Drive-away Dealing: Chery J1 Ducks Below $10k, J3 Drops To $12,990

Chery distributor Ateco has shaved the pricing on the Chinese carmaker's J1 light car and small J3 hatch, in a bid to combat a 38 percent fall in Australian sales last year.

Facing stiff competition from bargain-priced rivals the Alto, Micra, Barina Spark and the upcoming Mitsubishi Mirage, the red pencil has been taken to the J1 with a new drive-away price of $9990.

While the J1's new pricing makes it the first sub-$10k offering in Australia since the 90s, the better story, according to Chery distributor Ateco, is the revised price of the J3. 

Now priced at $12,990 drive-away, the J3 cuts $2000 from its sticker while offering leather seats, alloy whels, power windows and mirrors, remote keyless entry, automatic headlights and wipers, and reversing sensors. 

The new price sees the J3 slip further below its nearest rival in the small-car segment, the soon-to-be-retired Nissan Tiida at $18,990.

Standard features in the J1 include power steering, air-conditioning, alloy wheels, power windows and mirrors, an MP3-compatible six-speaker stereo and remote keyless centry.

Safety features in both cars include ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution and front seatbelt pre-tensioners. The J3 gets six airbags, but the J1 is limited to dual front airbags. 

Neither car offers Electronic Stability Control, meaning that for now, both remain unavailable in Victoria. 

The J3 is expected to gain an ESC system this year however, along with an automatic transmission option, allowing the brand to begin sales in the Victorian market.