn’t look so much like a cross between a CR-V and a RAV4 anymore.

The Chery Tiggo6 has permanent all-wheel drive instead of a 2WD system or a 2WD-4WD-low ratio switchable system, and features Chery’s range of AVL-designed ACTECO engines including a Euro 5-compliant 1.9 liter turbodiesel. This means specs-wise, the Chery Tiggo6 is ready to take on Europe, pretty good for a company that not too long ago was just doing clones of Daewoo vehicles.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Chery Tiggo6

For a 1.6 liter Chinese-made sedan to keep up with a Ferrari F430 on the track could only mean there is some huge difference between driving ability of the two drivers biased to the driver of the Chery, but let’s just have a look at this video anyway.

Click here to read the rest of Chery Windcloud vs Ferrari F430

The Chery T11 Tiggo is now available in Malaysia for a sum of RM80,292. While it looks much like a combination of the second generation Toyota RAV4 rear and the 2nd gen Honda CR-V and Naza Sorento’s front, the chassis is not carried from either vehicles.

Chery’s local distributor Alado says the T11 Tiggo sold here is powered by a Mitsubishi-based engine, but I did some research online and was confused by what I found. The Chery T11 Tiggo is available in other markets with two 2.0 liter engine options – one is a 1,997cc Mitsubishi 4G63 engine making 123 horsepower and 170Nm of torque. The other is powered by a Chery-designed ACTECO engine codenamed SQR484F which was developed by Austrian firm AVL. [Source] This engine family has also been commissioned by other automakers like Fiat, which will use the 1.6 liter and 1.8 liter ACTECO engines in it’s China-produced cars.

The Chery ACTECO SQR484F is a 1,971cc DOHC engine with a 10.2:1 compression ratio and produces 129 horsepower at 5,750rpm and 180Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, which matches the specs Alado quoted for our local Tiggo. [Source] In the Chery T11 Tiggo’s application, the engine is only available with a 5-speed manual at the moment.

Some basic specs – 5 seats, 2WD drivetrain, 3-spoke steering wheel, dual SRS airbags, CD player, heated front seats, antilock brakes, electronic brake distribution, and power steering. The rear hatch is of the side-hinged design, which Honda recently abandoned with the new 3rd generation Honda CR-V.

At RM80k, the Chery T11 Tiggo is a reasonably attractive SUV that manages to keep the price down with equipment levels that are only the necessities – not many people require 4WD. I’m not quite sure at this point whether the Tiggo is a CBU import or locally assembled. There was previously talk about having the Tiggo assembled at either Oriental Assemblers in Johor or at one of Proton’s plants – but I am not sure if this has happened or not.

Related Posts:
Fiat to use Chery’s AVL-designed ACTECO engines
Chery Tiggo coming to Malaysia
Chery recalls Chery T11 Tiggo SUVs
Chery V5 Crossover MPV
Proton to produce MPV and SUV with Chery

Click here to read the rest of Chery T11 Tiggo for RM80,292