| BYD Flyer II Premiere in Russia in the fall of 2005. The body is only a 5-door hatchback. Engine: 0.8 L petrol (40 hp). Transmission: 4-speed manual. Options: basic, standard. Price in Russia: $ 5990–7500. Test car: standard, air conditioning, $ 7490. |
The “standard” configuration with electric mirrors, power windows, a central lock, alloy wheels and a CD receiver, chrome-plated door handles and a Flyer luggage rack (summer? Summer??) Will be exactly one thousand more. This is less than the price of the “lad” of not only the “tenth” family, but also the heirs of the “eighth”. And a little more expensive than the "classics" and the Ode, who rested in the Bose.
STREAMS FOR GROWTH
Owning a 50 percent percentile has its advantages. This means that your height is not above average: you don’t have to look down on others, but there are no problems with clothes, and it’s comfortable to sit in any car. Even in Flyer. A tall machine with large doorways is clearly made with an eye to the Chinese market. The seats are such that with my modest 176 cm I had to move as far as the stop and there was a strong desire to move off another click. The chair itself seemed narrow and stiff, possibly from the cold - after half an hour of driving this sensation passed. There is enough space overhead, but when the photographer sat in the right seat, his elbows and shoulders became cramped.
Sweep away the snow with the wipers and the “Chinese problems” will come out again: the upper edge of the cleaning zone is a good 100 mm below the glass frame. You can go, but the upper traffic lights are not visible. The wide front pillars are a little embarrassing (let's hope that everything is decent with passive safety) and the “giant” rear-view mirror located too close to the driver. There are two displays of unearthly beauty on it: something is written in Chinese on the left, outboard and internal temperatures are displayed on the right. Admire - all the same, in the rear window, devoid of cleaner, washer and heating, after ten minutes of driving nothing is visible.
In the area of the back door lies the most noticeable drawback - the larva of its lock was under the license plate (apparently, the Chinese signs are smaller than ours). And since the drive from the passenger compartment is not provided, to get into the trunk, you need to unscrew the number … The license plate hinge frame or remote opening with a cable or electric drive will correct the situation (it is still unknown what is cheaper in China).
DOES NOT FLY
A set of four instruments is good, blue backlighting is bad, but fashionable. Six air distribution options are excellent. Surprisingly, it all works! True, the fan is higher at speeds of the first noise, like an airplane taking off. There is air recirculation and air conditioning, a traffic jam in the vicinity of a smoky truck can be experienced. Wet snow, low speeds and engine idling are a good test for heating and ventilation. “Flyer” passed it to “good”: the glass is clean and transparent 8-10 minutes after the start of movement.
It doesn’t matter with vibrations: the steering wheel trembles noticeably at idle and rear-view mirrors in almost all modes. The engine noise was suppressed very well - it doesn’t “get it” even at close to maximum revolutions, which you have to go out with each acceleration.
With such an engine, a four-speed gearbox is just right. For starting off, the "short" first, for intensive acceleration to 60 km / h - the second, for smooth rearrangements - the third, for leisurely driving in a straight line - the fourth. No options: with the declared 40 hp Flyer's engine will not turn him into an outstanding sprinter. Dynamic qualities are not better than that of Oka. One thing is good: the claimed 118 km / h are absolutely real.
But in the crowd of city streets "Flyer" is quite organic. 150 mm ground clearance with modest castors 155 / 70R13 looks like an achievement. The dense, stiff suspension swallows impressive pits and is not afraid of speed bumps, which means it will pass tolerably along the dirt road.
A steering wheel without an amplifier in winter is a joy - you feel the front wheels literally with “hands”. At a speed - worse, the Flyer begins to "float" along the road - it will not work to relax on the "hundred" …
And here is the Chinese trump card - a very modest gas mileage in the city, about 6.5 l / 100 km.
“URGENTLY REQUIRED FLASHERS”
Such an announcement I very much met in a supermarket. Literary Russian clearly does not keep pace with the realities of life - for those whose job is to hand out flyers in the store, the name of the profession has not yet been invented. So funny “combined” words are obtained, the meaning of which can be varied according to the situation.
To draw a portrait of a "flyer" is not an easy task. You can’t attract a fashionable “female” car; young people with such dynamics cannot be lured either. Summer residents will not work - the trunk is too small. There remains an “upgrade” for the current owners of the Oka, all the more so because the rumors about the cessation of its production are not unfounded. As a result, it turns out that the main competitor to Flyer will be the VAZ classic, which is cheaper so far. She, of course, is more … but to someone more important is "full power accessories."
FOR THE SAME MONEY: VAZ 2105 3 from $ 4200 Larger, more powerful, faster and cheaper than the Flyer. Still with a carburetor. Almost the same car as 25 years ago. (ZR, 2006, No. 1). 
FOR THE SAME MONEY: VAZ 2109 3C from $ 6500 "Nine" from Syzran - the most affordable front-wheel drive and injection. Close rear seat. Absolutely higher than the "Chinese" in driving performance. (ZR, 2002, No. 5; 2005, No. 8). |
BYD Flyer II - DOES NOT FLY, BUT FOUR FOUR FOUR NOT TOO TOO LONG PASSENGERS. THIS TICKET FOR CAR SALE. NOT ENOUGH CHEAP? LET'S TALK THROUGH THE YEAR …
