Chery E5 Reviews

Some have something simple, like squeaky brakes or weird tyre wear, but there are others with major dramas.Just this week I've had a Volkswagen owner who needed a new engine and a Range-Rover tragic, owner of close to a dozen of the top-end SUVs, who is heading for an all-new replacement off the back of more than 20 fruitless trips to the repair shop with his $100,000-plus pick.Every one of these problems reminds me that cars are complex. And even the best ones can go wrong. But the cars of today are so much better than the cars of just 20 years ago that it's almost beyond belief.The only truly bad car I've test driven this year is the Chery J1. The Chinese toddler has quality that's worse than the original Korean arrivals in Australia and, if I can pick the difference on day one, then it's going to be bad news once it's got a few years and some serious kilometres under its wheels.Flick the calendar back and things were much worse. I still have nightmares about the press preview of the original Holden Camira.The first 'global' car to land in Australia seemed like a good idea, but that was before the gearstick feel out in my hand. And the bonnet flew up for no reason. And the dashboard squeaked and groaned and flexed and wobbled.Every motoring journalist has some sort of Jaguar horror story, and I recall the luxury XJ that dumped all its oil on the brand-new floor of my garage. Then there was the Range Rover that dropped both of its external rear-view mirrors - for now apparent reason - as I overtook through the shock blast of a B-double truck.In recent year, though, the failures have been few and far between. Yes, I've had complaints about the operation of a variety of DSG gearboxes in a variety of Volkswagens, but every car has come through its Carsguide test program without failing.Which brings me to the HSV Commodore I was once driving down the Hume Highway to Melbourne. Everything was fine through the performance runs and cornering trials, so I was dribbling home at a steady 100km/h when the engine failed. No bang, no crash, just a complete absence of power that was eventually traced to a fault on the crankshaft.The real kicker to the story is that I was forced to take a tow to the nearest town from a motoring journalist friend who was making the same trip. And he was driving a  … Jaguar. 

Despite manufacturing more cars in a year than are sold in total here annually, Chinese manufacturer Chery has a tiny Aussie profile.That could change following the arrival of the new J3 small five door hatchback. Why? Because it's up a rung or two on other Chinese vehicles we have so far seen in this country.At $14,990 drive away the Chery J3 gets a 1.6 litre 4 cylinder engine and is available in manual only.  Standard features include a decent audio system, air conditioning, power windows, remote central locking, MP3 player and reverse sensors.Power comes from the twin cam, fuel injected, 1.6-litre petrol engine driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual transmission with appropriate gearing and a pleasing action. The engine's good for 87kW/147Nm output but it's a tad thirsty at 8.9-litres/100km partly due to the J3's 1350kg weight.Inside it's totally different to anything we have seen from the Chinese and is generously equipped with leather upholstery. There is a little too much plastic but this is softened by different textures and colours. Fit and finish is also better than most we have seen from the Chinese to date and we were pleasantly surprised at how functional it was with a decent size boot, adequate rear seat head and legroom and driving ease. It also comes with 16-inch alloys including the spare.And it's easy on the eye particularly from the rear view with a neatly curving roofline ending in a pair of feline-looking tail lights. The whole car bears some resemblance to the previous model Ford Focus hatch but only in passing.The J3 features six air bags, ABS and a basic form of stability control that should go close to scoring a five star ANCAP rating when tested. That's a relief considering what has come before from some Chinese brands.The ride is comfortable via a MacPherson strut front set-up and semi independent trailing arms at the rear. Steering is hydraulic power assisted rack and pinion with a smallish turning circle. We scored Australia's first drive of the J3 last week and can report the experience to be positive. It's much better to drive than say, a Great Wall ute or the Chery J11 small SUV.The company is fair dinkum about selling cars here and spends lots of loot on R&D as well as equipping its cars with plenty of kit as standard. The “asbestos issue'' in earlier Cherys has been dealt with... there isn't any in the new cars. The drive feel is much like most of the other small hatchbacks on the market in terms of performance and ride. It won't win any traffic light derbies but that's irrelevant to most buyers. The funky controls are also easy to identify and use.We drove the car around the ‘burbs, parked and had a coffee, drove on major urban roads and then the motorway at 110kmh. It delivers acceptable performance and is both smooth and relatively silent in operation.You keep coming back to the money which makes this particular car a real bargain among small hatchbacks, some of which cost twice as much or more. Do they go twice as well and look twice as good? Unequivocally no. Budget conscious and used car buyers should check this one out.

