Beijing show: Chery to get Faira

CHERY, China’s top-selling domestic brand with more than 300,000 sales in 2007 and the first Chinese marque that will be sold in Australia as revealed exclusively by GoAuto last month, presented no fewer than 26 vehicles across six model lines in a massive 2500 square-metre exhibition at the 2008 Beijing motor show opening on Saturday (March 19).

Chery’s Australian partner Ateco Automotive, which will open the Chinese maker’s account here in early 2009, has confirmed that while all models that debuted at Beijing are potential candidates for sale here eventually, its three-model launch line-up will consist of Chery vehicles seen previously.

As we revealed five weeks ago, Chery’s Australian launch range will include the 1.3-litre A1 light hatch, the A5 small hatch and the Tiggo3 compact SUV.

From top: A5 sedan, A1 hatch and Tiggo 3 (bottom).

Exposing what could be in store from Chery further afield, the headline act at Beijing was a new small-car family that will introduce the Faira nameplate and comprises seven B-segment models including the Faira BB entry-level two-seater hatchback, its Faira NN five-door sibling, the light-sized Faira HH sedan, the Faira JJ compact crossover and the lower-roofed Faira YY three-door coupe that came complete with a cabrio version at Beijing.

All Faira models ride on a common 2330mm wheelbase, except for the two-seater BB which is 280mm shorter between the wheels, and share the same dashboard with central digital instrument panel.

Alongside the Faira models, which were designed by Torino Design in Italy and look far less derivative than the successful QQ model that bears a striking resemblance to the Daewoo Matiz and is sold in Russia and Southeast Asian markets, Chery showed its latest developments in diesel, electric, hybrid, flex-fuel and hydrogen powertrain technologies (see separate story). Making up the “Oasis Series” were five vehicles, including diesel QQ6, hybrid A5, fuel cell Tiggo3 and flex-fuel Eastar models.

As part of its mainstay A-series model range, Chery also revealed a larger Pininfarina-designed A3 model in Beijing, alongside the Storm 2 under the “European Style Family Sedan Series” banner. The latter is described as “a new generation of national car” but the A3, which first appeared at the 2006 Beijing show, is now production-ready in both two-box hatch and three-box sedan guises.

Making up the “Silver King Series” is a top-shelf version of the Eastar commercial, the Eastar6, powered by a 2.0-litre TDGI or 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and claimed to have developed over five years and 500,000km.

Finally, representing the first indication that Chery will at least offer outwardly sporting models, the “Sports Passion Series” shown at Beijing included “two modified racing cars” in the 1.5-litre VVT A1 and the A5 1.8S.

Read more:

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