The Hyundai/Inokom Santa Fe is aimed squarely at the
Nissan X-Trail. Forget about the Kia equivalents, they are
family; likewise, the Ssangyong offerings - they are
bretherens. This time the ambition is to show up the
Japanese. It looks like a piece of cake for the Santa Fe
CRDi as there are no Japanese equivalent; the Japanese
have forsakened the turbodiesel SUV segment.
Read more
Nissan X-Trail. Forget about the Kia equivalents, they are
family; likewise, the Ssangyong offerings - they are
bretherens. This time the ambition is to show up the
Japanese. It looks like a piece of cake for the Santa Fe
CRDi as there are no Japanese equivalent; the Japanese
have forsakened the turbodiesel SUV segment.
Read more
REVIEW: HYUNDAI SANTA FE CRDi
Featured: Dec 2008)
Featured: Dec 2008)
REVIEW: MAZDA RX8
Featured: May 2009)
Featured: May 2009)
The Mazda RX-8 means many things to many people.
Some see it as a stylish Japanese sports car, while
others might see it as a tame replacement to the edgy
RX-7 that preceded it. But what it actually means is that
you can now have a sports car with four doors and seats
four adults while still having a significant amount of fun.
Read more
Some see it as a stylish Japanese sports car, while
others might see it as a tame replacement to the edgy
RX-7 that preceded it. But what it actually means is that
you can now have a sports car with four doors and seats
four adults while still having a significant amount of fun.
Read more
REVIEW - SUZUKI SWIFT SPORT
Featured: Oct 2007
Featured: Oct 2007
Suzuki Malaysia, having seen the lack of affordable
performance cars, have decided to seize the opportunity
to bring in the Suzuki Swift Sport (formerly known as GTI in
a previous life and previous incarnation). And with the car
being listed at RM97K, the makings of a great, affordable
hatch is in the offing.
Read more
performance cars, have decided to seize the opportunity
to bring in the Suzuki Swift Sport (formerly known as GTI in
a previous life and previous incarnation). And with the car
being listed at RM97K, the makings of a great, affordable
hatch is in the offing.
Read more
| GIVE IT A GO THIS LITE-SUV SAYS YOU SHOULD LOOK BEYOND THE IMAGE |
CHERY TIGGO 1.6
Featured: July 2009. Words and photos: Mel Lee
I was surprised when I started getting calls from Chery Alado; my dealings with
the company since it began operations had been non-existent, a state of affair
experienced by most of my fellow motoring journalists. We assumed that the
management was not comfortable dealing with the Press. I was curious what the
cars were like but after being repeatedly given the cold shoulder, I left it at that.
But then I was invited for the launch for the locally-assembled Tiggo, where I
found that there had been a major change in the company. It turned out that Chery
Automobile of China have taken over control of the Malaysian operations (four of
the department heads are Chinese, while most of mid-management is filled with
ex-Naza people). Chery are directly involved in the manufacture, assembly and
distribution of their vehicles in Malaysia. (20 percent of the new company are
owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera.) Things are noticeably different
and, it would appear, for the better.
Not long after, I was offered the Tiggo for a test drive session. It is the 1.6 manual
version, and a fully imported unit. I was a bit apprehensive about this model
because a junior media member who had tested it had condemned it for its lack
of power. He kept telling me, and anyone else who would listen, that it “cannot
go”. He offered little information about the vehicle beyond that.
I was handed the same unit, which had by then clocked just under 9000km on the
odometer. If there were to be any failings they would surely show up. I thought
those in charge were either very confident of their product or very foolish.
After about a thousand kilometres with the China-made compact SUV I must say
that this is an impressive product for its price, which is just under RM70K, on the
road.
Under The Skin
This is the entry-level version, with an inline-4 petrol engine of 1597cc
displacement, and outputs of 119bhp and 147Nm. This SQR481F engine is
Chery’s own, and boasts of a DOHC 16V head and Electronic Multipoint Injection.
It is matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which channels drive to the front
wheels.