There are more than 150 carmakers in China, although most are tiny firms producing for local customers. But three of the larger Chinese brands are already established in the passenger-vehicle ranks - Chery, Great Wall and Geely - with Foton and JAC selling trucks, Higer with buses and all looking for future growth. Great Wall is easily the most successful to date, with 4838 sales to the end of May mostly thanks to its utes, with Chery on 696 and Geely not included in the national VFACTS total despite taking a toehold in Western Australia last year. Carsguide has learned of another six contenders and believes they are already negotiating with freelance importers about local distribution. "The Chinese embassy has contacted us about finding local partners for six car companies," a senior source at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reveals to Carsguide. "We are trying to help. They seem pretty keen." The importer with the strongest Chinese ties, Ateco Automotive, already has Chery and Great Wall on its books and company chief Neville Crichton admits he is looking to spread his influence. Ateco has recently lost the local agency for Alfa Romeo and Fiat, which were reclaimed by their owners at Fiat Chrysler Group, and has previously imported both Suzuki and Kia vehicles before selling the franchises back to head office. Crichton will not discuss his targets but a team from Ateco was one of the Australian groups in China recently for the Beijing Motor Show. There are now seven Great Wall models in Australia but none are passenger cars, at least yet, while Chery has three with the J11 SUV selling best with 374 delivers to the end of May. The Geely importer, John Hughes in Perth, is regrouping before a stronger push with a bigger range of the company's latest models in 2013. Two other brands, JAC and Maxus, are being handled by the import company WMC, which began with Higer buses. JAC is beginning its Australian push with small trucks, planning to follow with vans and a ute in 2013, and likely passenger cars in late 2014. Maxus, which is part of the giant Shanghai Automotive group that includes MG, is starting with vans but has perhaps the greatest potential of all once it commits to a local program with its Chinese cars.  

In the course of our recent trip to Thailand and China we were able to visit three different factories, the General Motors plant at Rayong in the south-east of Thailand, the Cummins engine facility in Beijing and the SAIC Maxus factory near Shanghai.  Each gave some insight into the changing direction of automotive manufacture that is swinging inexorably to the east, as well as the western influence that’s helping guide the expansion.   Our first stop was at the GM Thailand factory at Rayong which is the source of the all-new Holden Colorado ute that’s due here shortly, as well as the Colorado 7 SUV that will follow early in 2013. The jewel in the crown of the plant is a brand new diesel engine facility, housed alongside the general assembly line, where the two Duramax engines used in the Colorado are built.   Our guide for the tour of the Rayong plant, which has a production capacity of 130,000 units per annum, was GM Thailand’s Vice President Powertrain, David Clarkson, one of a number of Americans at the forefront of the development and operation of the factory. Using the latest in leading-edge computer and laser technology the powerplant facility was described by Mr Clarkson as the benchmark for all General Motors engine plants.   Currently in production are the two Duramax engines that power the all-new Colorado ute we reported on recently, with work already underway on the next upgrade due in 2014. Both the 2.5 and 2.8 engines are built from the same engine block, currently imported but set to be built locally from later this year. The 236 parts in the engine come from 92 plants from 17 countries around the world but with a steadily growing proportion being sourced from within Thailand.   Moving on to China we were able to visit the factory of the Beijing Foton Cummins Engine Company (BFCEC), a 50-50 joint venture between the US-based Cummins Engine Company and Foton, the fourth largest of China’s burgeoning number of auto manufacturers with a focus on trucks and light commercial vehicles.   Although it’s not a well-known name within the Australian car industry Cummins is one of the world’s oldest (formed in 1919), largest and most-respected manufacturers of diesel engines.   Cummins engines power a large range of trucks including such well-know brands as Freightliner, Iveco, Kenworth, Mack, Volvo and Western Star. They are also on their way to Australia under the bonnets of Chinese JAC light-duty trucks.   As with the GM Thailand engine operations, the BFCEC factory is run by a combination of local and imported personnel, in this case including a couple of thirty-something English executives in Quality Director, Simon Crowhurst, and Chief Engineer, Steve Saxby, who guided us through the factory.   The blend of east and west again seemed to work well despite the obvious language problems.   Like the other facilities that we’ve seen in the new China, the Cummins factory is modern and well-designed. Two turbo-diesel engines, the ISF2.8 and ISF3.8 with capacities of 2.8 and 3.8 litres, are currently being produced, for use in small trucks, light commercial vans, pickups and SUVs.   Unlike many Chinese operations, about 80 per cent of the Cummins engines are being built for the export market with the engines ranging from Euro 3 to Euro 5 emission levels depending upon destination country requirements.   Automotive production in both Thailand and China are expanding dramatically, not just in numbers but also in quality. Overseas companies such as Honda, Nissan and General Motors have been building vehicles in Thailand for some time and their resilience and efficiency was shown by the remarkable recovery at the Honda factory following the disastrous 2011 floods.   In China a series of joint ventures between local and international companies, the only way that the latter can operate there, are steadily improving the quality of that country’s vehicles with the eventual plan to begin large-scale export programs.  

