More and more buyers are choosing budget cars, as evidenced bythe first part of the TOP of the best-selling cars in Ukraine since the beginning of 2014. But since most buyers do not want to become ascetics, they choose cars that are not expensive, but quite well-equipped.
Closing the top five best-selling cars over the last six months is the Geely CK. This is the cheapest representative of the Chinese brand and one of the most affordable sedans.
Brief reference:
Geely CK - this B-class sedan became the founder of the Geely passenger car family. The development of a budget model for developed and developing markets was started by the company's engineers in cooperation with the South Korean corporation Daewoo in 2003. The production version of the car was ready by 2005 - the official presentation of the model was held at the Frankfurt Motor Show. On the domestic market, the model was named Ziyoujian, which translates from Chinese as "ship of freedom". Realizing that on the European and American markets such a name would not be perceived adequately, the name of the sedan was shortened to CK. This model is also known as Geely Otaka (under this name it is sold in Russia).
In Ukraine, the car is assembled at the Kremenchug automobile assembly plant (KrASZ). In 2008, Geely introduced the second generation of the car, which was named CK-2. In Ukraine, the updated sedan began to be assembled in February 2009 at (KrASZ). The car is produced in a single body modification - sedan. Under the hood of the Geely CK, a four-cylinder gasoline engine with a volume of 1.5 liters is installed, manufactured under a Toyota license. The engine is paired with a five-speed manual transmission; there is no "automatic" even as an option. The car has front-wheel drive.
The Geely CK body was designed to guarantee excellent passive safety results. The sedan's interior is comfortable and functional in its qualities. It is created taking into account the satisfaction of all parameters and comfort of its use. For the convenience of passengers and the driver, an armrest with a compartment for things between the seats is provided. The design of the Geely CK instrument panel gives the car a modern and representative look.
Since the appearance of the CK on our market, it has become the most affordable modern car. At first, consumers treated it with caution. But with the start of sales, when the first owners did not express any particular complaints about the quality, the car began to be in demand. And after some time, together with the MK model, they allowed the Geely brand to become the best-selling in the country.
Conclusion: A car that allowed broad segments of the population to purchase their first new, full-fledged car in their lives. At the same time, they received, without additional costs, a full package of amenities previously unavailable on cars of domestic or Russian production.
For questions about purchasing a Geely CK car and its further maintenance, you can contact the company Avtodom Stolitsa.
In 4th place is the only European car in the top five - Renault Logan.
Brief reference:
Renault Logan is a budget B-class car developed by the French company specifically for developing markets. The model is based on the front-wheel drive "B0 platform". The main production is located in Romania, at the Dacia plant, which has been owned by Renault since 1999. Depending on the specifics of the market, it is sold under the Dacia, Renault or Nissan brands. In European countries and Morocco, Dacia Logan is sold, assembled in Romania and Morocco. In Iran, it is known as Renault Tondar. On the Mexican market, Logan is sold under the name Nissan Aprio. On the Indian market, it is sold under the Mahindra Verito brand. Under the Renault brand, it is sold in Latin America, Russia, and since September 2009 in Ukraine.
The development of the Logan model began in 1998. The project was assigned the internal designation X90. It was planned to create a compact family car with an initial price of 5,000 euros.
During design, thanks to the use of computer modeling, not a single pre-production sample (concept car) was created. The Logan with a "sedan" body (internal designation of the modification - L90) was presented to the public in 2004. Then its serial production began in Romania.
The design was created with the expectation of operation in third world countries. For bad roads, a ground clearance of 155 mm is provided (the version for the European market differs by a smaller clearance of 20 mm); the bottom structure is thought out - for example, brake lines are laid so as to exclude their damage. Suspension - spring struts with lower transverse arms in front, the rear suspension is semi-independent, lever-spring, characterized by high energy intensity. 8-valve gasoline engines are adapted to work on low-quality gasoline with a minimum octane number of 87.
Renault Logan is also notable for the fact that in addition to a successful interior solution in terms of ergonomics and space, after the 2008 restyling, emphasis was placed on improving the quality of assembly, anti-corrosion treatment, welded seams, paintwork and interior trim materials. The steering wheel has become a more modern shape, and the instrument console is made as a single unit. The number of joints is reduced, which means fewer squeaks in the cabin. The plastic is made using modern technologies, it is durable, heat-resistant and, most importantly, safe.
Renault Logan has become the most popular car in our country for several reasons, and the main ones are reliability and indestructibility. It cannot be said that it is cheap; everything depends on the configuration and power unit. The buyer has a choice between gasoline, diesel or gasoline with factory LPG (gas cylinder equipment) power units. But if you do not compare it with Chinese cars, then it is indeed one of the most inexpensive European cars.
Conclusion: The choice of a consumer with a below-average budget, but who does not trust the Chinese auto industry for one reason or another. The desire to own a European brand, and even one suitable for operation on low-quality roads, finally tips the scales in favor of Logan.
3rd place is occupied by the already familiar brand Geely, but with the MK model.
Brief reference:
Geely MK is a passenger front-wheel drive C-class car, with sedan or hatchback body options, developed in China by the Geely Automobile group of companies in 2006. On domestic markets, the model is also known as Geely LG and Geely KinkKong. The basis for the creation of the Geely MK, which appeared in April 2006, was the Toyota Vios sedan (Yaris with a sedan body), intended for Southeast Asian countries. Sales in Ukraine started in 2007.
