Jiangnan U2 debuts in China with prices starting from $8,000

Oh China, the land of wonders, contrasts and a never ending stream of products and ideas. Some good, some bad and some outright funny but nonetheless - a never ending stream. Case in point is Jiangan brand which we have never covered, a brand created by the infamous Zotye Auto which went bankrupt two years ago but now is back like fenix from the ashes.

Before we jump onto the Jiangnan U2, which by the way seems to be a rather clever city-bound electric car, we need to explain the Zotye Auto situation. It used to be a car parts company, but in 2005, it took advantage of the growing auto market in China and started making its own cars. Well, not own really - the company went on to become probably the biggest copycat among copycats.

It started off with making a Smart ForTwo lookalike, then copied Fiat Multipla, followed by Suzuki Alto, Fiat Bravo, Toyota Allion, VW Touareg, Porsche Macan, VW Tiguan and even went as far as copying concept cars from VW - the Domy X7 was a carbon copy of VW Cross Coupe GTE from 2015. Its story went viral when it got sued by Land Rover for making a copy of the Range Rover Sport and not even trying to pretend it wasn’t.

That adventure with Land Rover cost the Zotye dearly, and the company went under in 2021, but it seemingly has resurfaced, this time with - apparently - own ideas. Zotye created Jiangnan Motors to be its electric car brand, and it has just announced the Jiangan U2, a smart little EV with a starting price of just RMB 56,800, which translates to about $8,100.

Six versions are available of the plucky little EV, starting with 35 kW power output and a range of 151 km (CLTS). All cars feature LFP batteries, and the top trim comes with an 80 kW electric motor and gets a bigger battery with 406 km of claimed range.

The design of the Jiangnan U2 feels refreshing but far from original. We’re not sure what is the story behind the scenes here, but we have seen this car before - sure, the headlights are different but that’s it. Jiangnan didn't even bother making the U2 much different from the EEZI Vc first shown last year by a new company based in Shenzhen, the car was meant to go into production this year under the watchful eye of BAIC Ruixiang.

Left - Jiangnan U2 Right - EEZi Vc

Rather than trying to untangle complicated Chinese industrial relations, let’s examine the U2’s interesting features and benefits. First is the warranty - the first owner of the car gets a free lifetime warranty for the battery, electric motor and the control system. The rest of the car is warranted for 120,000 km or three years plus the company gives a lifetime roadside assistance. Now, that’s one way to keep customers loyal but at the same time - what is the warranty worth when the company is gone?

Despite the car being aimed at city dwellers, unlike its usual city competitors the U2 comes with a decent 300-liter trunk that more than doubles when the rear seats go down. The interior is bright and there is a full length glass roof to let as much light in as possible.

Jiangnan U2 may have a murky history but the car looks good, offers plenty of room and decent range with the bigger battery options. The starting price is very attractive and the extensive warranty means trouble-free motoring for life - isn’t that what we all want?

Via