In 2006, the Chery B14 front-wheel drive seven-seater station wagon was created in China. In Russia, this car first debuted at an auto show in Moscow in 2008, and in the same year, sales of the station wagon began in the Russian market, albeit with an updated name - Chery CrossEastar.
It should be noted right away that famous designers of the Japanese company SIVAX were engaged in the exterior of the car. They managed to give Cherie Cross Estar brightness and originality. Swift body lines and harmonious proportions are the characteristic design features of this car. From the front, the car looks very decent: large expressive headlights, a solid radiator grill, squeezed out front fenders and the hood are "drawn" very neatly.
The rear of the body is less expressive, but in general the car looks quite stylish. There are no unnecessary details, and no hint of plagiarism. This is a fairly solid and cleverly tailored station wagon.
The main advantage of the Chery B14 Cross Eastar car is undoubtedly a spacious and roomy interior. The seven-seater Chery CrossEastar is equipped with three rows of comfortable seats arranged in a 2-3-2 formula.
The transformation possibilities of the cabin are truly amazing. According to the manufacturer, there are about 20 combinations of possible "redevelopment". You can also fold all the seats to create a flat floor. This advantage will be appreciated by those who like to save money on transportation of various types of goods.
Many adjustments of the driver's seat will allow you to customize it for yourself in an optimal way and tolerate long trips less painfully. Thanks to the high ceiling, even a very large person can sit at ease on the second row.
The rear is no longer so convenient: the passenger, with a height of more than 180 cm, will have to move forward, located on the sled, the middle seats. It is definitely worth noting the abundance of pockets, niches and various hiding places, by the number of which, the car can safely claim the title of a minivan. You can find them in almost every element of the interior: in the dashboard, between the seats, under the armrest, in each of the four doors, in the rear wheel wells.
But the Cross Eastar's driving performance, as demonstrated by the test drive, is, to put it mildly, mediocre. The manufacturer claims that the suspension was tuned by the British firm Lotus. Well, it looks like the British were only halfway through this task. Moving on our roads with many pits, bumps and potholes is really comfortable. The car also copes perfectly with overcoming tram tracks and speed bumps. The suspension is very soft and smooth, which naturally could not but affect the handling. In corners, the bulky Cherie CrossEstar does not behave importantly, at high speed there is a serious body roll and low directional stability.
If we talk about the technical characteristics of Chery CrossEastar, I immediately want to note a very high-torque engine with a volume of 2 liters. and a power of 135 hp, which allows you to dynamically accelerate from the lowest revs, however, the five-speed manual transmission does not allow its full potential to be realized. At the same time, the maximum speed is declared as 170 km / h - the car reaches it very reluctantly.
As for the ride comfort, not everything is smooth here either. The climatic installation practically does not cope with the tasks assigned to it. In theory, everything should be simple: set the required temperature on a beautiful and convenient display, and enjoy the created microclimate. But, this is far from the case. Economical Chinese instead of temperature sensors used the so-called time relay in the air damper housing. As a result: it is either cold in the car, or, when the internal air circulation is on, the glass fogs up strongly.
Despite its large dimensions (4662 x 1820 x 1590 - respectively length, width and height), the car is quite easy to drive. This is facilitated by a high vertical seating position and good visibility in the rear-view mirrors.
Summarize. For a little more than 600 thousand rubles, Chery CrossEastar (the price of CrossEstar in Russia starts at 639 thousand rubles.) Is provided with the following set of options: alloy wheels, climate control, music system, electric mirrors, immobilizer, four electric windows, central lock, on-board computer, steering wheel height adjustment, ABS and EBD systems. This car is most suitable for an economic and calculating person with a large family, who does not pretend to be a sporty driving style, but appreciates practicality and convenience in the car.
