I wonder if I would be a bit better on this round if I used the 5 door hatch body. I went with a tiny sedan as it seems Chinese buyers prefer sedans over hatchbacks.
RIP 
Oof, I just checked my car and I had a staggered setup too. Didn’t intend to though, I just completely missed it…
Hopefully the fuel eco, Service costs and the reliability will make the entry to something nice 
2 Likes
I would say that it depends on if the hatchback body gives more room for luggage or passengers. If it doesn’t, then probably not. I am mostly going by stats in this round and details will only downgrade a car if it’s pretty close to a limit. To put it this way, I think that I only downgraded my own car because of choice of body… 
(Something must be very wrong with the oloP body since it seems to be larger on the inside than the outside, LOL)
But to fill out the writing and make it more realistic I went for that part too. And I don’t know about UK, but in mainland europe small sedans have been slow sellers since the hatchbacks started to arrive.
And, now a word about tyres.
I was starting to go through the tyre section, but I saw that many people were using very odd sizes and if it had been a reason for instabin, it would have eliminated a fair amount of the field.
I had no written rules about tyres and I can’t expect everyone and his mother to know which sizes etc. that is used IRL and realistic for the era, so I decided to overlook that part. I was not thinking about staggered setups by then since I had not seen one, but IMO, they are simply too much in this class. Especially when using narrow ones in the rear to get better stats on a FWD.
I guess that I have to put in more detailed tyre rules if I run any more competitions in the future, but in this class in 1993, I would have said to go by guidelines like this:
Nothing wider than 205
No lower profile than 60
No bigger rims than 15"
All metric by then, so widths ending with 5
No staggered setups.
And, now I have taken it a little close to the extremes. 205/60R15 would not have been found on an entry level economy car in 1993
But since I haven’t binned anyone else for staggered setups, I’ll let it pass this time since it is all my fault.
5 Likes
For reference - 205/60R15 is what I have in my 406 IIRC, and that’s a mid sized coupe (base version, but still not an entry level car). Sometimes the Wikipedia has some tyre data, sometimes you can find reference cars in some ads - it’s always good to check how realistic is the car you’re building.
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In the Street’s defence, this is the “sporty” version…so loading it up was never considered! 
To put it like this, the Ferrari 328 was running 205/55R16 up front and 225/50 in the rear just a couple of years prior to this.
I think I tried to go for something similar to what the metro would have been using. It’s the name of the game for Dafeng, make everything super cheap
ROUND 5: STANDARD EQUIPMENT
The price is of course one of the most important factors for most people when buying a new car. But another interesting question is - what do you get for your money?
In the end, it might be kind of contraproductive to go for a cheaper car, load it up with extra equipment and end up with a more expensive car than one that maybe had all of that equipment included in its base price.
Generally, bells and whistles have been something that you had to accept to sacrifice when going for a cheaper car, but how do our 30 test vehicles stand up to each other, as well as to the competition on the rest of the market?
The Python is very primitive when it comes to equipment. The only thing that is standard is a rather mediocre tape player. It should be said that there is a long list of options available for the Python, but everything is at extra cost and most of them are unnecessary gizmos.
@Aruna / @Ryan93
The Hakumai is also rather bare bones. It features power steering though. And an 8 track tape player, so sorry if you threw away your 8 tracks in 1977, you could have had use for them now.
@interior
Try to turn on the radio in the Wells - nope, tough luck, there isn’t even one. It is rather bare bones otherwise too - but it does feature power steering (thank god when it comes to a car of this size) and ABS.
@DuceTheTruth100
Ibishu Pessima is another car that is low on equipment, it has a tape player and power steering - and that’s about it.
@EngineEmu
LCE LQ1: Not fancy but you get the most important basics.
The IP Urbana, LCE LQ1, Shidley Bruv, Hirochi Exatima and Dafeng NI7141 is a notch above in general. They have a more well appointed interior with higher quality cloth upholstery, cloth door trims instead of hard plastic, carpeting on the floor, remotely controlled mirrors, clock, dome light for the rear seat passengers etc. - all of the cars also features a tape player, albeit with a very tinny and mediocre sound. None of them has power steering or ABS though.
