The Chinese automaker apparently became disillusioned with TagAZ's ability to sell cars and, therefore, by the end of the year is going to independently bring its updated Chery Fora 2 sedan to our market. Recall that at the time of publication of this review, in Russia this model is being assembled in Taganrog under the name Vortex Estina FL-ะก , but the volume of its sales does not cause any optimism. If the first generation sold more than 13,000 cars, the novelty found only about 900 owners in six months of sales. It is not clear whether the Chinese themselves will be able to increase the sales of Chery Fora 2, but at least there is a reason to get acquainted with the popular Chinese sedan again.
In Russia, they learned about Chery Fora back in 2008, when the first generation of the sedan was shown during the Moscow Motor Show. During sales in our country, the "Chinese" sold almost in record numbers, becoming one of the most popular Chinese cars in Russia. At the end of 2012, the partner and official dealer of the Chery concern in Russia, TagAZ JSC, presented the Russian version of the second generation of the sedan, called the Vortex Estina FL-C. But subsequently, Taganrozh residents were unable to ensure the required level of sales, and recently they began to completely reduce the staff of the plant. Apparently this prompted the Chinese to independently engage in the implementation of their very interesting novelty, so that the second coming of the sedan to our country will take place at the end of the year and it will appear under the name Chery Fora 2.
In China, the updated second-generation Chery Fora sedan is known as the Chery E5 and is in very good demand from the very beginning of sales. The second generation is built on the same platform as the previous one, while there are no global changes even in appearance. In fact, the accomplished update process can hardly be called a transition to a new generation, rather it is a deep restyling of the first generation of the sedan, but the Chinese insist that Chery Fora 2 is exactly the second generation, so we will give in to them and pretend to believe.
But, of course, not without noticeable changes in appearance. The Chinese learn quickly and do not hesitate to copy the best examples of the global automotive industry, so the new appearance of Chery Fora 2 strives for the latest European and Japanese trends, combining them into some kind of their own style (apparently in order to make it harder to catch plagiarism). The "second generation" (of course in quotes) has completely new front and rear parts of the body, where the straight and smooth surfaces of the bumpers have given way to complex geometric volumes with curvy cutouts for front fog lights and stylish stamps at the rear. The radiator grill has also been updated, which has become much more modern and massive. And, of course, optics, now the Chinese are clearly not ashamed of it.
Meanwhile, the silhouette of the new Chery Fora is easily recognizable by the shape of the doors, especially the rear ones, protruding into the C-pillar, which is why the latter received a stylish boomerang-like shape. From the side surface, at last, unsightly moldings, disfiguring the already boring appearance of the first generation of the sedan, have disappeared. As for the dimensions, they have hardly changed, the new product has only slightly "lost" in length from 4580 mm to 4552 mm, while the length of the wheelbase remains the same - 2600 mm.
But the interior of Chery Fora 2 has changed dramatically, here the transition to the "new generation" is more noticeable. And it's not even about the improved quality of the materials used, but about the interior design, which, following the exterior, moved towards European standards. The salon looks prettier, it has more harmony between the individual elements, and the colors are chosen much more competently than before. The front panel is still plastic, but the plastic has become more pleasant to the touch, and the design of the front of the cabin cannot be called too dull - it will do for a budget car. How the decrease in overall length will affect the volume of the cabin, the Chinese do not report, but they will probably have to make room somewhere, either in the rear of the cabin, or in the volume of the trunk.
Specifications. The Chinese concern has not yet announced the list of available engines for the Russian market, but one should not expect any sensation in this matter, since the Vortex Estina FL-C and Chery E5 went on sale with the same engine as the first generation of the sedan. Recall that the 1.5-liter 4-cylinder ACTECO engine, in the development of which AVL took part, develops 109 hp. power. At the same time, the maximum torque of this power unit is fixed at around 140 Nm, and the only gearbox available for the motor is a 5-speed "mechanics". But nevertheless, the Chinese promise small transformations - the engine will be slightly modified in terms of fuel efficiency, but Chery engineers have not yet named specific numbers.
It is possible that the updated Cherie Fora 2 sedan will enter our market with two engines. In China, the novelty is sold in small quantities with a new engine. It is a 1.8-liter DOHC unit that develops 130 hp. and aggregating with the same mechanical "five-step". The Chinese did not even say a word about the prospects for the appearance of an automatic transmission in Russia, which leads to quite solid thoughts that we will not wait for the automatic transmission for the Chery Fora 2 sedan, although in our Celestial Empire a 1.8-liter engine in top-end equipment is offered with "Automatic".
In the chassis of the "new" generation of the Chinese sedan, nothing has changed either - independent suspension on MacPherson struts at the front and an independent multi-link structure at the rear. The brake system is already in the base supplemented with ABS, as well as EBD. Chery Fora 2 has front-wheel drive only.
Options and prices. The Chinese have not yet formed a list of complete sets for Cheri Fora 2 for the Russian market, but in the Middle Kingdom itself, at the start, the car receives two front airbags, power windows for the front doors, heated rear window, central locking, fabric interior, halogen optics, air conditioning and an audio system with 2 speakers , support for CD, mp3 and USB. The price of the Chery Fora 2 sedan has also not been announced yet, but recall that the Vortex Estina FL-C sedan in 2013 is sold at a price of 489,900 rubles.