You would be forgiven for suggesting that the Tiggo is a copy of the previous-
generation Toyota Rav-4; the overall shape, and many of the cues make a denial
difficult. The Tiggo, however, is sufficiently unique with its large lamps and grille
design, as well as the fact that there are not that many examples of the Toyota
baby SUV around.
The chassis is the same – the Tiggo has a monocoque body riding on a fully-
independent suspension comprising a Macpherson-strut set-up in front and a
multi-link layout at the back.
The Tiggo is a high-riding 4-door, with a side-hinged tailgate. It is a 5-seater with
a commendable boot space, which can be dramatically expanded with the 50:50
split:fold feature of the rear seats. Access to the rear is excellent as there is no
bumper to speak of; the bottom of the tailgate doubles as one. The spare wheel is
hung on the tailgate, with its own lockable cover.
The lite-SUV rides on 235/60R16 Kumho tyres made in China, which are shod on
pretty good-looking alloy wheels, the same units found on the 2.0L model.
One strong suit of the Tiggo 1.6 is the brakes – they are disc units all round, with
the added assurance of ABS and EBD.
The Cabin
All things considered, the interior of this China-made SUV is quite impressive.
The dashboard reminds me of the Ford Escape, in its design and sturdiness. The
plastics used are not obtrusive, and they seem to endure rather well. After having
gone through 9000km it still looks good. It should be noted that the management
at Chery Alado is not satisfied with the China-sourced materials and is looking for
a local supplier who can offer a better grade but at the highly competitive price that
is the hallmark of this brand.
The fittings felt well screwed on, with the quality of the many knobs, especially,
testimonials to a well-made product. The things that were not so good were the
slightly loose air vents, the door mirrors that ‘fluttered’ at speed, an iffy power
window button, doors that did not close easily, and also a glovebox lid that
sometimes dropped open.
This CBU Tiggo also has some uneven and unsightly panel gaps. On the whole,
however, the build-quality of the car came across much more convincingly than I
had envisioned.
This sub-RM70K SUV has a commendable equipment list. The good stuff, like
cruise-control, Steptronic shifter, dual airbags, one-touch down feature for all
windows, keyless entry, leather seats, and a few more items, are reserved for the
2.0 version but this budget model shares many of the features, such as the stereo
system with MP3 and USB capability, power windows, door mirrors and door
locks, luggage rack, 12v outlet, and, as mentioned, the alloy wheels and rear disc
brakes.
The total package is hard to beat at this price. In fact, the Tiggo 1.6 Manual has no
real competition if you rule out cars like the Aveo 1.4 SE (RM73K), the Kia Picanto
1.1 (RM68K), the Swift 1.5 (RM72K), and the Vios 1.5J RM70K).
The more realistic rivals are the Inokom Matrix 1.6GLM (RM68K), the Kangoo 1.4
(RM69K), the Avanza 1.5 M (RM70K) and, of course, Proton’s MPV – the Exora
(RM68K-RM72K). Perodua’s Nautica 1.5 SUV is at a crazy price of just below
RM90K.
Accepting the 1.6M as a major step down from the 2.0, you would be pleasantly
surprised by features like the one-touch power down for driver’s window, the not-
shabby-at-all interior, and the generous storage facility which includes the ceiling-
mounted spectacle holder; cupholders, however, are in short supply.
The steering column has tilt adjust but the range is quite limited in range. This is
made up somewhat by a decent seat height movement, controlled via a knob.
The cabin of the Tiggo 1.6M does not look cheap. It is spacious, quite airy, and
has an air of practicality. Again, with 9000km of, I am sure since this is a demo
and media unit, hard use, the fit-and-finish and the materials have endured
commendably. I have recently seen the cabins of some Honda test vehicles
looking much worse for wear.
On The Move
The test unit had an out-of-tune engine, resulting in rough idling and a jerky pick
up; there was a flat-spot every time the clutch was released on hard acceleration.
This spoilt what would otherwise be a very engaging drive, especially on
challenging roads.
It is obvious that the Tiggo has had help with its Ride-and-Handling; this vehicle is
relatively lightweight (1375kg) but the way it moves along, over bumps and other
irregularities, would shame many budget sedans. It feels solid, surefooted and
confident, as well as comfortable and compliant – in short, nothing like what you
would expect a Chinese-made vehicle, especially a lite-SUV, to feel like.
