You asked: why do almost all cars in China have 1.5-liter engines? We answer

The gold standard for Russian middle-class cars are 1.6-liter engines: they are also popular in Europe. But since Chinese foreign cars have become undisputed in our country, it is surprising that most of them are brought to Russia with 1.5-liter engines. Where does this cult of “one and a half” come from? There is a very specific explanation for this.

In general, Chinese brands bring cars with different engine sizes to Russia. For example, Chery got Tiggo 7 Pro Max, after the clone St. Petersburg released Xcite, a 1.6-liter engine. The same is installed on the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro, and as an alternative – a 2-liter engine. At different times, Geely Atlas was delivered to Russia with engines 1.8 liters, 2 liters, 2.4 liters, and the Tank 500 is equipped with engines up to 3 liters.

But still, the lion’s share of Chinese cars are brought to Russia with 1.5-liter engines, less often with atmospheric engines, more often with turbocharging. In addition, the level of increase varies greatly: from relatively small 136 horsepower Moskvich-3 engines to 181 hp. With. at Changan Uni-V. Why are Chinese brands like an engine layout that is unusual for us?

This was not always the case: until the mid-190s, 1.6-liter engines were very popular in China: this was, for example, installed on Chery Amulet and pre-style Changan CS35. But changes in taxes and customs regulations made the early twenties 1.5-liter engines better. In China itself, excise tax on cars depends on the size of the engine, and for the 1-1.5 liter category it is 3%, and for 1.5-2 liter engines it is 5%. China is increasingly exporting cars, and ASEAN countries are the main destination so far (Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and so on). According to ASEAN customs regulations, for cars with engines up to 1.5 liters there is a favorable customs duty of 5%, which encourages not only Chinese companies, but also joint ventures with foreign brands to switch to such engines. So, for example, if in Russia the Volkswagen EA211 engine family was offered mainly with volumes of 1.4 or 1.6 liters, then in China – 1.5 liters (this, for example, is placed a – into it Jetta VA3 and some Tiguans).

Fiscal regulations have led to the fact that 1.6-liter engines in China have lost their appeal: you have to pay extra for 100 cubic meters of displacement. But in general, the Chinese market offers many models with 1.8 and 2 liter engines, because the tax on them is also not very high. The total tax burden on a car with an engine capacity of 1-1.5 liters is 28.88% of its cost, and for a car with an engine of 1.5-2 liters – 26.5% (source). However, large engines are subject to a higher tax rate: for example, for the 3+ liter category it is 25%, and the total tax burden is 42%. So, in general, engines with a volume of up to 2 liters are more popular in the Chinese market, and in the mass section – up to 1.5 liters.

The opinion of Russia is somewhat distorted because the main demand in our country is for cars that in China itself are considered low-cost airlines: Haval Jolion, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro, Geely Coolray, Changan CS55PLUS , Omoda C5, Belgee X50 and so on. forward. In the top 10 of the Russian market there are only two Chinese models with engines of different sizes: the Chery Tiggo 7 Pro 1.6-liter and the Geely Monjaro 2-liter. But if we take the most expensive parts of Chinese cars, say, with a price from 4 million rubles, 2-liter engines are more common there.

The Asian tax policy has also led to the fact that most Chinese cars have turbo engines with a fairly high boost – 100 hp. With. per liter is considered normal. In fact, 1.5-liter units in China have taken the place that was dominated by 1.6-2 liter engines in the days of naturally aspirated engines. This trend also has disadvantages: the higher the increase, the lower the utility and reliability of the engine usually, although there is no accurate data on the durability of the Chinese “one and a half”.

And one more consideration: China is a country of electric vehicles and hybrids. The first does not require an internal combustion engine in principle, while the second concerns 1.5-liter “gasoline generators”: these are installed on five meters L7 and M7 car. A Chinese supercar is not a multi-liter monster, but a car with an electric drive like Game 007. And so, the demand for engines of impressive size here is much less than, for example, in Europe and especially the USA.

In any case, a significant increase in car prices is expected in the next six months resulting in increased recycling accumulation.