Jetour, BYD, Geely: Top 5 Chinese Cars You Can Buy in Qatar

For decades, the car market in Qatar has been dominated by Japanese vehicles, as Qataris have been long-time fans of Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan. However, Chinese brands are expected to take over the Qatari car market soon, as they have almost everything others do, but for a lower price tag. If you’d like to see what all the fuss is about, here’s an overview of the top five Chinese cars in Qatar, assessed by their performance, interior and comfort, and safety.

The Jetour T2 comes with three main engine options:

• 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine

• 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine

• 1.5-liter hybrid engine

Petrol models come with a 7 and 8-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid version utilizes a 3-speed dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT).

Performance

The T2 checks all the essential boxes for both off-road and on-road driving. The engine provides enough power to the car, making driving comfortable and relaxing. Moreover, the transmission allows for smooth gear changes.

Although the Jetour T2 is an excellent car for everyday driving, it excels pretty well in off-road conditions, thanks to its rugged build and multiple drive modes, all-wheel drive, and hill descent control. 

Interior & comfort

As you would expect from a high-quality SUV, the interior of the Jetour T2 is quite spacious and well-equipped. The car features comfortable materials in its base version, while the LUX version offers soft-touch materials, ventilated front seats, lumbar support, and ambient lighting.

Designed with practicality in mind, T2 has everything within easy reach, while still providing the necessary comfort. It also utilizes a large infotainment screen, which is easy to use and gives the driver an excellent overview of the car's functionalities.

Safety

The Jetour T2 has some valuable features that can prevent road accidents, like a 360-degree camera, automatic emergency braking, and lane keeping assist.

However, some reviewers mention that the car is still missing some safety attributes in its base model, like adaptive cruise control, six airbags, and blind spot warning. 

Next on our list is the BYD Atto 3, an electric SUV. This is one of the most popular models from the BYD brand, which is quickly emerging as a leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market. The car features a single main engine option and utilizes a single-speed direct-drive transmission, a common feature in electric cars.

Performance

The BYD Atto 3 comes with all the perks you would expect from an electric vehicle. It has excellent acceleration, with the car going 0-100 km/h in just 7.3 seconds. Additionally, the vehicle boasts a decent battery range, which can last between 400-500 km, depending on the battery type.

High torque makes it very responsive, making city driving relatively easy. However, some drivers have reported that the car is quite noisy at highway speeds. Also, the top speed is limited to 160 km/h.

Interior & comfort

This model makes you feel like you are riding in a pretty modern SUV. Materials feel smooth, and surfaces are quite soft to the touch. Both the front and rear seats offer ample legroom, but the rear seats have limited headspace, which can be bothersome for taller individuals.

The interior is also decorated with a big 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system. However, some people have reported that the system tends to be slower to respond.

Safety

The Chinese engineers have put great effort into making Atto 3 a safe vehicle, as the car has received a 5-star rating from Euro NCAP. Nonetheless, many drivers have criticized the Atto 3 assisted driving system, and the car can be significantly improved in this area.

The Geely Coolray is a relatively affordable SUV. It comes with one main engine: a 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol, and offers a 7-speed automatic transmission and a 5-speed manual transmission, depending on the trim level.

Performance

The Coolray offers decent performance for its price. It comes with solid acceleration, as it can reach 100 km/h in less than 8 seconds. The vehicle also features multiple driving modes: eco, comfort, sport, and adaptive.

Interior & comfort 

The interior is quite stylish and modern, and the car has a premium feel. The cabin is quite spacious and offers ample legroom and headroom for both front and rear passengers.

Higher trims come with leather and soft-touch materials, which elevate the aesthetic look of the car. Also, the seats are ventilated and heated, making the car quite comfortable in different weather conditions.

Safety

The Coolray is also regarded as a safe vehicle, with multiple airbags, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. These features are available in standard car models as well, which contributes to the overall safety of the car. 

The main area for improvement is the car’s start-stop system, which can only be disabled through the infotainment screen.

Chinese manufacturers create excellent SUV cars, and we have one more favorite to showcase — the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro. This is undoubtedly the largest model on our list as it is a pretty spacious 7-seater. 

The car comes with three main engine options: 

• 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine

• 2.0-liter turbocharged petrol engine

• 1.5-liter hybrid engine

In addition, the Tiggo 8 Pro utilizes a 7-speed automatic transmission.

Performance

Considering its price, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro performs quite well, providing a blend of comfort, road performance, and useful features (e.g., six airbags, 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control). Many drivers have pointed out that the car has quite a smooth ride thanks to its powerful engine and precise transmission system. This makes city driving easy, while the vehicle is also capable of handling off-road adventures.

Interior & comfort

The Tiggo 8 Pro interior is designed with luxury and technology in mind. That’s why the car looks quite fancy on the inside and also has a 12-speaker sound system, panoramic glass roof, and heated and ventilated seats. The main details on the inside include leather upholstery, soft-touch materials, and a spacious cabin with available third-row seats. 

All seats in the car are comfortable, and drivers report that there is enough legroom in both the first and the second row. However, as with most 7-seaters, the third row is primarily used for children.

Safety

The Tiggo 8 Pro has a 360-degree camera system, parking sensors, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and blind spot monitoring. Furthermore, it comes with a rear cross-traffic alert, autonomous emergency braking, and traffic sign recognition.

The car performed quite well on the ANCAP car crash test, earning 5 stars.

BYD Seal has everything you can ask for when buying an EV, and it comes with two main battery options:

• 61.44 kWh Blade battery

• 82.56 kWh Blade battery

As with the other electric cars, the Seal utilizes a single-speed transmission.

Performance

The BYD Seal is excellent for daily driving, as it combines a decent battery range with outstanding acceleration. Its base models can reach 100 km/h in around 7.5 seconds, while the high-end Performance model can get those numbers in 3.8 seconds. Moreover, the car has superb aerodynamics, which gives it a clean look and boosts its efficiency.

Interior & comfort

In a BYD Seal, you feel like you are sitting in a premium car, due to its design and quality interior materials. It’s designed with a rotating infotainment touchscreen, soft-touch materials, and supportive seats. Also, the car has soft suspension and light steering, contributing to the driving comfort.

Safety

As with most cars on this list, the BYD Seal is equipped with multiple safety features, such as adaptive cruise control. lane-keeping assistance, front and rear collision warnings, blind spot monitoring, and cross-traffic alerts.

Moreover, it also has a child presence detection system, which notifies the driver if a child is left alone in the car.

The BYD Seal performed well on the ANCAP and Euro NCAP crash tests, earning a 5-star rating.