I had a blast hustling it along, in the Klang Valley environment, over quiet A-roads,
as well as over the very intimidating Karak stretch. The Tiggo felt surefooted and
bighearted everywhere. I was able to take it to its top speed of 145kph along the A-
roads. And it had good flexibility for overtaking traffic, as well as excellent handling
to make doing it at the twisty parts drama free. The car is exactly what a small-
engine manual-shift vehicle should be like – you work the gears, and use the
revs, to get it moving along.
The modest engine outputs mean that you would need to rev the engine up and
slip the clutch, when you move off on any slight incline. Getting to the power zone
would make the car quite perky.
The engine is not one of the smoothest or quietest around, but the sounds are not
harsh either. You would learn to live with it. There are not many powerplants at
this price range that are impressive in that way.
This lite-SUV can also do with more sound dampening. Having said that, the
Tiggo has a sound system that is slightly better than that of the Exora, in that you
can hear a bit more of what comes out of the speakers.
In terms of fuel efficiency, my full tank of about 57 litres lasted about 500km, and
this after a mix of normal and very hard driving. The nature of this vehicle
encourages you to hustle it along, but if you drive along at sane speeds, you
would be rewarded by the fuel-sipping nature of this body-engine-gearbox combo.
The Bottom Line
There is a lot of prejudice towards this brand of cars, not only from the general
public but also the motoring media; most of the English-language bunch stayed
away from the launches, and are not bothered with review units, which is why you
will have a hard time finding test reports on these vehicles. And those that are
done would invariably lack objectivity.
This does not give a true picture of what is happening with the Chery brand in
Malaysia. Those who bother to find out are quite literally amazed – by the good
sense of the majority of the offerings, as well as their prices, including
maintenance costs. You will be seeing more and more of these vehicles,
especially the Eastar MPV and the Tiggo. The 2.0 version will sell more since we
are spoilt by automatic-drive, but the 1.6 manual really deserves more
consideration. It is a sensible choice, as far as the product goes. It can make for a
very rewarding relationship.
So, Sean, I believe you owe this car, and the company, an apology. It appears that
you do not know how to drive a manual car, and also that you lack the objectivity
needed to be a believable reviewer. The image problem of the brand aside, the
Tiggo 1.6M is a highly commendable vehicle for its price. I would venture that it
could fit quite nicely into the line-up of either Proton or Perodua. As it is, Perodua’s
madcap decision with the Nautica leaves many Kembara owners, and other lite-
SUV lovers, with a gaping hole. Mel
CHERY TIGGO 1.6
5-door lite-SUV. LxWxH: 4285x1765x1705mm. Wheelbase: 2510mm. 1375kg.
Suspension: Macpherson struts front and multi-link rear.
Inline-4 petrol engine, EFI DOHC 16v. 119bhp at 6150rpm, 147Nm at 4300rpm.
5-speed manual gearbox. Front-wheel drive.
0-100kph: About 12.7 seconds. Top speed: 145kph.
Price: About RM70K.
For more info: cheryalado.com.
Featured: July 2009. Words and photos: Mel Lee
I was surprised when I started getting calls from Chery Alado; my dealings with
the company since it began operations had been non-existent, a state of affair
experienced by most of my fellow motoring journalists. We assumed that the
management was not comfortable dealing with the Press. I was curious what the
cars were like but after being repeatedly given the cold shoulder, I left it at that.
But then I was invited for the launch for the locally-assembled Tiggo, where I
found that there had been a major change in the company. It turned out that Chery
Automobile of China have taken over control of the Malaysian operations (four of
the department heads are Chinese, while most of mid-management is filled with
ex-Naza people). Chery are directly involved in the manufacture, assembly and
distribution of their vehicles in Malaysia. (20 percent of the new company are
owned by Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera.) Things are noticeably different
and, it would appear, for the better.
