Even more Chery Tiggo
Chinese automaker Chery’s electric vehicle series will be sold under a separate brand called Chery Tiggo in Russia. The first Chery electric car in Russia will be the EQ7 crossover, which is undergoing certification and will enter the market in the near future.
Chery EQ7 was brought to Russia in a rear-wheel drive version with an electric motor producing 211 hp. There are no buttons on the center console of the crossover: control of the machine’s functions is touch-sensitive.
Even the steering wheel spokes use touch panels. The front passenger seat of the electric vehicle is equipped with a massage function.
According to the Chinese CTLC test cycle, the declared range of the EQ7 is 512 km, the volume of the front trunk is 40 liters, and the main trunk is 386 liters. The automaker has not yet announced the exact start date of sales and the price of the new product. In the future, the Chery electric vehicle range in Russia will be expanded to five models.
Haval Jolion updated
The compact crossover from the Chinese brand Haval appeared in Russia in 2021 and became the best-selling foreign car after the departure of many global automakers from the Russian Federation – more than 55.5 thousand cars were sold in the country in 2023. The official start of sales of the updated version of Jolion was given at the end of February; Major dealers plan to introduce the car in their showrooms at the beginning of March.
Jolion gets a bright radiator grille with vertical slats and a front bumper with sharper lines. A fake diffuser made of unpainted plastic appeared on the rear bumper, and along the perimeter of the body instead of chrome moldings there was a protective coating made of black plastic.
A long-awaited innovation is the steering column, which can be adjusted not only in height, but also in reach. It is already available in the basic version for the vehicle. The units have not changed: under the hood of the front-wheel drive Jolion is a 1.5 turbo engine with 143 hp, paired with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed “robot” with a dual clutch.
All-wheel drive crossovers have only a robotic transmission and engine power is 150 hp.
New options include 64-tone interior lighting and a red interior. The price of the redesigned Jolion ranges from 2 million rubles for the basic version with a manual transmission and front-wheel drive to 2.8 million rubles for an all-wheel drive car in the maximum configuration.
BAIC’s new flagship
Chinese brand BAIC “registered” in Kaliningrad Avtotor; In February, the BAIC X75 crossover, which will be the brand’s flagship model in Russia, entered the production line.
With a length of 4745 mm and a wheelbase of 2800 mm, it is comparable to the Korean Hyundai Santa Fe. Under the hood of the BAIC X75 is a 1.5 turbo engine with 177 hp. and 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All car seats are equipped with a heating, ventilation and massage function, and there is an ottoman seat with a footrest for the front passenger.
BAIC X75 will go on sale in March 2024. Options and prices have not been announced yet.
In the future
Avtotor has also started preparations to start production of three models of the Chinese brand Forthing. The brand belongs to the Chinese company Dongfeng and is represented in Russia by distributor Ixen Motors. In addition to the T5 and T5 Evo crossovers, the Forthing M4 Yacht minivan will also be produced at the Kaliningrad plant. Production and sales of locally assembled vehicles are planned for March 2024.
Forthing T5, a new product entering the Russian market, has been produced in China since 2018, and its updated version was introduced to the market at the beginning of 2024. In terms of dimensions, it is comparable to the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. The length of the crossover is 4545 mm, the wheelbase is 2720 mm. In the Chinese market, it is equipped with a 1.6 naturally aspirated gasoline engine with a power of 122 hp, offered with “mechanics” and CVT. The other two models will be available in Russia from 2023. Locally assembled cars are promised to go on sale before the end of the first quarter.
Under the generic name Solaris
St. The former Hyundai plant in St. Petersburg came under the control of the Russian company AGR and restarted the assembly of cars of the previous model range, changing the brand from Hyundai to Solaris.
The new names of well-known cars in Russia are Solaris HS, Solaris HC, Solaris KRS and Solaris KRX.
Solaris HS (formerly Hyundai Solaris) will be available with 1.4 and 1.6 engines, manual and automatic transmission. The same units are used in the Solaris KRS and KRX (Kia Rio sedan and hatchback).
In addition to the standard version, Solaris HC, previously known as Hyundai Creta, will also be available in the N-Line sports version with a more aggressive design. The release of this version was planned for 2022, but then the Creta N-Line did not appear on the Russian market. In addition to the 1.6 engine, the crossover also has a 2-liter engine producing 149 hp.
Chinese replacement for Toyota Alphard
GAC introduced the new M8 minivan in Moscow. It will go on sale at a price of 5.5-6.5 million rubles. Under the hood of the seven-seater is a 231 hp gasoline engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Options include a panoramic sunroof, folding tables and a memory function for the second row seats.