FAW may not be a name many South Africans are familiar with, but it happens to be China’s oldest vehicle manufacturer. First Automotive Works was founded in 1953 and produced its first commercial vehicle in 1956, following two years later with a passenger car.

Although FAW products have been available locally for some time, mainly in commercial guise, the firm has now launched its passenger car offerings via the AMH Group (the same holding company responsible for Hyundai and Kia).

First of many

The FAW Sirius S80, to give it its full title, has been available on the local market since early this year but only with the smaller 1,3-litre engine. This MPV marks the first model of many that the marque plans to introduce over the coming years. Among these is a small hatchback, the V2, to be unveiled at the Johannesburg International Motor Show, which the local importer is hoping to retail for under R100 000.

Next year, we can expect the X80 SUV and two medium-sized saloons in the B50 and B70. At the very end of 2014, a FAW pick-up will join the line-up.

A familiar mould

The Sirius is a small MPV in the same mould as Toyota’s Avanza or Nissan’s Livina. The styling is not as jarring as some products from the Far East and like most MPVs the Sirius blends well into its surroundings.

Panel gaps and trim on the outside all seem of a high quality. Study the headlamps closely and you’ll note projector-style units and LED turn signals, to lend it a sophisticated look. Metal look inserts on the front and rear bumpers help break the monotone of the body colour and bumpers.

Decent inside, too

The impressions of decent quality are carried over to the inside where there seems to be an abundance of hard-wearing, but tactile plastics. Again the build quality seems good; there are no areas where the new model is obviously lacking. Unfortunately that odd smell that seems to pervade the cabins of Chinese cars is prevalent here as well.

External dimensions may belie the fact that the Sirius has seating for seven occupants. The rear-most bench is accessed by tumbling the middle row of seats forward. Available space in the third row is limited and not really suited to adults.

Plenty of extras

All models in the range – including the panel-van derivative – are equipped with power steering, electric windows, keyless entry, central locking foglamps at both ends, a radio with USB port (but no CD player) and air-conditioning. Standard safety features include dual front airbags and ABS with EBD.

Added to those extras and included in the list price is a three-year/100 000 km warranty, roadside assistance for a year and a four-year/60 000 km service plan. Not bad going considering the price point.

On the move

At the launch event I sampled the top-of-the-range model, the 1,5-litre Comfort. FAW South Africa decided to wait for this larger engine to arrive before hosting a launch event. The range-topper has all the features of its siblings and includes roof vents for the ventilation system.

The inline four-cylinder engine develops 75 kW and 140 N.m of torque at 4 400 r/min. These figures are near identical to its obvious rival from Toyota. As the torque delivery is rather high up the motor needs to be revved to extract any sort of pace from it, though once beyond 5 000 r/min it does tend to feel a little strained.

One really has to make use of the short-geared five-speed gearbox to maintain decent speeds. Oddly, every car on the launch seemed to be reluctant to engage the even-numbered gears on downshifts. I suspect that this engine will struggle when asked to cope with a full load of passengers and/or cargo.

A value prospect

The Sirius S80 is, without doubt, good value. When compared with its nearest rivals it undercuts them by up to R30 000 depending on the model. Sirius models have been available since January but only with the smaller of the two motor options and despite the limited range an average of 40 per month have been scooped up by new buyers. That number is likely to increase with expansion of the range.

Specifications

Model: FAW Sirius S80 1,5 Comfort

Price: R189 995

Engine: 1 497 cm3, inline four

Power: 75 kW @ 6 000 r/min

Torque: 140 N.m @ 4 400 r/min

Fuel consumption: 8,1 litres/100 km

CO2 emissions: n/a

 

Retail pricing:

1,3 Panel Van: R149 995

1,3 Comfort: R159 995

1,5 Standard: R179 995

1,5 Comfort: R189 995

 

Original article from Car