Chery to present Riich II microvan at Chang'an Auto Salon
The Chery Riich II microvan is a global market car derived from the Chery V2. The Riich II will debut at the Chang'an Auto Salon later this month, and Chery says that it benefits from a focus on safety, among other things. To try and back up that claim, Chery released the crash test photo shown above (scenario unknown/questionable, so take it with a pound of salt), in which the dummy is refreshingly not in several pieces, impaled by the steering column, or wearing the instrument panel as a hat. This would seem to be a welcome departure from the norm in terms of Chinese cars' crash tests, with recent videos having led us to believe that vehicles made of arsenic and razor blades would be a better bet in a collision than some of China's automotive offerings. We'll reserve final judgment on this one until we see a crash test video on it from one of its destination markets, like Russia. You'll forgive us for being skeptical.The front-drive van will be powered by an 83-horsepower 1.3-liter engine. In terms of appearance, it looks like a miniaturized ripoff of the Renault Trafic.
[Source: Autoblog Spanish]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Sean Flanagan 1:35PM (7/16/2007)
"wearing the instrument panel as a hat"
Best phrase in Autoblog history.
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Viv 1:48PM (7/16/2007)
The Pontiac Aztek is a happy car today. It just got beat out for the worst looking car in the world.
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Chris 1:56PM (7/16/2007)
Looks like a 5mph crash set up in an unused room at the factory. I love the camera on the wall. It's probably fake.
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iibbmm 1:59PM (7/16/2007)
I'd hold off until they release the III'rd Reich... errr Riich.
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William 2:11PM (7/16/2007)
How could the test occur in that room when you can't see the little strip on the floor which moves the unmanned vehicle? Unless someone has sacrificed their life for the sake of proving the Riich's safety, I still question how it could have been performed in that room. Also, the windshield seems to be perfectly intact which means this was a low-speed impact test.
Albeit not looking as bad as Chery's past offerings, the tall and narrow body coupled with those diminutive wheels, it would definitely do bad in rollover questions. Heck, a normal slalom test would be hell for it.
William Lee
TheCarBlogger
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RidinLow 2:18PM (7/16/2007)
They probably had a bunch of guys push it across the room into the wall.
William 2:18PM (7/16/2007)
Ughh, why did I write "rollover questions? I meant rollover tests. Anyways, I forgot that there is actually a market for these kinds of vehicles so it's not bad after all as we imply. However, just like someone noted, it seems to have taken the Opel Vivaro/Renault Trafic's most distinctive design cue, the lump of the roof at the front. Not bad though. Certainly a nice departure from the QQ days.
William Lee
TheCarBlogger
Pemo 2:29PM (7/16/2007)
Chinese cars are death traps. Who the hell would risk their lives to save a couple of dollars. Not to mention that door handles and engines malfunction because of low quality control. Too many risks man.
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Edsel 2:19PM (7/16/2007)
Yup. I remember how we used to snicker at the diminutive and fragile post-war Japanese cars.....
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sanimalp 2:22PM (7/16/2007)
My only question is: Why are all the doors open? seems to me that the doors would be an extra bit to strengthen the frame if they were to stay shut. My car, a 91 civic hatchback, has an interlocking metal portion that would, I imagine, keep the doors from moving out of the doorframe in an impact.
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calebe 2:40PM (7/16/2007)
usually after a crash test they open the doors to see if they will. I doubt that was a 40 mph test but then again I don't know all the facts. I will not say China will never build good cars, because there are people that said the same thing about the Japanese and Korean's. Still, at this point, someone else can be the risk taker.
... 2:23PM (7/16/2007)
those headlights and that grille remind me of a kia. i'm guessing the price will too.
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getta Kloo 2:57PM (7/16/2007)
Why bash Kia, here? Hunh? What's your problem?
Show me, with proof(Edmunds, MotorWeek, whatever) that Kia= Chinese cars.
MW picked the minivan over all others(including Toyota) for 07 Editors choice( why be a h8ter? you UAW or Big 3 Japanese fan only, think all others are junK?).
yes, this crash test looks phoney.
3MPH test, maybe? lol.
Just think, folks, next yea, or 09, you can buy a Dodge (one of 2 models) built by this company, for Americans.
Just like all vehicles, though, they gotta meet certain criteria to be sold here, so that's a good thing.
... 3:13PM (7/16/2007)
how am i bashing kia? all i said was that the car looked like one. the non-crashed picture. i never said kia=chinese cars. don't get defensive about something i never said
William 2:23PM (7/16/2007)
http://www.motoroads.com/images/sofia-car-hire/opel-vivaro-2006-8+1s.jpg
Here's an image of the Opel Vivaro. It's clear where it got its main influence from.
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bmoredlj 2:58PM (7/16/2007)
Anyone know Mandarin for "Safe Happens"?
I do love how the doors on the driver's side conveniently open after the crash. Of course, for all we know, the van IDLED into the wall and this was the result.
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Aki 3:00PM (7/16/2007)
Nice 15mph crash. Notice how they didn't release a vid, or give any details.
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Getta Kloo 3:05PM (7/16/2007)
hey, to the Kia poster...sorry if I sounded liek a jerk, but, I get tired of the backhanded Kia commentary, just like Hyundai got knocked for 15 years, until recently( adn some still attack them...despite the fact they're good vehicles).
Drive one before flaming them(GM, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Suzuki, ANY BRAND).
When you can be specific about a brand, and not "generalizations"(making it seem you are prejuding the thing w./o ever driving one, maybe even like the Chinese cars, that will come here via Dodge in 1-2 years)..
Anyhow, carry on...
this car is bad, but i will RESERVE JUDGEMENT on Chery/Chrysler cars...when they get here, see the crash test results( done in USA)... drive one... see hwo they hold up in 3-5 year long term tests, etc.
One thing to dislike something you have actually test driven before..but to make off the cuff remarks( that most people can look up and see it's bogus info, just an attack on a company) is not cool at all.
take it easy.
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Mike 4:19PM (7/16/2007)
More or less dangerous than Chinese toothpaste, dog food, seafood, or trade policies?
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Brian Dreggors 4:28PM (7/16/2007)
This thing probably had the parking brake cable snap and rolled twelve feet into the wall. "Let's call it a crash test!" "Okay!"
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