@Knugcab @abg7 @missionsystem @nicholasrams774
The Régal has one, in our opinion, strange level of equipment. It has ABS - that is of course very welcome. It also has a better sounding stereo than most of the cars - and to top it off, alloy wheels. But it has no power steering, and the interior is a bare bones affair. We think that most customers gladly would have sacrificed the fancy wheels for power steering or a more well appointed interior.
@karhgath
Impulso BT: Fancy wheels, but lacking in other departments.
The Impulso has an interior as simple as the Régal, and alloy wheels to top it off. However, what it has is power steering - even of the variable ratio variation. The sound system is of rather mediocre quality and there is no ABS. Another, in our opinion, less well thought out car.
@chichicoofisial
The interior in the Sunnet is equally simple, and it has a basic tape player. What it has though is power steering and ABS - which is very welcome equipment.
@Just4
The Hart Jupiter, Gujarat Master, Orion Sentinel, Hyensu Harmony, Gsi Egesta, Tiffosi Nuova Citta 60, Baltic Motors Liesma GS, Mara Zvezda, Decarlis D20, Armor Cricket and Legion Wimbrel are all at about the same level. A relatively well appointed interior, with the basics you can expect today and some extra bells and whistles above that, a tape player of mediocre quality and power steering. None of them has anti lock brakes.
@Fletchyboy100 @BannedByAndroid @Hshan @Maverick74 @oppositelock @fasmukji @TheYugo45GV @AndiD @Arn38fr @GassTiresandOil @donutsnail
The FM Street has all of this - but it even includes a quite good stereo system that is among the better in this class.
@Jaimz
Sanfrecce has a stereo that is a little bit weaker - but on the other hand it has ABS. Good!
@piglet916
Proletariat Piersic is a real surprise that includes alloy wheels, a nice, well appointed interior with all you can expect, a good stereo system and a variable ratio power steering in its low sticker price. No ABS however but you can’t always get all you ask for.
@HighOctaneLove
The Akira Sparrow may have a stereo that’s a little worse and only a regular steering rack. What it has that the Proletariat doesn’t, though, is anti lock brakes.
@Serperior98
A rather high level of equipment for its class is also found in the Barusu Ochinchin and Kinden Cub. ABS, variable ratio power steering, and an interior of quite high standard for this class. We could maybe wish for better sound systems, if we should complain about something.
@ImKaeR @bilobilo
Akane Aurora: Best equipped overall, but the good looking cross spokes are just extra fancy hubcaps.
In the Akane Aurora you find that better sound system. There is only a regular power steering rack, though, but still it is in the top if you ask us, along with the Barusu and Kinden.
@OME
Generally, it is still the truth that you have to give up some standard equipment in this class. On the other hand, who would have expected something else? After all, you get almost four Dafengs for what the Hinode Lucent on the first picture will cost you. Somewhere corners have to be cut.
The winners of this round are the Akane, the Barusu and the Kinden. They are no luxury limousines but they offer a little bit more than expected in this price class.
15 Likes
ROUND 6: ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
There is much of a truth in the old saying that the engine is the heart of an automobile, and because of that, it is one of the last things you really want to compromise on. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a fire breathing race machine, but a less well thought out engine and drivetrain can easily make car ownership a sour experience, and is an important factor even in cheap cars.
The engine in the Baltic feels horribly outdated. It actually features a 2 valve SOHC head but that does not help much. The 1.9 litre inline 4 has a simple 2 barrel carb and is made completely out of cast iron, having a power output of 85 hp and 130 Nm. It runs rough like a lawn tractor engine, throttle response is annoyingly sluggish, it is relatively loud and the emissions are at a barely legal level. Even more worrying is that premature engine failures are known to be commonplace in the Liesma GS.
What saves it from being a complete flop is the fairly modern 4 speed automatic transmission.
@TheYugo45GV
Hakumai Spot: Unacceptable flaws are present.
The engine in the Hakumai didn’t impress us much. An 1.5 litre inline 4 with a power output of 81 hp and 116 Nm, featuring conservative, but not outdated technology, an all iron engine with a 2 valve SOHC layout and the nowadays quite rare mechanical fuel injection. The first impression is kind of positive - a peppy throttle response and a quite flat torque curve. However, it’s noisy and something felt completely off with the tuning, having a stench of gasoline behind it and in the test lab it was showing that the amounts of toxic emissions were downright alarming for a modern day engine.
