A Chery a Day

Walk into any dimsum restaurant, and you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. Whether it’s a first-class dig or a hole-in-the-wall joint, eating Chinese has become a Filipino way of life. Everyone knows asado siopao and shrimp siomai as well as lechon and kare-kare. Unfortunately, this familiarity is limited mainly to the edible variety. When it comes to any other product, a “Made in China” trademark is often a mark of uncertainty. Or is it? Flip your glossy Apple i-Pod (it doesn’t matter whether it’s a Shuffle, Nano or Video), and look where it’s made. The same goes for your Sony PlayStation 3 or even your Nokia N-whatchamacolit; chances are what ever it is, it’s made in China. And since you don’t head over to the Nokia repair center every month, chances are, and you agree, that these Chinese actually know how to make things—assuming of course they have the right technical know-how and training.

Now, if that’s the case with complex consumer electronics, why can’t it be the same with cars? Well, the Philippines will soon find out. Landing on Philippine shores is China’s largest independent car maker: Chery. And before you dismiss them as another formaldehyde-laden conscienceless company, you’d actually be surprised on what Chery can do.

Chery Automotive (actually pronounced as “Qirui”) was established in 1997 by the local government of Wuhu—a region of Chinese where there was little industrial development. To prop up industrialization, the government bought factory machines and engine technology from Ford Europe and soon began assembling car parts, most notably the Seat Toledo chassis. In 2001, with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) buying a 20 percent stake, Chery soon built and sold complete cars, exporting to countries like Syria. This partnership initially saw annual sales of 28,000 units but grew to 86,000 before SAIC pulled out because of pressure from both General Motors and Volkswagens, both of which were partners with SAIC in other ventures. Chery’s independence paved the way for a much more aggressive line-up. 2006 was a banner year with 305,000 units sold—a tenfold growth in just five years.

The secret to Chery’s exponential growth is a corporate philosophy that’s grounded on engineering. At the time where Chinese products are scoffed at for poor durability, Chery (like Honda in the 1960’s), invested heavily in ISO certification and the implementation of Six Sigma production systems all in the name of quality. Chery’s list of joint ventures and partners are longer than Tom Hanks name dropping during an Academy Awards speech. Its list of partners includes AVL of Austria (ACTECO), Bosch (transmissions), Lotus Engineering (chassis development) as well as Ricardo Consulting Engineers (hybrid powertrain). All in all, it looks like Chery has really done its homework, but does the hard work payoff? Let the the cars speak for the brand.

About Iseway Motors, Inc. (Chery Automotive’s Philippine Distributor)

Iseway Motors Phils., Inc. is a newly established Philippine corporation. It acts as the sole authorized Service Provider of Serrano Enterprises Limited, the exclusive distributor of Chery Autos in the Philippines and is wholly owned by a listed company in Hong Kong, Simsen International Corporation Limited for the resale of Chery autos and management of Spare Parts & After-sale Services in the Philippines. Our services also include management of Philippine dealers, customs declaration & clearance, duty payment, legal issues arising from resale of Chery autos, planning & implementation of marketing campaigns, etc., on behalf of Serrano Enterprises Limited.

The management team of Iseway Motors Phils., Inc. had shared in the success of Shanxi Iseway Trade Co. Ltd. which participated in the trading and resale of Chery, Chevrolet automobiles in XiAn. This past business serves as a successful factor in the New Philippine Venture.

Chery QQ3

P 339,000. No matter how hard you slap yourself, it’s not a typo. What you’re looking at is the country’s cheapest new car. According to the catalog, the QQ3’s biggest feature is its cute looks. Seriously though, agreeable price and looks aside, the QQ3 is chock full of features that shame cars even in the next class. Airbags, all-power accessories and a split-fold rear seat are all standard. If the 800cc, inline-3 is a bit too weedy for your tastes, Chery is offering a bigger 1.1-liter motor. There’s a unique clutch-less sequential shift manual (EZdrive), but it’s only available with the 800cc model.

Cowin

Among all the Cherys sold in the Philippines, this is the genuine Chinese car. It’s the oldest in the line-up, so expect the crudest experience here: doors that aren’t aligned, a hatch that requires two people to close, and interior trimmings that fall off—it’s a car that feels a decade old even before it left the showroom. It’s oddly shaped too. There’s an LPG tank fitted at the back, so this car’s perhaps catered for the taxi crowd. And in that sense, you can’t deny its fleet value here.

A5

This is more like it. Chery’s investments in quality systems certainly have paid off in cars like the A5—the newest car here along with the V5. Aside from the Audi-like name, Chery can be proud of the A5’s nicely proportioned lines inside and out (it looks quite like the Nissan Altima). Build quality is the best among the group, and the materials are actually not half bad. Again, standard features are high with dual airbags, anti-lock brakes and electronically adjustable headlamps. Too bad though that there’s no automatic transmission variant to pair with the 1.6-liter ACTECO engine.

Tiggo

A look at the Tiggo and you’d swear you’ve seen this before. Yes, it’s the previous-generation Toyota RAV4 in all but grille and name. Sometimes it’s not surprising to see an industry start-up copying something here and there, but in the case of the Tiggo, it’s a facsimile. Everything from the way the doors open to the sound they make when they close is RAV4. Even the blue/gray interior scheme, 3-meter white gauges, switch positions and tire size (235/60 R 16) are all from the RAV4 design book. Of course, there’s no VVTi under the hood. A 1.6-liter ACTECO engine shared with the A5 pushes the purely front-driver SUV.

V5

Chery’s local flagship is what it touts to be a crossover vehicle. Like the modern A5, the V5 is well proportioned inside and out, and certainly carries all the de rigueur of modern car design: scallop shaped headlamps, flared fenders, an egg-crate grille and even side mirror mounted turn signal repeaters. At P 858,000, it isn’t cheap, but at least the V5 comes fully loaded with everything but the kitchen sink. Dual airbags, anti-lock brakes, automatic climate control, wood trimmings, leather seats and a luxury sound system are all there. Even the 5-speed shift knob looks luxury—it’s lifted off a BMW’s! The V5 seats seven in relative comfort as well.

For a car maker just a decade old, Chery Automotive has gone a long, long way. Where both American and European makers took well over a hundred years to establish themselves, the world’s largest automaker, Toyota Motor Company took just seventy. Hyundai Motor Company, at just forty years old, took just half that time to reach the global sixth spot in terms of sales. Chery Automotive with the amount it invested in research and development can become a serious global player in just two decades. Aside from vast improvements in quality and assembly, Chery is now beginning to seek the help of Bertone and Pininfarina to develop a much more distinctive brand identity for Chery. Just when you’ve seen it all, the Chinese are now in the car making business.

In the Philippines, Chery Automotive is distributed by Iseway Motors Philippines, Inc. Its showroom is located at the Oppen Building, 349 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City.

By Ulysses Ang | Photos by Ulysses Ang