Tianjin-Xiali (天津夏利), a subsidiary of First Automobile Works (FAW), manufactured the Xiali TJ7131UL. It was a long-wheelbase variant of the Xiali TJ7131, which, in turn, was based on the Daihatsu Charade.
Tianjin-FAW was licensed by Daihatsu to produce the Charade in China. According to good Chinese custom, Tianjin-Xiali not only produced the original Charade but also launched loads of self-developed variants.
Long-wheelbase
Note the cool keyhole on the fuel door! Xiali extended the wheelbase of the TJ7131UL with 11 centimeters. The extension was at the B-pillar, between the front and rear doors. It looked quite rudimentary but it worked.
Standard:3995/1615/1385, wheelbase 2340.
Extended: 4075/1615/1385, wheelbase 2420.
Specifications
The Xiali has such large windows compared to modern cars, so it was pretty spacious and airy inside. The engine of the TJ7131UL model was a 1.3-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with an output of 84 hp and 110 nm, mated to a five-speed manual transmission sending horses to the front wheels. The top speed was a surprisingly quick 145 km/h but 0-100 took a slow 15 seconds.
Interior
The interior looked a tad dirty. The dashboard is a 1:1 takeover from the Charade. The owner of the car in the photos added fancy seat covers and an armrest-box combination with a fake-wood top. This kind of armrest-boxes was super popular in the early 2000s, offering extra storage space and, well, an arm rest.
The gold-colored hand-written Xiali badge on the back.
Until the late 2010s, the Xiali was still a regular sight on the roads of the Chinese capital. Sadly, stricter emission regulations killed the Xiali in Beijing, so nowadays none are left. Most went to the crusher but others were sold off to outlier provinces where the rules aren’t as strict yet. So if you go to a village in Hebei, who knows, you may see an old Xiali TJ7131UL puffing around.