A no-frills, affordable people mover that many Malaysians might like
The Chinese MPV market has gained a new entrant in the form the Wuling Jia Chen. The seven-seater model, which is conceived under the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture, is available in five variants and priced between RMB 68,800 and RMB 99,800 (RM45,190 – RM65,550).
Dimensions-wise, the Jia Chen measures in at 4,785 mm long, 1,820 mm wide and 1,760 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,760 mm, making it slightly smaller than the likes of the Honda Odyssey and Nissan Serena S-Hybrid.
In terms of design, the front end of the Jia Chen mimics that of the Kia Carnival in the sense that the squarish headlamps merge seamlessly into the rather large grille, which has V-shaped slats embellished in chrome. From the side, blacked out pillars provide the illusion of a floating roof, while the rear is dominated by full-width tail lamps.
Curiously, the interior appears more upmarket compared to the exterior, with plush brown leather upholstery covering all seven seats, door panels, centre console and the bottom portion of the dashboard.
Tech-wise, the Jia Chen comes with a 10.25-inch central display and the Ling OS operating system that supports vehicle status monitoring, remote switch air conditioning and Bluetooth key sharing. Other niceties include voice command, keyless entry, electronic parking brake and nine stereo speakers.
The seats are arranged in a 2+2+3 format, with the rear bench can be lowered or folded forward to achieve maximum cargo volume of 1,177 litres.
Under the bonnet lies a GM-sourced 1.5-litre turbocharged engine that churns out a decent 147 hp and 250 Nm of torque, and a CVT with eight virtual speeds. No performance figures are mentioned but according to reports, the drivetrain returns a fuel consumption of 7.2 litres per 100 km.
Given the fact that the Wuling brand has no official distributors here, chances of the Jia Chen making its way here are slim to none. But local automakers such as Tan Chong (who is already distributing the JMC Vigus Pro here) should consider offering this model just to shake things up in the segment. They can bring the price even lower by assembling at the Serendah plant, where the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV was recently spotted.
