Kaiyi, a sub-brand founded by Chinese carmaker Chery to cater to younger and less affluent audiences, has rolled out a quintet of cars in varying stages of market readiness.
The 4.7-meter Kaiyi Xuandu EV is essentially just a restyled and fully electrified Chery Arrizo 7. Its sole motor makes 163 PS (161 hp / 120 kW) and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque. The battery capacity is not mentioned anywhere, but CLTC-driving range is quoted as 350 km with the standard battery and 410 km with the larger battery. Production is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2023.
Those in the market for a battery-powered urban subcompact should take a look at the Kaiyi i-EA 01 and 02. The former has three doors, either two or four seats inside, and is only 3,080 mm long. The latter gets five doors, four or five seats, and 3,818 mm of total body length. Both will go on sale in the first quarter of 2023.
Both models move around using a single electric motor mounted on the front axle. The tiny 01 makes do with 48 PS (48 hp / 36 kW), while its battery pack can be configured to offer 155, 210 or 301 km of driving range. The larger 02 model packs 68 PS (67 hp / 50 kW) and has longer range options at 210, 301 or 401 km. Later on, Kaiyi promises to introduce a range-extender hybrid version with so far unannounced specs.
Moving on to the next entry, it is a crossover SUV called the Kaiyi i-FA 01. The vehicle is 4,738 mm long and has seven seats inside. Buyers will be able to choose from one electric motor and front-wheel drive (204 PS / 201 hp / 150 kW) or two motors for an AWD setup (367 PS / 362 hp / 270 kW).
Powering the i-FA 01 is a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which only provides the power for the main traction battery. You can also plug in to a conventional charger, something that could be useful considering that the battery pack has only enough juice for 120-180 km of driving range. The sales are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2023.
Rouding off the five newcomers is the Kaiyi i-XA 01, a 4.85-meter-long coupe-like crossover armed with dual electric motors, 449 PS (443 hp / 330 kW) and 600 Nm (442 lb-ft) of torque. This one hits 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.3 seconds.
