- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr Ar He
Jiangnan. Who makes the cheapest car?
Who makes the cheapest car? The answer is simple: the Jiangnan brand, unknown outside of China. In the 2000s, the company produced almost the cheapest car not only on the local but also on the global market: Alto hatchback, based on the Suzuki Alto. But Jiangnan did not stop there, presenting in February 2023 one of the most affordable electric vehicles in the world, the price of which starts at 8,600 dollars.
Especially for you, we have compiled the top 10 cheapest cars in the world for 2023, including electric models.
Origins
Jiangnan Automobile was founded in 2001. It all started with Norinco. The state engineering concern acquired the production facilities for the popular (but even then outdated) Suzuki Alto from the Changan-Suzuki joint venture. The subcompact hatchback is a real veteran of the Japanese (and not only) market, debuted in 1979. As a result of all sorts of simplifications, Jiangnan was able to sculpt a Japanese copy of the Alto for only 2,800 dollars.
Inspired by their successes, Jiangnan specialists continued to exploit the old car and created more than one model based on it. In 2007, the business was bought out by Zotye, one of the fifty largest global automakers. However, in the fall of 2021, after the pandemic, the company went bankrupt, but was restructured, found new investors and came to life again. Moreover, Jiangnan received help from the Bishan County Government and will now make electric vehicles. The plans are 100,000 cars a year.
Today
In 2023, the brand returned with the Jiangnan U2 single-capacity hatchback, priced between 8,600 and 14,500 dollars. The car was developed back in 2021 based on the BAIC Ruixiang electric model: it is based on the BAIC electric vehicle platform and redesigned front and rear body panels. Overall dimensions: length – 3,840 mm, width – 1,742 mm, height – 1,545 mm. But the wheelbase is quite decent: 2,521 mm.
There is one electric motor, but in two versions: basic with an output of 75 hp and 120 Nm and more expensive with 109 hp and 160 Nm. The model is front-wheel drive. But there are as many as three options for a lithium-iron-phosphate battery with a driving range of 151, 305 or 406 km (according to the optimistic Chinese CLTC cycle).
