CHISHI KIMO (A1) test drive since 2007 hatchback

To Kill a Mockingbird

Do not leaf through thick catalogs, do not storm the car portals, you will not find the Japanese or European double of Cheri Kimo. And although he holds tightly for the roots of the Daewoo Matiz platform, on which he was made, the guys from the Italian studio Bertone changed the appearance of the car beyond recognition. The Chinese folk methodology for manufacturing equipment seems to enter into a new stage. The stage of spying and copying is replaced by independent work and a respectable contract of eminent manufacturing companies. Confirmation of this is the new Cheri Kimo: still not very expensive, but already damn ambitious!
 
At the age of 14, my father caught fire on a dream of a camera. Having worked for a couple of months on assembling boxes at the state farm, he became the happy owner of a simple seagull with a set of black and white film. At that time there were more functional devices on the shelves, but they were already worth disguised more expensive. Nobody was going to do cheaply and angry for 25 accumulated rubles, but the archive was enriched with bright (not in color, but in spirit) photographs of the life of a family, in which, as you know, the game of light and shadows is not very important.
I remembered all this, getting acquainted with Chery Kimo. Who would have thought that in the category of budgetary there would be nowhere to appear cars that care not only about your wallet, but also comfort? In the database - air conditioning, electric windows for all four doors, parking sensors, hydraulic power, a solid radio, with the ability to read MP3 and the input for flash drive, moreover, CHERY has already shown a top -end set where the middle panel decorates the DVD system screen, and the hatch controlled by the electric drive is cut into the roof. ! All this frames a pleasant salon, with cheerful colored inserts in the doors (which the manufacturer for some reason calls sports), modern, well-read devices, and a perfectly acceptable level of ergonomics. Acceptable - this means that two adults sat in front, without touching each other's shoulders, and were able to comfortably get in their place. The only minus is too narrow backs of the front seats. Gorbiks of lateral support dig into the sides, and the first time (until they die) they play the role of a massager. However, the problem is solved or addictive, Ilduta.
The plastic panels of the cabin are surprisingly well fitted, and quite decent quality. In motion on a new car, all this is good does not rattle, and inspires a certain hope that it will continue to be so. And byaks, it seems to be the door handles and an acute-chemical smell in the cabin in the cabin to the budget: for a cheap car this is not a crime.
Despite the fact that the native to Kimo is the slightly enlarged platform of the already mentioned Daewoo Matiz (aka Chevrolet Spark, aka Chery QQ), outwardly nothing gives out anything. This is no longer a mockingbird like QQ, who almost completely repeats the appearance of the Korean brother. It seems that the Chinese manufacturer begins to renounce direct copying of other models, calling on to the help of European specialists. In this case, we are talking about the Italian studio Bertone, where they developed a pretty Chery Kimo design, and the Austrian AVL, which helped the Chinese with the motor.
It is still one volume of 1.3, and with a capacity of 79 hp. For the car, the equipped mass is slightly enough for a ton, but a weak version with an unit 1.1 liters (it has not yet been supplied) in Russia will hardly take root.
Kimo's riding is pleased unless in a calm mode. The desire to give the heat disappears as soon as the salon fills the transmission of the freight howl of the transmission. Moreover, uterine sounds accompanied us with every acceleration. And by turning on the rear gear, a multi -sized ri of the trifles and gears are added to the repertoire, which are difficult to enter. The same applies to pendants. Tonynic levers and toy shock absorbers at first at first coped well with their work. In unhurried turns, the car did not overwhelm, and the lying policeman was swallowed easily and at ease. But as soon as he went more actively and the car literally swam. The reactions on the steering wheel became inaccurate, a noticeable buildup appeared, the suspension broke on the bumps. But in the urban crowd work of the steering wheel with a hydraulic wrap, I did not even like it too softly, quite informatively. Normally, in general.
Well, as the final stroke of the slurred operation of the heater. In all the fingering modes of the glass, the cars fogged from the top and to the bottom of almost a minute. Moreover, the strength of the jet from the upper deflectors was quite sufficient, but its direction is absolutely past the desired zone.
On the way back, they enjoyed the smell of burnt pads. CHIRY KIMO brakes are already equipped with ABS and EBD in the database (!), But what if the mechanisms themselves were enough for only a few test slowdowns. The pedal lost sensitivity, and rather lazily responded to pressing. The photographer sitting nearby continued to study the heater: a lot of settings, the air sprisens, it seems, from all the cracks and the glass as they were fogged and remained. Trying to somehow ventilate the salon, they opened the windows and the warm summer rain instantly doused us and the cheerful upholstery of the salon. So they rode wet, who did not see anything, but with air conditioning and music. Well, it’s not scary, because we are protected by two airbags. And, as you, right, could guess, are also included in the basic equipment of the car
I remember that in the father’s camera there were no bells and whistles like a motor -link of film, all kinds of auto -regulations or autofocus. But although now it can be reached with the mezzanine, and he will shoot reliably, without failures.
Kimo is a storehouse of show -offs. Without bringing the suspension, brakes and transmission, Chery rushed to equip it with all kinds of electronic lotions. However, if you close your eyes to some technical misses, this car is able to like it. It is always nice to say that your state employee with a design from Bertone has air conditioning, electric drives and a USB port
The car is provided by the Autocenter Union, the official dealer of CHEY
Text: Alexander Mikhailov
Photo: Roman Ostanin

   
 

Source: Wheel magazine [June 2008]