This is the new Chery Arrizo 8 sedan, and it probably is one of the prettiest modern Chinese sedans ever made. It is a beauty front to rear, with a pronounced grille, sharp and sporty lines and a smooth streamlined body. The Chery Arrizo 8 will launch on the Chinese car market in the third quarter of this year.
Chery has divided their cars into two lines: the Tiggo lines is for the crossovers and SUVs, and the Arrizo line is for a series of sedans. For a long time Chery hasn’t updated the Arrizo line and it only consists of one car; the Chery Arrizo 5 in three variants: Chery Arrizo 5 Plus, Chery Arrizo 5, and the sporty Chery Arrizo GX. All cars share the same wheelbase and the same basic design. Power comes from various 1.5, 1,5 turbo, and 1.6 liter engines. Interestingly, Chery also offers a CNG powered version of the Arrizo 5 Pro. Price wise they are very close as well, ranging from 59.900 yuan for the base 5 Pro to 129.800 yuan for the top-spec GX (9.430 – 20.400 USD).
It looks great from the rear too, with quad exhaust pipes, a spoiler on the boot lid, and very arty light units.
As the name implies, the new Chery Arrizo 8 will be positioned above the Chery Arrizo 5. Quite a bit above indeed, as the 8 is a much larger and more luxurious car. One may wonder why Chery didn’t launch an in-between model first. This seems a big step for the company and customer alike.
The Arrizo 8 will be available with two engines. The base models will get a 1.6 turbo with 194 hp and 290 Nm, and the top-end Sport version will get a 2.0 turbo with 250 hp and 390 Nm. Both engines will be mated to a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The car on the photos is the base version, recognizable by the 290Y badge, which refers to the torque number.
Spy shots of the real thing, seen without any camouflage at a Chery facility. The grille isn’t as impressive as it seems on the other images, and the ornament on the front-fender and door is much more notable in a white colored car.
Mirrors are getting bigger every year, or so it seems, mainly due to all the sensors they have to carry.
The pipes really make an impression!
Side profile really pretty, would be prettier still with pop-out door handles.
Interior looks great, very arty again. Note the artwork on the dash in front of the passenger, and the trim on the doors. There is a lot of expensive light colored wood, leather, and cool metal bits. Dashboard has a twin 12.3 inch screen.
The metal door handle is crafted beautifully. Never seen a door handle like this on any Chinese car. Chery hasn’t officially announced pricing yet but bet the Chery Arrizo 8 will cost at least 140.000 yuan (22.000 USD).
A clever, and nice, tweaking of the unattractive Lexus (spool) grille, which looks more like a crushed beer can, on some models.