Gearbox is an outdated 4 speed manual but its operation and gearing is quite unremarkable.
@interior
Ibishu Pessima has a relatively strong engine, with a 100 hp power output from 1.7 litres. It is also reasonably quiet. On the other hand it is also a bit harsh, throttle response leaves much to be desired, emissions are relatively dirty, it doesn’t have the best low end grunt and it is known to be everything else than reliable.
The gearbox is a 5 speed manual with very high gearing and wide spacing that is hard to get accustomed to.
@EngineEmu
The Orion has a V6 with a 3.3 litre displacement that feels quite outdated, an all iron pushrod unit fed by an ancient 4 barrel carb. A 145 hp (233 Nm) power output is not impressive for the large engine, the throttle response is sluggish, it is running a bit rough, has a disappointing reliability record and it is a heavy polluter. But sure, it does make the car move, with not too bad results as our performance testing did show.
Also the gearbox is feeling a bit dated and uninspiring, being a 3 speed auto with very wide spacing. But it does its job, not much more though.
@Hshan
It should be said already now - the 45 hp 1 litre flat 4 in the Proletariat is silk smooth. Being a 30 year old construction it is outdated when it comes to all other aspects, though. It needs revs to wake up, and is loud, has sluggish throttle response, to top it off it has dirty emissions. They aren’t known to be reliable either.
Fortunately, the gearbox is somewhat more modern, being an up to date 5 speed. We could not find much to complain about there.
@HighOctaneLove
It is hard to find something really positive to say about the 1.5 litre inline 4 in the Akane Aurora. Technology is quite simple, which does not necessarily mean bad, with a direct acting OHC setup, iron block and head, and single point injection. It puts out 100 hp and 114 Nm but feels weak in the lower end of the register. NVH levels are higher than we would have liked to see and throttle response sluggish. It also puts out high levels of emissions.
The 5 speed gearbox works well, though, and actually feels a little bit sporty in the car.
@OME
The driveline in the Régal does not spawn very much enthusiasm, but it does its job. An 1.3 litre iron block, alloy head SOHC inline four with 8 valves, putting out 64 hp and 96 Nm. It has a quite useful torque curve, and runs smooth for an inline 4, but it is relatively noisy, has a sluggish throttle response and the emissions are kind of dirty. They have proven to be relatively reliable, though. It has a quite ordinary 5 speed gearbox with a sane gearing and spacing, and it is hard to complain very much about it.
@karhgath
Did you expect a fire breathing monster under the hood of the Dafeng? Probably not. And you were right. A 63 hp/101 Nm 1.4 litre inline four. Cast iron block, cast iron 2V sohc head, single point injection. It runs reasonably smooth and has more low end grunt than we would have expected, and should probably hold up well. It is also quiet. Throttle response is sluggish, though, and emissions not very clean. Also, it is hard to be excited about a 4 speed gearbox in 1993, but for 11 000, more could probably not be expected.
@mart1n2005
Mara Zvezda: Crude, unrefined but does its job without complaining.
Mara have taken a relatively conservative approach to horsepower numbers in their Zvezda, cranking out only 70 hp from a 2 litre engine. Maximum torque is 141 Nm but it has to be said that it pulls really nice from the bottom. The engine vibrates harshly but it has to be said that it is relatively quiet even if it’s running a bit rough. Reliability wise it is quite good, simple technology like an 8V SOHC head and single point injection is tried and true by now (though it has VVT!). Throttle response is sluggish but emissions surprisingly clean.
Gearbox is a 5 speed manual, with a very wide spacing, that you finally will get used to, though.
@AndiD
Kinden has an 1.4 litre inline four with 3 valves per cylinder, putting out 73 hp and 107 Nm, and has enough useful torque in the rev range where you need it the most. It is running smooth for what it is, but the simple single point injection makes the throttle response a bit sluggish. Emissions aren’t on alarming levels and it has decent reliability records. But calling it “fun” would be kind of a stretch. Also, Kinden have saved money by only having a 4 speed manual as standard. Gearing is maybe a bit high but it does its job well. But 4 gears feels a bit ancient today…
@bilobilo
We only found one major flaw - but a rather annoying one, with the Sunnet ISI engine. It is LOUD, at the limit of being deafening. Other than that, it has a reasonable powerband (but the rev limiter cuts out a bit quickly), runs smooth, has a peppy throttle response, good reliability records and emissions that are, if not super clean so at least on a sane level. But why do 71 hp and 103 Nm out of a measly 1.2 litre four have to be so annoyingly noisy?
