FAW Oley

The Oley at a glance: a youth-oriented FAW saloon

FAW launched Oley as a separate sub-brand aimed at young first-time buyers. The car was first shown as the GO concept at the Shanghai motor show in April 2011, then as the Oley at the Guangzhou show in November 2011. Production began on 7 March 2012 and sales started in April. The idea behind it dated back to a planned Besturn B30 announced in 2008. The FAW story is told in the history of FAW Group, and all FAW cars are in the FAW catalogue.

The 1.5 petrol and the Oley EV

There is one petrol engine: a 1.5-litre four-cylinder developed by FAW, coded CA4GA5, with 75 kW (102 PS) and 135 Nm. It comes with a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. According to the old 1cars text, the top speed is 170 km/h and combined fuel use is about 6.5 l/100 km, a figure the old text itself found optimistic. The engine is adequate in town but feels short of pull on hills and when overtaking with a full car.

The Oley EV of 2015 has a 21.1 kWh battery, a range of about 150 km and a top speed of 140 km/h. It reaches 50 km/h in 6.8 seconds, and a fast charger fills the battery to 80 % in 48 minutes.

A narrow body with a 450-litre boot

Sources give different saloon lengths; the figure above is from the launch data. With a width of only 1,660 mm the Oley is narrow, and the old 1cars text compares its cabin space with the previous-generation Chevrolet Aveo. The seating position is comfortable, the driver's seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel for angle. The dashboard has two deep dials for the rev counter and the speedometer, with a trip computer between them in the top version. The cabin uses bright colours and budget materials, and the 450-litre boot is large for a car of this size.

The low ground clearance of 130 mm is the car's main practical weakness on rough roads. By our calculation, the hatchback is 280 mm shorter than the saloon, which makes it the better city car.

What it costs to run

The 1.5 is a simple engine without turbocharging, so servicing is cheap and straightforward. To estimate what a trip costs at around 6.5 to 7.5 l/100 km, use the fuel cost calculator. The four-speed automatic adds to fuel use in town compared with the manual.

Base and top versions compared

According to the old 1cars text, the base version has two front airbags, ABS, front fog lamps and air conditioning. It also has electric windows all round with anti-trap protection and a four-speaker audio system with CD and USB. The top version adds the automatic gearbox, side airbags, climate control, a sunroof, a colour infotainment screen and artificial-leather upholstery. All versions ride on MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the rear.

Airbags, ABS and the missing crash tests

There is no Euro NCAP or IIHS result for the Oley, because it was not sold in Europe or North America. Its safety equipment is basic for its time: front airbags and ABS as standard, side airbags only on the top version. Buyers who need good crash protection should look at a newer car with electronic stability control.

Rivals: how the Oley compares

The Oley competed with small budget saloons in China and in its export markets. Its strengths were the low price, the large boot and a proven VW-based chassis. Its weaknesses were the modest engine, the narrow cabin and basic safety kit. Within FAW's range, the bigger Besturn B50 offers more space and power, while the FAW V5 and FAW V2 were the other small cars in the group.