Review by [I]Elijah Thomas
Brilliance BC3: Sportivitate italiana si calitate germana - Test drive - PiataAuto.md - Site-ul lumii auto din Moldova
translated via Google Translate
[/I]The word "Scuderia" is usually used to name the Ferrari workshop, where thinking and plotting future fire red car. Today we wanted to know what can make a "Scuderia" Chinese, to discover if they can, indeed, there are Chinese cars to at least leave you satisfied, if not stunned?
Brilliance models were designed in the Italian design studio - Giugaro and Pininfarina, the recognized leader in the art of beautiful cars, and the technique was conceived by the Germans from BMW and Porsche. In the production process to resort to Mitsubishi engines for some models, which are also delivered in a licensed and "clean". It is laudable intention of the Brilliance, who wanted to break away from tradition Chinese manufacturers to steal shamelessly from other design brands and produce some ugly and unsuccessful children, and especially the terrible quality. No, this was meant to do anything formally, civilized and beautiful. The results are impressive. A single model range - BS4 - bring a lot of BMW 5 Series. But for this there is a logical explanation: the same plant produces sedan's Brilliance BMW 5 Series and 3 Series for the Chinese market, with full authority of the Germans from Bavaria. So we have a Chinese manufacturer with deep roots in European traditions of the automobile ...
A true sports car?
Tthe first model came into our series of tests is in the range sports coupe Brilliance called BC3.
I approach a sports car, intense red, I see an unknown emblem on the hood and another one on the trunk ... do not know what brand it is ... I look around, see lanterns stylish with elongated bottom portion of the wings, back Tell us a stylish cursive writing that is a "Coupe". I see 17-inch wheels shod in Michelin Energy thresholds ... I see the car as the rear wings extending fin ... In front we have a sporty grille, fog lights mounted anti-discreet bonnet bumper ... also has some lines that denote aggressiveness and sportiness. Open the door. I jump in the eye pedals and steering wheel three-spoke sport. Inside leather lining have to touch ... .. Hmm, it's real leather, not imitation! Yes, white stitching on the edges has. Jaguar XKR, we tested half a year now, and he had it. Style board with carbon inserts, on-board clocks prominent sports style. Achieve board ... quality. Well-designed center console, balanced, very good material used without exaggeration. Automatic transmission ...
It's an Italian model? Japanese? No? Maybe Korean? No Korean? What? Chinese? No way! Do not believe it!
I just get the impression that when you see BC3 in front and do not know that comes from China. Is still an unknown brand logo on our lands, and if you did not too well informed of where to know more about it. And if you do not know the brand, not know where provinde it, you're not affected by existing stereotypes about Chinese masinine. New images taken inside the car can speak eloquently about how those described above. This is the first time in life when I say, but yes, I am a Chinese model where the note inside is 10! The skin used is really natural, and certainly does not come from China - is certainly workshops of Europe, its seams, even skin stitching on the steering wheel where it is subjected to harsher exploitation - all are really quality! And most important - something the Chinese have not managed never before - all the interior even matching between them! Pininfrarina? Giuagioro? Who designed the interior? Here are remarkable experience is distinguished taste and desire to provide comfort and pleasure occupants inside.
From the technical aspect
An interior executed at the highest level is an inalienable attribute of a true sportcar Brilliance BC3 is very good that he managed to align with industry giants on this issue. To be considered a true sports car is but an essential need: excellent dynamic qualities.
Under the hood model we tested was a 1.8-liter turbo aspirated, which develops 170 hp. So we can not compare with super cars like Ferrari or Lambo true, but rather with Hyundai Coupe (known as Tiburon), Chrysler Crossfire (when still occur), Mazda MX5 can, Toyota Celica, Renault Megane Coupe ... However, bright red color, harmonious forms, he made everyone around him look long, trying to figure out which of supercars is.
I started the engine and I was impressed by the rhythmic sound of low tone. I joined a few times the engine idling, was felt here and the potential ... I did not linger too long and I was up in the car.
It's a beautiful autumn day in the afternoon. A gentle sun translate everything in a warm light. And when you're driving a sports car on such a time, it seems that all streets yours. We are three inside, and of course, if it is a coupe, the rear is not really very much room. It can be if necessary, but will not start the long road back seat passenger.