Not long after, I was offered the Tiggo for a test drive session. It is the 1.6 manual
version, and a fully imported unit. I was a bit apprehensive about this model
because a junior media member who had tested it had condemned it for its lack
of power. He kept telling me, and anyone else who would listen, that it “cannot
go”. He offered little information about the vehicle beyond that.
I was handed the same unit, which had by then clocked just under 9000km on the
odometer. If there were to be any failings they would surely show up. I thought
those in charge were either very confident of their product or very foolish.
After about a thousand kilometres with the China-made compact SUV I must say
that this is an impressive product for its price, which is just under RM70K, on the
road.
Under The Skin
This is the entry-level version, with an inline-4 petrol engine of 1597cc
displacement, and outputs of 119bhp and 147Nm. This SQR481F engine is
Chery’s own, and boasts of a DOHC 16V head and Electronic Multipoint Injection.
It is matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox, which channels drive to the front
wheels.
You would be forgiven for suggesting that the Tiggo is a copy of the previous-
generation Toyota Rav-4; the overall shape, and many of the cues make a denial
difficult. The Tiggo, however, is sufficiently unique with its large lamps and grille
design, as well as the fact that there are not that many examples of the Toyota
baby SUV around.
The chassis is the same – the Tiggo has a monocoque body riding on a fully-
independent suspension comprising a Macpherson-strut set-up in front and a
multi-link layout at the back.
The Tiggo is a high-riding 4-door, with a side-hinged tailgate. It is a 5-seater with
a commendable boot space, which can be dramatically expanded with the 50:50
split:fold feature of the rear seats. Access to the rear is excellent as there is no
bumper to speak of; the bottom of the tailgate doubles as one. The spare wheel is
hung on the tailgate, with its own lockable cover.
The lite-SUV rides on 235/60R16 Kumho tyres made in China, which are shod on
pretty good-looking alloy wheels, the same units found on the 2.0L model.
One strong suit of the Tiggo 1.6 is the brakes – they are disc units all round, with
the added assurance of ABS and EBD.
The Cabin
All things considered, the interior of this China-made SUV is quite impressive.
The dashboard reminds me of the Ford Escape, in its design and sturdiness. The
plastics used are not obtrusive, and they seem to endure rather well. After having
gone through 9000km it still looks good. It should be noted that the management
at Chery Alado is not satisfied with the China-sourced materials and is looking for
a local supplier who can offer a better grade but at the highly competitive price that
is the hallmark of this brand.
The fittings felt well screwed on, with the quality of the many knobs, especially,
testimonials to a well-made product. The things that were not so good were the
slightly loose air vents, the door mirrors that ‘fluttered’ at speed, an iffy power
window button, doors that did not close easily, and also a glovebox lid that
sometimes dropped open.
This CBU Tiggo also has some uneven and unsightly panel gaps. On the whole,
however, the build-quality of the car came across much more convincingly than I
had envisioned.
This sub-RM70K SUV has a commendable equipment list. The good stuff, like
cruise-control, Steptronic shifter, dual airbags, one-touch down feature for all
windows, keyless entry, leather seats, and a few more items, are reserved for the
2.0 version but this budget model shares many of the features, such as the stereo
system with MP3 and USB capability, power windows, door mirrors and door
locks, luggage rack, 12v outlet, and, as mentioned, the alloy wheels and rear disc
brakes.
The total package is hard to beat at this price. In fact, the Tiggo 1.6 Manual has no
real competition if you rule out cars like the Aveo 1.4 SE (RM73K), the Kia Picanto
1.1 (RM68K), the Swift 1.5 (RM72K), and the Vios 1.5J RM70K).
The more realistic rivals are the Inokom Matrix 1.6GLM (RM68K), the Kangoo 1.4
(RM69K), the Avanza 1.5 M (RM70K) and, of course, Proton’s MPV – the Exora
(RM68K-RM72K). Perodua’s Nautica 1.5 SUV is at a crazy price of just below
RM90K.
Accepting the 1.6M as a major step down from the 2.0, you would be pleasantly
surprised by features like the one-touch power down for driver’s window, the not-
shabby-at-all interior, and the generous storage facility which includes the ceiling-
mounted spectacle holder; cupholders, however, are in short supply.