The gearbox is a rather commonplace 5 speed manual that worked well and had sane gearing and spacing.
@Just4
Maybe “bland” is the best way to describe the engine in the Shidley Bruv. It’s a quite typical SOHC 2V inline four, with a displacement of 1.3 litres, that puts out 67 hp and 102 Nm. It’s made entirely out of cast iron and has single point EFI. It is reliable and reasonably smooth, but not quite good at anything else, has sluggish throttle response and dirty emissions.
What was a pleasant surprise was the 4 speed auto that shifted smooth and comfortable, with a reasonably well chosen gearing.
@missionsystem
The reputation says that the engine in the Legion Wimbrel is impossible to kill - and there is some truth in that. It is an 1.4 litre inline 4 with quite simple technology, 2V SOHC, though at least with multi point EFI. It also runs smooth and has good throttle response and a relatively flat power band. Emissions may not be the cleanest in the class, but still reasonably good, what’s not so good is the noise it makes. Also, the 4 speed wide-spaced gearbox feels like yesterdays news.
@donutsnail
The Wells has a 2.7 litre inline 5, with what could be called quite average technology today. Single overhead cam, 2 valves per cylinder, cast iron block with alloy head, single point EFI (which means that the throttle response is kind of sluggish). At 112 hp and 207 Nm, the power output is far from impressive from such a small engine, but it has an usable torque curve. Emissions wise it is far from the worst polluter in the group. Not an inspiring engine but still kind of sane for the type of car. The rev limiter cuts off too quickly though.
The gearbox is a rather unremarkable 5 speed manual that does its job. Gearing and spacing is quite well chosen. Far from an impressive or inspiring driveline, but it does what it should.
@DuceTheTruth100
The Hart Jupiter engine is relatively typical for a modern day economy compact car. An 1.8 litre inline four, with a single cam 4 valve layout (not the most common valvetrain configuration but still not unusual today), iron block, alloy head and a single point EFI. It is nothing special when it comes to neither refinement or throttle response, nor is it the most powerful at 103 hp and 142 Nm, but it is adequate. It needs some revs to really wake up but torque is still adequate through the rev range, and pollution wise it is somewhat cleaner than average. Unfortunately, it is not known to be the most long lasting engine. Not that we want to advise against it but there is units on the market today that you can crank more miles out of.
The gearbox is a 5 speed manual that did its job, with a sane spacing an gearing.
@Fletchyboy100
Decarlis D20: Works when you get used to it.
Decarlis has an 1.2 litre inline four with an output of 72 hp and 110 Nm. To wake up it needs some revs, despite being a 2 valve SOHC engine. Single point EFI doesn’t do much good for throttle response and emissions, even if it’s surprisingly clean, but we have to give it credits for the low NVH levels. Reliability should be relatively good.
The gearbox is a 5 speed manual, with a tall gearing and relatively wide spacing, which is something you will get used to pretty soon, though.
@Arn38fr
The Hyensu engine is tried and true technology by todays standards. An 89 hp, 133 Nm 1.7 litre inline 4, all iron with a single overhead camshaft and 2 valves per cylinder. Remarkable, though, is that it has VVT. Another modern thing is the multi point fuel injection. There is nothing special about the engine in itself, it runs clean and does its job, is a bit harsh and noisy but on the other hand it has promising reliability records.
It has a quite ordinary 5 speed manual, that works well when it comes to operation, spacing and gearing.
@Maverick74
Sanfrecce has an 1.2 litre inline four, may feel ancient on paper, being an all iron engine with a direct acting overhead camshaft. It puts out 55 hp but for such a small engine it has its maximum torque of 102 Nm quite early in the range. Also, it features VVT and an advanced injection system for its class. Besides, it runs smooth, quiet and has excellent throttle response, the emissions are reasonably clean. It also has a quite typical manual 5 speed for its class, spacing seems to be wisely chosen, maybe a bit rev happy at highway speeds as stated earlier though.