But it's been a year of highlights for me. Monday, June 27 is my best working day of 2011.In fact, it hardly qualifies as work, since I am cracking around the Top Gear test track in Britain with a wicked black McLaren MP4-12C providing me with miles and miles of high-speed smiles.The mighty Mac is a bonzer beastie that provides the ideal antidote for too many motor show treks, too many middle-of-the-road cars that only qualify as transport modules, and far too many days away from home. It almost manages to erase memories of the massively underwhelming Nissan Micra we have as a Car of the Year contender. Almost . . .But the 12C is not the most memorable car of my year, even though it's one I would most happy park in the driveaway any time alongside a Benz E63 AMG wagon. No, my hero car of 2011 is the Ferrari 458 Italia.It does not have the pace or grace of the McLaren, or its overall refinement and liveability, but there is nothing in Carsguide land to match the raw emotional pull of the howling Italian supercar. A single day of driving in Sydney, including a fun run with a close mate who cannot stop himself giggling - is it excitement or fear? - is seared into my memory.But, so too, is time with the Chery J1. Everyone says Chinese cars will get much better quickly, and Chery does update the gearbox within a fortnight of my whingeing first drive, but there is lots and lots and lots of room for improvement.Some people say there are no bad cars these days, and it's mostly true. But they should also get behind the wheel or a J1, or the Mitsubishi iMiEV that promises future motoring but really illustrates the current shortcomings of plug-in electric cars, for a little calibration.My diary for 2011 opens in predictable style as Toyota claims sales champion status for 2010 and predicts a repeat for the coming year. Despite natural disasters in Japan and Thailand, Toyota is delivering and will do the same again - trust me - in 2012.The numbers game for 2011 reflects everything from the failures of the Ford Falcon and the blue brand's sales team to the popularity of small cars - now one sale in four in Australia - the incredible pull of the Mazda3, and little things like Volkswagen's growth to a top-10 brand and the ongoing drive that has Hyundai and Kia doing big things downunder.But those numbers only reflect the cars and crews at each company, as it takes people to create something special and get it onto the road and into new homes. My personal heroes include Mark Reuss, who wrote the current game plan for Holden, including the local Cruze, before returning to clean up the spilt milk at GM in the USA; Graeme Gambold, who takes Hyundai suspension and makes it so much better for Kia; August Achleitner, who heads development of the all-new Porsche 911 before leaving to weave some magic at Bentley; Murray Dietsch, the brilliant Ford Australia-trained engineer who is responsible for the Range Rover Evoque and everything else coming out of Land Rover; and Ian Callum, who does great work for Jaguar and has so much yet to come.Driving cars is fun, but it's also work and that means the BMW M5 gets marked down for flaws and too much focus on fuel economy; the updated Nissan GT-R is brilliant at Phillip Island but plain awful on regular roads; the Ferrari California sounds great but is a girlie car; the new Toyota Yaris is not as good as the old one; and the new Camry is surprisingly unbad, but saddled with history that includes the chicken sales campaign.There are plenty of cars I drive and like in 2011, from that Camry back to the Kia Optima, but very few I want to keep in the driveway and not just return with a polite 'thank you'. The Benz E63 makes the cut, so does the battery-powered Nissan Leaf. I also really like the Evoque, despite its expensive failure at COTY time, and the BMW 1 M. And the 458 is a definite.On the motorsport front, it's hard to go past the excellence of the Triple Eight team run by Roland Dane and fronted by Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes, or to understand why Mark Webber makes such lousy starts for most of 2011. And then Jason Richards dies and nothing else on the racing front seems to matter.In so many ways, 2011 is another landmark year. Cars have never been better, or better value buying in Australia. And, whoops, I almost forget the Toyota 86 that completes my new-car crew for the year. It's a ripper drive, even if Toyota and Subaru are fighting for bragging rights over ownership, and a car that shows what Brand T can do when it shifts out of conservative Corolla mode and gets serious.Right now, as the curtains come down and dealerships race to crunch the final deals, it is still a little tough to get the retrospectacles into sharp focus. But there is no time anyway, as it's less than three weeks until Toyota opens 2012 with a celebration of its 2011 sales successes, and then another week before the Detroit Motor Show shifts the new year into top gear. 

