Chinese New Year special: Five Chinese cars worth looking at

February 04,2011

Xīn nián kuài lè! A belated happy Chinese New Year from motioncars.com. In celebration of the New Year, we’ve drummed up a list of five China cars we wouldn’t mind seeing on our driveway:

Foton MPX
The nice thing about vans—for manufacturers, at least—is that they are utilitarian. Customers care less about the badge, more about the value. They make an excellent entry point for a new brand, as Hyundai figured out to its advantage not so long ago. The Foton MPX is a roomy, decently-equipped van that starts at just a tick under P1 million. The engine is a common-rail turbodiesel, coupled with a five-speed manual. For those who need to haul the family on a budget, this may be a suitable choice.

Chana Benni
One of the first China passenger cars we’ve sampled, and thankfully, a relatively decent one. The exterior design looks modern, and equipment level, as with most Chinese cars, is generous. The Benni comes with ABS-EBD brakes, driver’s airbag, and all-power features.

Great Wall Cool Bear
Since Toyota doesn’t want to officially sell the Bb (aka Scion xB) and Nissan, its Cube, that leaves it to Great Wall Motors to bring in the funk. The Cool Bear is an eye-catcher, and it carries a 1.5-liter VVT engine.

Lifan LF320
Do you ever wonder what a five-door Mini would look like? No, not the Countryman, but the Mini-inspired (there’s that word again) Lifan LF320. The Lifan goes with a 1.3-liter inline-four with 84 bhp. ABS brakes and dual airbags are standard.

Great Wall Florid
We know; another familiar design. The looks are seemingly inspired by the Toyota Yaris; it can easily be mistaken for the Yaris’ Chinese cousin. The cabin also looks decently-styled. The engine is a Euro-4 spec 1.3-liter good for 87 bhp. This one is pushing the boundaries of pricing though, at more than P600,000.

Of the cars here, we have driven only the Foton MPX and the Chana Benni, and the results leave us cautiously optimistic. China cars have a long way to go in terms of build quality and mechanical reliability. The foreign-“inspired” styling is amusing or appalling, depending on your point of view. We think that the China brands should stop ripping off other carmakers’ designs and come up with their own original ones. In many cases, styling has come first, mechanical quality second—the opposite of the Japanese and Korean approach.

We can’t deny that the Chinese, operating in the world’s largest car market, are progressing very quickly. One day, we won’t mind driving the descendants of these cars—and not just seeing them.

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