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by Ulysses Ang
Everyone remembers his or her
first car. And whatever the make or
model, there are always fond memories attached to that car.
In my case, the most vivid
memories are those associated with learning to drive. My dad’s
Corolla bore the brunt, with me stalling the clutch or almost
hitting curbs. Though I’ve driven other cars since, my most
memorable four-wheeled experience always goes back to this gutless
55-horsepower, beat-up four-door tin can.
In the decades that followed,
cars have become more powerful and complicated. In the process, the
once character-filled basic transportation models have lost what’s
most important—their soul. In 2008, you have to spend at least a
million pesos to get something that’s fun to drive and cheerful.
Well, maybe you haven’t met the
Chana Benni.
Walking up to the Benni at the
Focus Ventures office (Chana’s Philippine distributor), the car
certainly looks familiar—like seeing an uncle at an annual family
gathering. It can’t be helped. Uncle Benni has some hints of
Chrysler, Honda and even Mercedes-Benz built into its city-car
profile.
The Benni is certainly lanky,
with a high roofline and narrow footprint. There are attempts to
mask it by the blacked-out trimmings, but you cannot deny its
city-car looks. Up front, the headlights are nicely detailed with
projector-type low beams that have fog lamps installed as standard.
Large rhomboid brake lamps dominate the rear, and though they
don’t use LEDs, the three-bulb pattern does a good job mimicking
the look.
The Benni is sporty too with the
standard spoiler and fog lamps at the rear and the 14-inch shoes on
each corner.
But like some relatives you meet
during reunions, the Benni has a somewhat darker side, namely it’s
interior. While its exterior is modern in execution, the interior is
somber, with gray fabric seats and silver trimming that does little
to uplift the cabin. The materials are made from cost-cutting hard
plastics with exposed screws everywhere.
Generally though, the build
quality is good and on a par with Korean cars. The Benni looks
fairly modern too, with the curved treatments on the dash and center
console.
Though you wouldn’t want to be
caught dead riding Uncle Benni (shame on your dirty minds), a
170-centimeter frame fits comfortably on the front seats even if the
cushion is on the flat side. Their tight fit assures support in most
of the needed areas.
The driving position—which is
nowhere near perfect—is at least designed for Homo Sapiens too.
And the Benni wants you to be fit and sporty as well, so those with
sumo-sized frames will certainly not fit.
A five-door hatchback, the Benni
is actually closer to a 2+2 since the rear seats are best left for
kids and the vertically challenged. That said, at least everyone
gets their own seatbelt.
Also favorable with the Benni is
its impressive list of standard features. It boasts of an electric
power steering system, driver’s airbag and front vented disc with
ABS and EBD. Inside, the power windows and door locks are
supplemented by a 1-DIN stereo/CD with a four-speaker system, a
60/40 split-fold rear bench with luggage cover, a digital trip meter
with fancy day/night reversing lighting scheme and a keyless entry
system. If you’re picky, the only thing lacking are power side
mirrors—a minor offense given the amount of things plopped in the
car as standard.
The Benni has really striking
driving dynamics that reminds me of my first car, with memories
flooding in the moment I cranked the Suzuki-sourced 1.3-liter engine
to life. With 84 horsepower and 110 Newton-meter of torque, it’s
not exactly an ’82 Corolla. In fact, it’s more powerful, peppy
and actually fun to drive hard. Although overall, its character is
more or less the same.
The engine isn’t refined
measured in today’s standard with the harsh droning of the
four-cylinder engine. But the way the Benni thrashes to 4,000 rpm is
reminiscent of those old 2A Toyota engines. Still, the Benni is
rev-willing and the five-speed manual, though notchy, at least feels
solidly connected to the engine. The clutch engagement is easy to
modulate.
Focus Ventures quotes a top speed
of 145kph although anything beyond 120kph is scary stuff. This is
due to the narrow footprint and tires (165/60). In city traffic, the
Benni feels surefooted and stable, but quick turns may upset it a
bit—again because of the tires. The brakes bite hard with a good
pedal feel.
Focus Ventures quotes a fuel
economy mileage of 22.72 kilometers per liter, but we managed to get
around 16.35—not bad considering the thrashing it underwent.
Although Chana cannot boast to be
the first Chinese car brand in the Philippines, the Benni can
actually be the first to stir this segment up. While other Chinese
cars are recognized for being dirt-cheap, the Benni offers a more
modern design and execution while maintaining a palatable price
(P438,000 for the manual and P495,000 for the automatic).
Chana has poured lots of
engineering money into the Benni and it shows. The shell feels
sturdy and solid since it passes the European NCAP crash tests—or
at least, its Chinese equivalent. The Benni is covered by a
comprehensive three-year/100,000-kilometer warranty.
Though the Benni may be
recognizable to me, it may not be the same case with you. But in a
few years’ time, who knows? Try out the Benni and you might be
pleasantly surprised in the end.
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