@piglet916
There is nothing exciting about the 1.7 litre SOHC 8 valve inline four in the Impulso BT, but it does its job well. NVH levels aren’t excellent, but acceptable, it has decent reliability records, low emissions and somewhat peppy throttle response. The powerband is fully usable, it puts out 91 hp and 141 Nm. We could not find much to complain about when it came to the 5 speed manual gearbox either.
@chichicoofisial
The engine in the FM is not really a showcase of modern day technology, with its single overhead camshaft, 2 valve heads and all iron construction. But it is reliable, peppy and smooth. 76 hp and 114 Nm out of 1.4 litres, and a reasonable torque curve. Emissions wise it is slightly better than average, but noise levels are a bit high.
The gearbox is a quite typical 5 speed manual where there was not much to complain about. Works well for the type of car it is when it comes to both operation and gearing.
@Jaimz
The GSI Egesta has a kind of modernish engine. A 1.6 litre inline four, all aluminium, SOHC and 3 valve heads, paired with a multi point EFI. NVH levels are a bit disappointing overall, even if they are far from a disaster, but the unit is reliable and emissions are clean. It has a power output of 100 hp and 134 Nm of torque, a relatively useful power band, but the rev limiter cuts out a bit quickly.
The gearbox is a 5 speed manual, as usual for this class, where we found nothing to complain about.
@oppositelock
Armor Cricket has an 1.9 litre 12 valve SOHC inline 4. It is entirely made of cast iron, has VVT and puts out 94 hp/142 Nm, with a quite useful power band. NVH levels could be a bit better but we have seen worse. It is very reliable, has a peppy throttle response and clean emissions.
Gearbox is a 4 speed auto with quite tall gearing, and the jumps behind the gears feels big sometimes.
@GassTiresandOil
It’s easy to like the Tiffosi engine, a 1.1 litre inline four with a 55 hp power output and 87 Nm of torque. Technology is nothing special by modern standards, a SOHC 3 valve layout, iron block and alloy head, but it is smooth, very quiet, extremely reliable, has a peppy throttle and very clean emissions. It’s a proof that a well engineered engine used tried and true technology still has its place in the world of today.
We could have wished for a 5 speed gearbox, though. A 4 speed manual doesn’t really cut it in todays world.
@fasmukji
The 1.4 litre flat 4 in the Barusu runs smooth, like boxer engines use to do, but is loud. It is an all iron 4 valve SOHC unit, with multi point EFI, and puts out 82 hp and 116 Nm. It’s known to be sturdy, has a peppy throttle response and runs very clean. Though we were not 100% impressed by its low end torque, but it is enough in this light car.
The gearbox is a rather usual for a modern car 5 speed manual, it worked well and the gearing and spacing seemed to be sane.
@ImKaeR
Akira Sparrow: Sometimes simple technology is the best.
Despite using single technology like a SOHC 2 valve layout and no VVT, the cast iron 1.5 litre inline 4 in the Akira Sparrow is a pleasant experience. It runs smooth, albeit a bit loud, reliability is good, it has a peppy throttle and emissions levels are not too bad. The power band is flat and nice even though the rev limiter maybe cuts out a bit early. 75 hp and 115 Nm is the numbers.
Gearbox is a 5 speed manual and we can only say that it worked like we expected, nothing to complain about there.
@Serperior98
The Gujarat Master got an engine upgrade three years ago. Now it sports a fully modern 1.4 litre inline 4. It has a 3v SOHC layout, iron block, alloy head and multi point EFI. It is built sturdy, peppy on the throttle, runs smooth, economical and clean. 80 hp and 155 Nm is enough for the relatively light car, but it needs some revs to really wake up. Also, the rev limiter may cut off a bit early, but it is no sports car anyway so that’s nothing special.
Gearbox is a 5 speed manual, with a fairly wide spacing. It did its job with not too much struggle.
