Following the recent launch of the Chery J3 hatchback, the Chinese manufacturer has teamed up with local singer/songwriter Shotgun Tori, who’s about to embark on a mammoth 32-day countrywide tour.
The Chery J3 is powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine that offers 87 kW and 147 Nm of torque. We imagine the J3′s performance is unlikely to overshadow Tori’s, but it does boast styling by Italian design house Pininfarina. Chery South Africa say their new J3 hatch will provide the Shotgun Tori with a safe and comfortable ride between music gigs, with ample space for her guitar and associated equipment.
Some of the J3′s standard features include: leather trimmed seats; climate control; automatic headlights and windscreen wipers; 6-speaker MP3-compatible sound system with USB connectivity and steering wheel-mouted controls; alloy wheels; rear park distance control; as well as electrically operated windows and side mirrors. In terms of safety, the J3 is fitted with two front and two side air bags for the front seat occupants, as well as two curtain air bags for the rear seat passengers. Anti-lock brakes combined with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), are also included.
“This is absolutely perfect for me,” says Shotgun Tori. “It is a long tour this year starting in Bloemfontein and moving to Cape Town, along the Garden Route and in KwaZulu Natal, before getting back home to Johannesburg in the New Year. Quite often I have a gig and then 400 to 500 km to travel the next day to a new venue, so a comfortable ride and, of course, all the standard safety features offered by the Chery is great.”
With over 100 shows played countrywide in 2011, Shotgun Tori has a growing fan-base who enjoy her mix of indie and folk music with an edge. Described by Rolling Stone magazine as, “A little bit of folk; a little bit of country; a whole lot of raspy cut-to-the-heart feeling”, her music video ‘Sweet Weather’ managed to reached the top spot in the MK89 Top 10 where it remained for 9 weeks.
Clearly Chery are hoping to ride Shotgun Tori’s coat-tails up the charts and why not, their products are improving steadily and if you don’t blow you own horn nobody else is going to do it for you. Back in China, the powers that be have just signed a joint venture with Tata-owned Jaguar Land Rover to build a US$1.7-billion production facility near Shanghai. The facility should be completed by 2014 and will include an engine development and R&D centre.