The steering column has tilt adjust but the range is quite limited in range. This is
made up somewhat by a decent seat height movement, controlled via a knob.
The cabin of the Tiggo 1.6M does not look cheap. It is spacious, quite airy, and
has an air of practicality. Again, with 9000km of, I am sure since this is a demo
and media unit, hard use, the fit-and-finish and the materials have endured
commendably. I have recently seen the cabins of some Honda test vehicles
looking much worse for wear.
On The Move
The test unit had an out-of-tune engine, resulting in rough idling and a jerky pick
up; there was a flat-spot every time the clutch was released on hard acceleration.
This spoilt what would otherwise be a very engaging drive, especially on
challenging roads.
It is obvious that the Tiggo has had help with its Ride-and-Handling; this vehicle is
relatively lightweight (1375kg) but the way it moves along, over bumps and other
irregularities, would shame many budget sedans. It feels solid, surefooted and
confident, as well as comfortable and compliant – in short, nothing like what you
would expect a Chinese-made vehicle, especially a lite-SUV, to feel like.
I had a blast hustling it along, in the Klang Valley environment, over quiet A-roads,
as well as over the very intimidating Karak stretch. The Tiggo felt surefooted and
bighearted everywhere. I was able to take it to its top speed of 145kph along the A-
roads. And it had good flexibility for overtaking traffic, as well as excellent handling
to make doing it at the twisty parts drama free. The car is exactly what a small-
engine manual-shift vehicle should be like – you work the gears, and use the
revs, to get it moving along.
The modest engine outputs mean that you would need to rev the engine up and
slip the clutch, when you move off on any slight incline. Getting to the power zone
would make the car quite perky.
The engine is not one of the smoothest or quietest around, but the sounds are not
harsh either. You would learn to live with it. There are not many powerplants at
this price range that are impressive in that way.
This lite-SUV can also do with more sound dampening. Having said that, the
Tiggo has a sound system that is slightly better than that of the Exora, in that you
can hear a bit more of what comes out of the speakers.
In terms of fuel efficiency, my full tank of about 57 litres lasted about 500km, and
this after a mix of normal and very hard driving. The nature of this vehicle
encourages you to hustle it along, but if you drive along at sane speeds, you
would be rewarded by the fuel-sipping nature of this body-engine-gearbox combo.
The Bottom Line
There is a lot of prejudice towards this brand of cars, not only from the general
public but also the motoring media; most of the English-language bunch stayed
away from the launches, and are not bothered with review units, which is why you
will have a hard time finding test reports on these vehicles. And those that are
done would invariably lack objectivity.
This does not give a true picture of what is happening with the Chery brand in
Malaysia. Those who bother to find out are quite literally amazed – by the good
sense of the majority of the offerings, as well as their prices, including
maintenance costs. You will be seeing more and more of these vehicles,
especially the Eastar MPV and the Tiggo. The 2.0 version will sell more since we
are spoilt by automatic-drive, but the 1.6 manual really deserves more
consideration. It is a sensible choice, as far as the product goes. It can make for a
very rewarding relationship.
So, Sean, I believe you owe this car, and the company, an apology. It appears that
you do not know how to drive a manual car, and also that you lack the objectivity
needed to be a believable reviewer. The image problem of the brand aside, the
Tiggo 1.6M is a highly commendable vehicle for its price. I would venture that it
could fit quite nicely into the line-up of either Proton or Perodua. As it is, Perodua’s
madcap decision with the Nautica leaves many Kembara owners, and other lite-
SUV lovers, with a gaping hole. Mel
CHERY TIGGO 1.6
5-door lite-SUV. LxWxH: 4285x1765x1705mm. Wheelbase: 2510mm. 1375kg.
Suspension: Macpherson struts front and multi-link rear.
Inline-4 petrol engine, EFI DOHC 16v. 119bhp at 6150rpm, 147Nm at 4300rpm.
5-speed manual gearbox. Front-wheel drive.
0-100kph: About 12.7 seconds. Top speed: 145kph.
Price: About RM70K.
For more info: cheryalado.com.
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