Automatic gearbox on the Brilliance BC3 has three modes: Eco, sprat and Winter. Eco is how "normal" you drive calm, with acceleration of course, without excesses. Winter, winter is how to ensure good adhesion. But when sports press, the car seems to take a pill of speed and does not want to be good. After several attempts in the first two modes, I pressed SPORT, then I strongly accelerated by the first traffic light on sauce. Hancesti.
Probably wait now to say how fascinating it was speeding and how far I have left behind them all. Well, I'll tell you. Fascinating or not, but peppered with the car started allowed us really to be the first and depart us hard enough for everyone else, even if we speak of a pronounced sloping street. In moments of strong acceleration, under the hood is present action turbine engine who injects a good dose of adrenaline. It is interesting that when the transmission is in Sport mode, and take your foot off the accelerator pedal, the engine revs continue to remain high (eg 3400 rpm, after a good acceleration) and when the throttle pedal pressed again , the engine responds very quickly because of this.
A very very rarely told in Chinese is good quality car against the suspension. In the case of Brilliance BC3 have but to say. We toured the sauce. Hancesti - Docuceaev Street - recently paved Asachi str. Those who know these streets well know that sauce. Hinckley has big problems with road quality, while the newly renovated Asachi proposes a very good quality. So I had the opportunity to feel our sport coupe on the road so bad, and the roads excellent price of only one neighborhood.
When driving on the road with many bumps, sport suspension character reminds you that you are in a sports car, but it passes in silence over all the bumps and balance. We have no additional sound, and the car remains as maneuverable. I had the feeling that you did not think I will ever have a leading Chinese car: it's not a harder feeling that it has not been conceived when a pit pass, feeling like 2 years or 4 years, car suspension will be just as balanced and calm. No I do not believe it too those they say, because why not admit it, am I affected by the stereotype of Chinese cars, but objectively speaking, that's a feeling that you offer this car.
On good roads, really good, Brilliance BC3 sports show their true potential. You can accelerate as cover, and stability has not undergone any car at speeds over 130 km / h. Acceleration even at high speeds remains efficient and timely, and brakes ensure a good response.
German quality produced in China?
Great dilemma of this test is shaping a position opposite from us on whether or not a brand really Brilliance quality, providing quality, comfort, dynamism and durability while its owners? Can be generally produced cars in China, good?
BC3 leading, I tried to think of stereotypes for a moment detached. I have tried to take into account something that too is drawn into play when speaking of Chinese cars. In the first case, we incecrat car without seeing the label "made in", that would fit in a shameful category. In the second case, we tried to look into current preferences of car buyers in Moldova. How many buy today's VAZ, for example, that were designed several decades ago, the quality and safety are somewhere at the end of the list of priorities, but at the same time, the same buyers continue to assert that they are good? How many months or many tens of thousands of miles without repairs VAZ last one? Is better than a car VAZ Chinese?
All national automotive industries in the world have evolved in a similar way sometimes. And producers in the former USSR shamelessly copied American models, Italian or what was then. And when they could steal, buy. Remember the famous VAZ 2101 - we all know that in fact this is a Fiat model, bought from Italy. Volga and Chrysler will not remember and Cadillac? That's exactly what the Chinese do today - using Western technology, talent and experience of the West, and to try and build its own auto industry, providing step by step, more qualitative models. Koreans, in the beginning, had a car as crappy and everyone laughs at them as breaks in the morning. Today, however, a Hyundai or Kia is an example of quality, honesty or autobilistice development in step with time. It is quite possible that in coming decades in China cars mean no more doubts about the quality and reliability, but true copies of the global automotive industry, manufacturers competing direct Western secular tradition.
Brilliance appears to be a pioneer, a Chinese brand that much invested. A brand that engineers and designers worked Western models manufactured with German surveillance there, and even production lines were installed in cooperation with BMW and Porsche in the West. Germans remain German even when paying the Chinese to work, and this translated into the language of the buyer, that means come to bring Brilliance models produced in China as German.
Bravo Brilliance and success in Moldova, because you deserve!
