A very pretty Chery A3 hatchback, seen in the fall of 2019 in Beijing. The A3 was in a fine shape, with the fiery red paint almost as good as new and with the original alloys. The light visors had faded a little bit.
The Chery A3 was made from 2008 until 2015, in sedan and hatchback forms. I always thought it was one of the best looking Chinese cars of the era. And like so many Chinese cars of the 2000’s it was designed by an Italian design studio, in this case Pininfarina. They did a great job, the A3 is a beauty from every side, a coherent design with simple clean lines.
Some details are interesting, like this chromed arrowhead light unit on the front doors.
The abbreviation DVVT stands for ‘dual variable valve timing technology’, a key element of Chery’s self-developed ACTECO series of engines. These engines were developed by Chery Powertrain, a division of Chery, in cooperation with Austrian engine developed AVL. In the Chery A3, there were two ACTECO engines available: a 1.6 and a 1.8. Buyers could also get a 2.0 but that was an older engine. The 1.6 had an output of 126 hp and 160 Nm. The motor was mated to a five-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic. Top speed (manual) was 174 kilometers per hour and fuel consumption was 6.6 liter per 100 kilometers. Price of the Chery A3 1.6 DVVT manual was 82.800 yuan (2010), a very good deal for such a stylish car.
The interior was nice. Lots of hard plastics but with sporty dials and a rather large steering wheel. There is a tiny screen for the radio-cassette system and some shiny bits of trim on the center stack. The owner fitted seat covers to protect the original fabric seats.
The rear bench is covered too. Quite some space for the legs.
The rear door handle was ‘hidden’ in the window.
The rear was bulbous yet with a strong stance. The rear window was huge, no problems with the rear-view in this car.
The third-brake light sat in a small pod atop the window, with a sort of wings on each side.
The lights were big but that was typical for the time, it sometimes seemed as if Chinese car makers were having a match to see who could fit the largest lights. Characers: 奇瑞汽车, Qirui Qiche, Chery Auto.
Sadly, there was no direct successor for the Chery A3. The sedan was sort of succeeded by the larger Chery Arrizo 7, but the hatchback didn’t get a follow-up at all. Too bad, it was such a pretty car, especially in red.
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