How much would you expect to pay for a new 2.0-litre petrol SUV-style vehicle about the same size as a Honda CRV? According to our pricing guide, this type of vehicle starts at around $26,000 plus on-roads. Not any more. Chinese brand Chery has just launched its new five seater J11 model that is about the same size as

The Chery J11 also scored zero in ANCAP's pedestrian tests due to a front-end that "is not friendly to pedestrians and other vulnerable road users." At the other end of the spectrum, the incoming Cruze Series II hatch inherited its sedan sibling's five-star rating and the Hyundai i40 (tested by the European NCAP) also scored five stars.ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh said the Chery J11 had been scheduled for a side impact test but a recall campaign relating to side impact protection had delayed that. "Under ANCAP's rating system, the poor result in the frontal offset test restricts the Chery J11 to a maximum 2-star rating - irrespective of the outcome of the side impact test," he said.The ANCAP test showed the Chery J11 scored 2 out of 16 in the offset front crash test, which caused the passenger compartment to lose structural integrity and resulted in excessive pedal displacement.Chery spokesman Daniel Cotterill said the compay was "surprised and disappointed" at the J11 crash test result, given the company's internal test results."We were of the view that the J11 would do better than it did - it does however still comply with Australian Design Rules, we work in with ANCAP with this testing and a senior Chery engineer was present at that test."Work is already underway to improve the J11, it could take some time - even though the Chinese move quickly on these matters it will still take some time," he said.Mr McIntosh also said protection from serious chest, leg and foot injury was poor for the driver."ANCAP is still planning to conduct a side impact test on the Chery J11 following completion of the recall campaign. "While this will assess the side impact protection of the vehicle it cannot improve the 2-star rating," he said.The Chinese brand scored a three-star rating for its J1 five-door hatchback earlier this year, as did the Chinese-sourced Geely MK small-car range.Fellow Chinese imports Great Wall had three crash test results in 2010 - the X240 SUV scored four stars and the brand's two light-commercial utes (the SA220 and V240) both rated two stars.The Hyundai i40 achieved its 5-star result following crash tests conducted by EuroNCAP and assessed by ANCAP, while the Holden Cruze Hatch receives a 5-star rating based on tests of the sedan.

