At 3500 revolutions per minute, the maximum torque value can be reached - Ying Jianren, Wu Jianzhong

by yingjianren on 2011-06-19 11:13:25

[Car Decor News] Do not think that the Ruiqi M1 is just another small car launched by Chery. Jianren Ying and Jianzhong Wu, in fact, it's not that simple. It's not just a change of appearance from QQ to A1, but a complete innovation. No wonder it's not called "Chery M1", but instead given a brand new brand - Ruiqi. The models under this brand may differ in size and price, but they will all maintain the two basic characteristics of being high-quality and exquisite.

2009 is an important year for Chery. This is the second year of Chery's full-scale internationalization. Chery has become a mother brand, which has evolved into four sub-brands: the existing Chery (CHERY), the mid-to-high-end brand Ruiqi (Riich) and Weilin (Rely), and the micro-car brand Karry (KARRY). The "Chery" brand is responsible for most of the existing products under Chery, such as the well-known A1, A3, A5, QQ series, Qiyun, and Tiggo; "Ruiqi" and "Weilin" undertake the task of opening up the high-end sedan market, such as M1, G5, G6; "Karry" includes all "micro cars", such as the newly launched Karry Youpai.

Despite appearances, the Ruiqi M1 is more than just a family car and should belong to the Chery brand alongside QQ and A1 rather than with mid-to-high-level cars like G5 and G6. However, the quality of the Ruiqi M1 aligns with Chery's positioning for the Ruiqi brand. Just like BMW, which has compact 1 Series models as well as medium-to-large cars like the 5 Series and 7 Series, despite differences in models, they all share a common feature - full driving pleasure.

The Ruiqi M1 is not unfamiliar. As early as the Beijing Auto Show in 2008, Chery introduced the WUWA concept car series, and M1 was one of them, NN (Nini), with the internal code S18. At the Shanghai Auto Show in April this year, it was branded under the new Ruiqi name and made a stunning reappearance.

Everyone knows that Chery's early models were imitations, like QQ and Oriental Son, but years have passed, and it's hard to tell who M1 is imitating. In fact, it is an original work, designed by the Turin Design Company in Italy, with the basic body derived from the Chery A1. Not only is the design of the Ruiqi M1 original, but its advanced design philosophy represents the latest trend in international small cars, far surpassing Geely Panda and BYD F0 which still rely on imitations.

In terms of styling, the M1 not only has the rounded design of a fashionable small car, but also boldly incorporates powerful lines. The front face resembles a smile, and the two decorative lines on the engine cover make this smile even livelier. The rear door handle is a typical Italian design, placed vertically at the edge of the rear window, a design also seen on the Alfa Romeo 156.

The stylish and cute design of the M1 can attract the attention of most people on the road. Everyone is amazed by this little car, and almost no one can guess what car it is. One reason is that the good-looking exterior makes it hard to associate with domestic brands, and more importantly, the logo that is 90% similar to Bentley confuses many people. Although there are controversies about the Ruiqi logo, it at least makes people think of foreign high-end brands at first sight, even if it's just an impression, which is a great help for a new small car.

The craftsmanship of the Ruiqi M1 has significantly improved. The body seams are even, the body is upright, especially the doors, which not only have double-layer sealing but also excellent manufacturing precision. This can be heard from the sound of closing the door, completely eliminating the loose feeling of previous domestic brand models. The whole car has been treated for noise reduction and vibration control, and the rigidity of the chassis has been strengthened. When driving over bumpy roads, the chassis shows strong integrity, completely eliminating the loose feeling of domestic brand models. This improvement in craftsmanship is also reflected in the interior. Although the instrument panel still uses hard plastic materials, it is much stronger than before, and the seams are delicate and even, basically reaching the standard of international brand small cars.

The layout of the Ruiqi M1 dashboard is similar to Toyota's small cars. The instrument panel, air conditioning, and audio system are all placed in the center, arranged from top to bottom. In the center of the instrument panel is a display screen that can show conventional information such as speed, time, and mileage. In addition, it can also display instant fuel consumption, range, maintenance reminders, and other information usually found in higher-class cars. More surprisingly, the distance to obstacles behind the car can also be displayed here when reversing. The only downside is that the arrangement and fonts of these pieces of information are somewhat chaotic, lacking clear priorities. Around the display screen is a dynamic tachometer strip, showing the current speed with bright light. Actually, I think it should display the engine RPM because the adjacent tachometer is too small, and for manual transmission cars, the engine RPM is quite important.

The elasticity of the fabric seats in the M1 is very good. Even heavier individuals won't cause the seat to "collapse." However, the driver's seat is too high for someone of my average build, and it cannot be adjusted up or down, so I never found a comfortable driving position, resulting in a cramped headroom. The rear seats of the M1 cannot fold 5/5 but can be laid flat entirely, providing a decent trunk capacity.

The Ruiqi M1 adopts a regular three-spoke steering wheel. The steering wheel size is slightly large, and the hydraulic power steering assistance force is also slightly large, making the steering wheel feel very light, almost without any road feedback. There is no problem driving in urban areas, but once entering highways, extra attention must be paid to controlling the steering wheel, otherwise, it may unintentionally deviate from the lane. Although this tuning is not too suitable for high-speed driving, it is very convenient for ladies to park.

The use of electronic throttle eliminates the annoying vibrations common in previous domestic-brand small cars. You can easily "abuse" it. The gentle throttle drives the ACTECO 1.3-liter engine independently developed by Chery. This engine has been tested by the market for many years and is already quite mature. Its maximum power is 62 kilowatts, and the maximum torque is 122 Nm. Although the data is not outstanding, the throttle response is good, and the maximum torque value can be reached at 3500 rpm, earlier than most engines in this class. Coupled with the vehicle weight of just over one ton, the M1 appears very agile in low-speed urban roads, but due to the small engine displacement, the acceleration performance at medium-to-high speeds is limited, and overtaking midway feels a bit strained. But you should know that the constant-speed fuel consumption per 100 kilometers of this engine is only 4.5 liters, so we cannot have too many demands on it, although it still has the drawback of excessive noise.

The most obvious feeling when driving the M1 is "lightness". Not only is the steering wheel and throttle light, but the clutch and gear shifting are also very smooth. Although it is still a cable-operated clutch, the force required is very light and smooth, completely eliminating the previous feeling of domestic-brand cars. The engagement point is very clear, so even in traffic jams, it won't make you annoyed, but instead, it adds driving fun. The five-speed manual transmission also breaks the norm, with clear gear selection and smooth shifting actions. At this point, I finally understand why the M1 does not use the Chery brand but is crowned with the mid-to-high-end Ruiqi brand. This car has indeed made significant progress in all aspects, and only from the M1 can one truly experience the agility of driving a small car.

The official price of the Ruiqi M1 ranges between 42,800 yuan and 59,800 yuan. Although it is more expensive than Beidouxing, Geely Panda, and BYD F0, the M1 represents the highest level of craftsmanship, design, and electronic configuration among domestic brands. Therefore, in this price range, the M1 is highly competitive. Only those who truly understand cars can fully appreciate it and understand why it uses the mid-to-high-end Ruiqi brand. Are there many people who understand cars? The promotional work for the M1 is still arduous. (Editorial responsibility: Wang Kun)