By: Dave Abrahams
Johannesburg - Chinese carmaker FAW has added an upscale variant to its V2 hatch range, the limited-edition #Like.
The name, it says is a combination of social media cues - the Twitter hashtag and Facebook's 'Like' function. And if you think that sounds pretentious, you're not alone.
Be that as it may, the new derivative boasts a notable list of new features for the extra 10 grand - R109 995 compared to the base model's R99 995, which FAW Auto says is the most affordable 1.3-litre car on the SA market.
It starts with 15" alloy rims, and includes touchscreen-operated i G08 satellite navigation and an upgraded DVD/MP3/CD player with 5-inch Sony speakers and Bluetooth connectivity.
The #Like comes in your choice of black or grey interior trim and four paint colours - silver, white, black and the distinctive blue of the car in the gallery - with a three-year or 100 000km warranty, a three-year or 45 000km service plan and a year's roadside assistance.
HIGH-SPEC SUSPENSION
The rest of it is standard V2, which puts it at the bigger end of the B segment, with seating for four real-world adults and 320 litres of boot space. Standard kit includes dual front airbags, ABS, LED tail-lights, front and rear foglights, aircon, power windows on all four doors, radio/CD/MP3 player, power-adjustable side mirrors with indicator repeaters, remote central locking, dual glove compartments and door pockets with cup-holder recesses.
Motorvation is courtesy of a 1.3-litre petrol four rated for 67kW at 6000 revs and 120Nm at 4400rpm, driving the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox and slurping a nominal 6.5 litres per 100km.
Suspension is independent all round, with MacPherson struts in fort and double wishbones at the rear, rather than the industry-standard torsion beam setup.