The Chery J1 only managed three stars and was criticised for a "considerable injury risk" in the latest test, which follows a previous two-star effort by the Great Wall ute at the end of 2009. The good news for consumers is that Chery has launched a recall program on the seats in the J1 in a follow-up program similar to the one by Great Wall, which eventually earned a four-start ANCAP tick with its X240 SUV after the problem with the V240 pickup. The seats in the J1 were criticised for their design and integrity, but ANCAP testing also revealed a structural weakness in the passenger compartment. Both Chinese brands are imported by Ateco Automotive, which is also the Australian agent for a range of makes including Ferrari and - following an appointment last week from Britain - Lotus. Chinese engineers were present for the ANCAP testing of the Chery and work on the J1 has produced an updated seat back which is being fitted to more than 700 cars already delivered in Australia in a national recall program. "We're replacing the backrests on both sides. 702 cars are involved," says Chery spokesman, Daniel Cotterill. "We have started the work. We have the parts and we're doing the change." He says Chery's quick reaction is typical of the company, which had previously changed the final-drive ratio in the J1 after complaints about the hill-start ability and general performance of the car. "It was a case of looking to find out why the car performed the way it did in the NCAP testing. We were impressed with the speed that Chery produced a solution. They have moved very quickly." Cotterill believes a re-test of the J1 would give a better ANCAP result, although he stops short of predicting a four-star rating to Carsguide after being slammed by ANCAP after an earlier suggestion of a one-star improvement. "These comments are clearly incorrect, as the modifications would not impact the overall crash test result, and the ATECO engineering staff should be aware of this," says Lachlan McIntosh, chair of ANCAP. "The Chery J1 performed poorly in the crash tests - the passenger compartment lost structural integrity in the frontal impact test, providing limited protection from serious chest injury for the driver." Still, Cotterill is confident Chery has learned from the ANCAP result. "I think Cherys will get better over time. I'm confident the J1 is significantly improved. That confidence is based on independently- conducted crash tests. Whether it gets another star is up to ANCAP." There is no confirmation from ANCAP yet on a test date for the other Chery model sold in Australia, the J11 SUV, or the Geely car from China that is currently only available in Western Australia.

A POOR crash test result for the Chery J1 in Australia has quickly prompted a recall to fix a defect in the front seats – and raised the prospect of the little Chinese car earning a fourth star in the future. ANCAP gave the J1 three stars after testing in May, citing among the reasons a loss of structural integrity that would “result in considerable injury risk”. Engineers from Chery visited Australia to attend the testing and discussed with ANCAP technical staff how to improve the cars. As a result, Chery distributor Ateco Automotive today recalled the 702 cars in Australia to replace the front seat backrests, which can collapse in a crash. “After the ANCAP crash treating there was an amount of dissatisfaction with the three star result,” Chery spokesman Daniel Cotterill says. “Chery has looked at the design of seat components, and we’re bringing in complete backrests that incorporate an enhanced design.” Cotterill says that the J1 could now earn a better crash rating. “Yes. We actually do think that it would now get another star,” Cotterill says. “But there is no further testing planned at the moment. ANCAP is an independent body and has their own schedule for testing.” Ateco is contacting all customers and advising them to return their cars to dealerships for the backrest assemblies to be replaced and the seats refitted using new mounting bolts.

Already Australia's lowest priced SUV, the Chery J11 is now $17,990 driveaway thanks to a $2000 cashback offer available until the end of August.Powered by a 2.0-litre four cylinder petrol engine, the J11 features leather seats, airconditioning, power windows, MP3 compatible four-speaker stereo, 16 inch alloys and remote keyless entry.The J11's 2.0 litre engine boasts 102kW power and 182Nm of torque, while safety features include ABS, EBD, dual airbags and front seatbelt pre-tensioners.An automatic transmission is available as part of a $2000 option package that includes cruise control and steering wheel mounted audio controls.The J11 is covered by a three year 100,000km warranty which includes 24/7 roadside assistance."The strong Aussie dollar combined with the massive economies of scale derived by the Chinese auto industry is presenting the Australian car buying public with some genuinely compelling options," Dinesh Chinnappa, general manager of Chery Automotive Australia, said."Why would you buy a small car when you can have an SUV for the same or less money?"