Haima Motors is a Chinese car brand under First Auto Works (FAW). The Haima brand began as a joint venture between Hainan Auto and Mazda, which inspired the Haima name, and later became a fully-owned brand under FAW. Haima is based in Hainan, the sunny island province in the South China Sea.
The Haima 2 was a subcompact hatchback. It was largely based on the second-generation Mazda 2. Production began in 2009 and ended in 2015, with a facelift in 2013. The car in the photos is a pre-facelift example.
Interior
The interior design clearly shows the Mazda genes of the Haima 2. A large steering wheel, sporty dials, round air vents, and a clean center stack with just a radio and the aircon controls. The owner added fancy seat covers. A lucky charm hangs from the rear-view mirror.
A pink Minions bag is on the bench. The Despicable Me movie franchise was, and still is, super popular in China. Walk into any market, and you can buy endless amounts of Minions-themed stuff, mostly unlicensed of course.
Large light units were trendy at the time. The Haima 2 is also equipped with a spoiler above the rear window, with an integrated brake light.
Engine and size
GL was a trim level. The Haima 2 was available with 1.5 and 1.3-liter petrol engines. Interestingly, these engines were sourced from Shenyang-Mitsubishi (SAME), a large engine-making joint venture. The output of the 4A90S 1.3 was 68 kW and 124 Nm. The gearbox of the 1.3 was a 5-speed manual. The top speed was 130 km/h. The size of the Haima 2 was 3890/1695/1480, 2500, with a 1055 kg curb weight.
Character time: 海马汽车, Hǎimǎ Qìchē, Haima Motors.
In 2009, the price of the Haima 2 GL was 53.900 yuan, which made it one of the cheapest subcompact hatchbacks on the market. Most were sold in southern China, so the 2 has always been a rare sight up north in Beijing.