@BannedByAndroid
Hirochi has a nice jack of all trades under the bonnet of their Exatima model. It is not best at anything, but good at almost everything. It is an 1.4 litre all iron inline 4, with SOHC and 4 valves per cylinder, along with multi point fuel injection. Hardly groundbreaking technology, but tried and true. It runs smooth, has acceptable noise levels, responds quickly on throttle input, and has clean emissions. Sure, 77 hp and 114 Nm does not make a sports car, but the powerband is OK for a daily driver and we could not find many flaws in this engine.
Gearbox is a pretty regular 5 speed manual, and we could not find any serious flaws there either.
@nicholasrams774
Being a 3 cylinder, the LCE engine is a little bit rough. Other than that, it is a pretty impressive little unit. An all aluminium DOHC 4 valve engine, with multi point fuel injection and VVT on both cams. It is by far the cleanest running engine in this test. Of course, 60 hp and 95 Nm doesn’t make it a powerhouse, but the torque curve is impressively flat for such a small engine. Also, it is pretty quiet and has a peppy throttle response.
A 5 speed manual gearbox is standard, that works flawlessly and that seemed to have wisely chosen gearing and spacing.
@abg7
The power output of the 1.1 litre inline 4 in the IP is rather conservative at 55 hp and 89 Nm. But it is a perfect example of when modern day technology is used for more than just raw power. It has double overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, multi point injection and is a very lightweight unit made entirely out of aluminium. Out of all inline 4 cylinders in the test, it is the second smoothest running unit, it’s sparse on the fuel drops and the emissions are among the lowest. A prime example of a fully modern engine for a supermini. Of course it is by no means a torque monster, but it pulls relatively nicely from the bottom and doesn’t drop all too quickly after its peak, so the whole rev range is usable.
The gearbox is a 5 speed manual that was hard to complain about. Gearing is a bit low but spacing felt sane.
@Knugcab
The 660 cc inline 4 in the Python Mini is nothing but a little jewel. Yes, it is small but so is the car, and its 42 hp power output ain’t so bad compared to other, larger engines in this test. 58 Nm is the maximum torque, and the curve ain’t so spiky as you first might think. It is very reliable, quiet, runs smoother than any inline 4 in this test, is beaten only by the LCE when it comes to emissions, and features the technology of tomorrow already today. How about 5 (!) valves per cylinder and VVT?
The gearbox is not as remarkable, a quite conventional and well working 5 speed manual.
@Aruna / @Ryan93
One striking thing is that while many of the powerplants are quite similar to each other, some of them stand out in bad ways, other in good ways. But overall, even when it comes to engines, it is surprising what you can get in a 14K car today - if you get the right one, that is.
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We wanted you to feel the poweer with your ears!
Lol, didn´t think that the ISI is that loud compared to others. Sunnet will offer some noisecancelling earbuds for 5 dollars extra to take the deafening sounds away!!
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The ISI is in a league of its own. It is the only car with a higher loudness than 40. It is also the only car with a higher loudness than 50. Clear enough?
Shhh, buyers are supposed to care only about “V6” and “auto” 
Interesting to see the differences in tech in all these engines… and the popularity of SOHC. As for my powertrain, well, I couldn’t do much in the limits of my own sub-challenge to make a mini-boat.
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No, but that is kind of what makes a challenge like this interesting, where should I put the compromises? Or should I put them everywhere and go for a real price fighter? Or should I just compromise everything just enough for the customers not to complain. Or…?
I must say that I am really amazed by all the different approaches that has been taken on this and that it is really interesting to study the cars in detail. Also, I am surprised that you have managed to squeeze the Orion into this without making it a total lemon, you deserve some credits for that no matter what.
I guess SOHC would have been the most common configuration in this class in 1993 so it turned out quite realistic there I think.
2 Likes
Honestly I wanted it to have a V8, but the game said no Actually, I’ve added myself a bit more rules - no negative quality, no solid axle, mandatory power steering and some radio. Without that some V8 might had been possible, though the car overall would be just terrible.
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Well, solid axle worked for the Saab 9000, another large FWD car in a quite high price class.
My own approach was to sort of loosely emulate the Nissan Micra, and judging by how it compares to the other cars, I start to wonder if I am not actually kind of taking the Micra’s place in the market too, haha.
I do want to point out that the engine I put in my car was the only engine that the company had that was least expensive. This I already have written into my lore document on google docs.
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