In the past year I have had to make peace with the fact that the Chinese are coming to SA with even more vehicles. Not just Nissan/Isuzu rip-off bakkie combinations, but passenger cars as well. Some are blatant design rip-offs, which the Chinese are famous for, but then there are others that actually show a spattering of originality – like Chery’s J1.

I’ll be honest: I think it’s very cute in a city car way. The styling fits in with other supermini-type vehicles, the alloy wheels bringing some class to the package and the roof rails adding an inkling of practicality to the mix. From the outside, everything looks in place and I was surprised, skeptic that I often am, at the seemingly good build quality and finishing. Our test unit was a dark gray metallic that worked very well, unlike the paprika-orange type colour also on offer.

But it’s when you get inside and want to drive the pretty J1 that the cracks in the otherwise whiny veneer starts showing, in my opinion, very unfortunately. The interior design and layout is better than I expected, though, despite the plastics being notably cheap and ill-fitting. The very light gray (which might have been intended to look like silver) is also not very practical. The concept isn’t bad, only the execution. The seats are covered in a gray and yellow cloth which shows wear and tear very quickly.

Finishing was beyond disappointing and looked as if a blind four-year old was put in charge of stitching the whole thing together. The driver’s seat is height adjustable, but doesn’t go down low enough. There’s loads of headspace for the driver (I’m not particularly tall), but you feel as if you’re sitting on top of the instrument binnacle. Also, if you lower the sun visor, half the windscreen disappears…

Then, to make matters worse, you can start the car and actually drive it. The clutch is quite lifeless and you need quite a lot of throttle imput to get the J1 moving forward smoothly. It doesn’t sound very smooth, but at least you’re not jerking your neck into a spasm. The J1 is powered by a 1.3-litre engine that delivers 61 kW of power at 6100 r/min and 114Nm of torque between 3800 r/min and 4500 r/min. Considering this engine features double-overhead camshafts and 16-valves, and fuels via a multipoint electronic injection system, it’s also hardly revolutionary in design.

This puts it in line with its competitors, although it’s important to note that these types of cars aren’t exactly purchased for their performance credentials. The J1 however takes things further by taking an eternity to reach any reasonable speed. It’s more than suitable for day to day driving in traffic, but make sure not to be in a hurry and avoid sharp inclines as you’ll spend most of your time in second gear. Fuel consumption is claimed at 6.7-litres/100km, but I perceived it to be much higher because of the constant gearing down and the engine working overtime to stay at speed.

Suspension is independent at the front axle (MacPherson struts with coil springs) and semi-independent at the rear, featuring trailing arms with a tube damper. Disc brakes at the front and drums at the rear, assisted by ABS hydraulics boasting EBD assistance, makes for safe and secure parking. Also, one of Chery’s chief technology partners is Italian automotive component specialist Magneti Marelli, which means the ABS and EBD systems should be first rate.

There are two trim levels available for the J1 – TE and TX – and for the price – R109 900 and R116 900 respectively – the J1 is well equipped. Electric windows, power steering and air-con along with an MP3 player are standard in both models, with our TX test car also sporting rear park assist, power windows all round and power mirrors. Also standard is a 3-year/ 100 000km warranty and a 3-year/ 75 000km service plan.

So on the one hand the J1 is pretty to look at and comprehensively equipped at its price. On the other hand, it’s slower than a John Deere lawnmower and build quality is not as good as it can be, which means there’s no option but to explore the other options.

Chana’s Benni comes to mind: smaller, same engine size, 2 kW more power, slightly less torque, R20 000 cheaper. And then there’s GWM’s brand new Florid which, while untested, has a bigger engine, more standard spec, more space and a better price. Two options already, if you really must have your Chinese and drive it. Will I spend my money on either of these three?

No, thanks, I’ll take the Hyundai i10 1.2 GLS (R112 900) or the Renault Sandero 1.6 Expression (R116 800), both of which are better in every respect. The i10 might have a smaller engine, but build quality is better, reliability is proven and it’s generally just more fun to drive. The Sandero is locally built, has much more space and offers a significant value proposition at this price range.

That the Chery J1 is a marked improvement from the Chinese manufacturers is undeniable. That is however not enough in this extremely competitive segment of the market, and while it comes close, its driving dynamics and unbelievably unwilling engine is inexcusable.

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