Chery Eastar: Know its alternatives

The people of Malaysia are desperate for 7 seaters. They are desperate enough that something like the Chery Eastar thrives here. First launched in 2006, the Eastar uses a 1,971cc 4-cylinder that churns out 136 PS at 5750 rpm and a peak torque of 180 Nm at 4,400 rpm. Using a 4-speed automatic transmission, it is good enough to deliver 14 kmpl. At a price of around RM 81500, it does make for a very good proposition.

But there are many reasons why someone would not want to buy an Eastar (or a Chery). But worry not. Malaysia’s market is teeming with MPVs in and around the same price range. We have here, three MPVs that perform just as well as the Chinese.

Perodua Alza

At a price range of just RM50648 to RM62889, the Perodua Alza is even cheaper than the Eastar. So what do we lose? Horsepower for one goes down by as much as 33 PS. Mileage goes down too at 12.8 kmpl for the Alza. The Alza uses a 1.5-litre fuel injected 4 cylinder that produces 103 PS and 136 Nm of torque. It is also smaller than the Chery in both length and width. It does, however, have the same level of safety as the Chery with standard ABS with EBD,  dual airbags, and ISOFIX. It received a facelift in 2014 and that certainly helped it in the looks department. Space is ample in this Perodua. The split foldable third-row seats are made more usable by including recline feature, and there's slide functionality in the second-row seats. Overall, as the most affordable MPV in the country, it can certainly be considered by families that expect to grow. They may just have to live with some quality issues.

Proton Ertiga

Actually a rebadged Suzuki, the Ertiga comes equipped with an even smaller engine than the Alza. Its 1.3-litre fuel injected 4 cylinder produces delivers 92 PS and 130 Nm of torque. Mileage though is decent at 14.9 kmpl. For something that is supposed to seat 7, this one is even slightly smaller than the Alza. This means, that while the third-row seats are comfortable, they do not leave any space in the back for storage when they are up. However, being a Suzuki has its benefits. The finish and quality of material used inside are very good for its price range of RM 59833 to RM 65704. The engine is refined and silent. The dual automatic AC works well. Second-row seats slide and fold. Safety is good too with ABS with EBD, dual airbags, reverse sensor, and ISOFIX. A very worthy contender then from the stable of Proton.

Toyota Avanza

The Toyota Avanza has recently received a much-awaited upgrade. The new MPV is very different from its predecessor in every imaginable way. Toyota wants to project it as an SUV and going by the looks and the ground clearance does a very good job at it. Easily the best looking of the lot, it is also the smallest of the four. There are two engine options – a 1.5-litre 4 cylinder with dual VVT-I producing 105 PS and 136 Nm of peak torque and a similar 1.3-litre 4 cylinder producing 97 PS and 121 Nm of torque. Unlike the rest, power is sent to the back for better delivery. Best of all is the equipment levels and the safety gears. Even better is the fact that the bulk of the features are standard across the 4 variants. This includes dual AC, 50:50 tumble and slide second row and 2 DIN head unit with Bluetooth. Same goes for ABS with EBD, dual airbags, collapsible steering column, reverse sensors, and ISOFIX. A seven-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with reverse camera is  however optional. These features make it the most well-equipped MPV for its price range of RM70200 to RM 82700.

The depth and variety of the models on offer mean that nearly every kind of customer is being taken care of. So no need of settling for a Chinese low-cost MPV. The world is at your doorstep.