Today, many Chinese car manufacturers have become significant players on the market, especially in the segment of electric cars. However, things weren't that great back in the day.
At the time the Chery J11 was launched, the major Chinese carmakers were state-owned companies. History has taught us that such companies usually can't make a good car (look at old models from Eastern Europe).
Is that the case with Chery J11? It's hard to say because this model compensates for its technological inferiority with an affordable price.
The Chery J11 was available in Australia for seven years, between 2011 and 2017. We saw two generations with this badge during that period, and both featured the same design approach – an affordable but decently-equipped SUV designed to compete with much more expensive counterparts from South Korea, Japan, and Europe.
The First Generation of Chery J11 (2011-2013)
Design
The Chery J11 debuted in Australia with the 2011 model year. It was designed as a small SUV, which would be capable both on and off the road. The wheelbase was 2510mm long, while the total length was around 4285 millimetres. Such dimensions ensured pretty good manoeuvrability, including a turning circle of just 11 meters.
The suspension setup was relatively decent – McPherson at the front and trailing arms with hydraulic double-acting shock absorbers on the rear end. As a result, the ride quality was surprisingly good.
The short wheelbase also indicated a high off-road potential. Unfortunately, the ground clearance was just around 170 mm, while the front-wheel-drive was the only drivetrain on the offer.
2011 Chery J11 Dimensions
- Wheelbase: 2510mm
- Height: 1716mm
- Length: 4285mm
- Width: 1765mm
- Ground clearance: 168mm
- Weight: 1400kg
- Turning circle: 11m
2011 Chery J11 Engine
The J11 came with just one engine on the offer. It was an old-fashioned 2.0-litre petrol unit, which offered decent power but wasn’t particularly efficient. The max output is rated at 102 kW, while the max torque goes up to 182 Nm. On the other hand, the claimed fuel economy is 8.9 litres per 100 km, but if we look at Chery J11 reviews, it turns out that numbers are much higher in reality.
The transmission is one of the best examples of the model's outdated engineering. We are talking about a model that debuted in 2011, available with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic gearbox. This isn't something you would expect to see in the 21st century.
Engine Specs
- Engine Capacity: 1971cc
- Number of cylinders: 4cyl
- Fuel type: Regular Unleaded Petrol
- Maximum torque: 182Nm
- Maximum power: 102kW
- Transmission: 5-speed manual/ 4-speed automatic
- Fuel tank capacity: 57L
- Fuel consumption: 8.9L/100km (combined)
- Max towing capacity: 900kg
2011 Chery J11 Features
The affordable price was the main selling point of the new 2011 Chery J11, but the list of standard equipment was surprisingly long. Some parts of the standard equipment were goodies like power windows, power steering, power mirrors, 16-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, cruise control (with automatic transmission only), four speakers, CD players, and dual front airbags, to name some.
Things remained pretty much the same in the following model years.
The Second Generation of Chery J11 (2014-2017)
Design
After three years on the offer, the original J11 was replaced with a new, more sophisticated version. The second generation came not just with improvements but also with changes regarding base design characteristics. The most notable is the ground clearance, which was lowered down for a bit. The second-generation model kept the same wheelbase and width, and on the other hand, it was lower and longer.
That was a clear indicator that the Chinese manufacturer gave up on any off-road pretensions. The new model came as a typical city crossover, and even the contemporary styling looks way less rugged than the original.
2014 Chery J11 Dimensions
- Wheelbase: 2510mm
- Height: 1705mm
- Length: 4390mm
- Width: 1765mm
- Ground clearance: 160mm
- Weight: 1375kg
- Turning circle: 11m
The new model also came with a more sophisticated suspension setup, ensuring a slightly better driving experience. Also, the list of standard features was expanded. The second-generation model added bigger 17-inch alloy wheels, electronic stability control, daytime running LED lights, Hill Descent Assist, USB ports and many more. All these were part of the standard equipment.
2014 Chery J11 Engine
This was probably the biggest change of all. The thirsty 2.0-litre unit was replaced with a new, more efficient 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. The new engine featured slightly less power and torque, but on the other hand, fuel economy was notably better. The max towing capacity remained the same – 900kg.
Another big thing was a new CVT gearbox, which replaced the outdated 4-speed automatic, and the 5-speed manual remained on the offer.
Engine Specs
- Engine Capacity: 1598cc
- Number of cylinders: 4cyl
- Fuel type: Regular Unleaded Petrol
- Maximum torque: 160Nm
- Maximum power: 93kW
- Transmission: 5-speed manual/ CVT
- Fuel tank capacity: 55L
- Fuel consumption: 7.4 L/100km (combined)
- Max Towing Capacity: 900kg
Why are Chery cars so cheap?
Well, there are two main reasons. The first one is technology. These cars mostly use old technology, which was contemporary a few decades ago. This mainly refers to mechanics – parts like engine, transmission, and similar things.
The second reason is that we are talking about cars produced by a Chinese state-owned company. In practice, this usually means low development costs and very low production costs due to the lack of competition.
What is the ANCAP rating of Chery J11?
Even today, cars from China generally do poorly on safety and crash tests, so you may presume that things were even worse a decade ago. The 2011 Chery J11 scored some pretty low results at the ANCAP test, and it got only two stars, with a frontal offset score of 2 out of 16, poor pedestrian protection, and an overall safety score of 16.49 out of 37.
2011 Chery J11 ANCAP Safety Score:
- Frontal Offset: 2.00 (out of a total score of 16)
- Side Impact: 16.00 (out of a total score of 16)
- Pole: Not Assessed
- Whiplash Protection: Not Assessed
- Pedestrian Protection: Poor
- ESC: Not Available
- Seat Belt Reminders: 0.0 (out of a total score of 3)
- Overall Score: 16.49 (out of a total score of 37)
- ANCAP Safety Rating: 2 Stars
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By Nebojsa Grmusa