In the Geely MK interior, four people of no more than average height will feel comfortable. Among the interesting features, it is worth noting the instrument panel with a centrally located shield, which gives the interior originality. The rear seats fold in a 3:2 ratio and open access to the trunk from the cabin. And a spacious trunk with a volume of 430 liters allows you to transport fairly large cargo (up to 1.80 m long). The car for the Ukrainian market was offered in three trim levels - Basic Plus, Comfort and Impress. At the same time, already in the "base" it is equipped with a driver's airbag, ABS and EBD, power windows, electric adjustment of exterior mirrors, central locking with remote control, air conditioning, power steering, fog lights, CD player, alloy wheels.
There were only two engines installed on Ukrainian versions of Geely: these are gasoline, 4-cylinder, 16-valve units purchased under license from "Toyota". The basic version with a volume of 1.5 liters had a power of 94 hp. A more powerful analogue with 1.6 liters developed 107 hp. However, it is difficult to call the engines dynamic. The transmissions offered to choose from were the following: this is the usual 5-speed manual gearbox or a 4-speed automatic, which was almost never imported. The manual transmission does not have clear strokes. The rear suspension is multi-link, provides good ride smoothness, but in corners the car experiences strong rolls.
According to the results of crash tests according to the Chinese C-NCAP methodology, the Geely MK earned 42.2 points, which corresponds to four stars and is a good indicator.
Geely MK is exactly the car that, together with the Geely CK model, maximally increased the share of the Ukrainian automobile market in favor of Chinese brands. In fact, this is the most affordable C-class car on our market. With average quality of finishing materials, it has a fairly reliable and quite attractive body. But the main thing is a good ergonomic suspension. The disadvantage of which can be called only (like all Geely) not quite correct adjustment. Nevertheless, the car is reliable and gives the owner the opportunity to taste all the delights of a modern car. With an adjustment for the Chinese quality of some materials.
Conclusion: One of the most affordable cars on the Ukrainian market. A good replacement for the Russian auto industry. If not in quality, then in terms of equipment level, definitely.
For questions about purchasing a Geely MK car and its further maintenance, you can contact the company Avtodom Stolitsa.
In 2nd place is a domestically produced car - ZAZ Sens.
Brief reference:
In 2000, the Zaporozhye Automobile Plant began for the first time to equip Lanos with Ukrainian engines and transmissions. To distinguish this modification from Lanos, the management of AvtoZAZ-Daewoo announced an all-Ukrainian competition for the name of the car. As a result, the car received the name Daewoo Sens. At first, the model was equipped with a carburetor engine with a volume of 1.3 liters and a 5-speed manual transmission of domestic production. But in 2003, they began to install an injection engine MEMZ-307 with a volume of 1.3 liters on it. And five years later, the power unit was replaced with a 1.4-liter engine, which worked in tandem with a 5-speed manual gearbox of Korean production from Lanos. For a long time, the model was produced only in a sedan body, but in 2012, the ZAZ Sens received a hatchback body. The car has front-wheel drive.
The popularity of this car is based on stereotypes and the so-called "popular" opinion. If the majority of consumers do not complain about the car, then it is already worthy of attention. Plus, it has been produced for quite a long time; during operation, the manufacturer managed to fix shortcomings and make the necessary improvements. And if taxi drivers prefer it, then 100% the car is cool. There is some truth in this. And the initial cost and costs for subsequent operation will not ruin the consumer.
Conclusion: The choice of a buyer with a limited budget, making a choice in favor of a time-tested vehicle, even to the detriment of its modern appearance.
For questions about purchasing a ZAZ Sens car and its further maintenance, you can contact the company Avtotsentr na Stolichnom.
In 1st place is reliably - the Chinese Geely Emgrand EC7. A car that, according to the sellers' idea, should turn consumers' ideas about cars from the Middle Kingdom upside down.
Brief reference:
Geely Emgrand EC7 is a C-class model that the Chinese automobile company Geely developed specifically for global markets, primarily for European ones.
Emgrand is a luxury sub-brand of Geely created in 2009, which is engaged in the production of luxury segment cars. EC7 became the first model of this sub-brand. In the name of the model, EC encodes the markets (E - European) for which this model is intended, as well as the name of the manufacturer country (C - China). The number 7 means the year the model development began - 2007.
Serial production of the Geely Emgrand EC7 started in 2010, and the car entered the Ukrainian market a year later. The model is produced on a front-wheel drive platform in two body modifications: sedan and hatchback. The car is stuffed with parts and components from well-known global manufacturers (Siemens, Fuji, PDE, Lear Corporation, Saint-Gobain and others). The manufacturer paid special attention to car safety, strengthening the body structure and equipping the model with the most progressive active and passive safety systems. As a result, according to the authoritative organization EuroNCAP, in the overall safety rating, the Geely Emgrand EC7 received four stars and became the first car of the company to receive such a high rating. According to the Chinese organization C-NCAP, the model received the highest score for active and passive safety.
According to reviews of owners who have been operating the Emgrand EC7 for more than a month, the car is really made at a decent level. The quality of finishing materials and sound insulation is at the level of European analogues. The only parameters by which the car still does not reach Japanese and European competitors is the suspension tuning. Its behavior could be better.
Conclusion: One of the best indicators in terms of price-quality ratio for budget purchases. A well-deserved first place in the rating.
For questions about purchasing a Geely Emgrand EC7 car and its further maintenance, you can contact the company Avtodom Stolitsa.
