The JAC Heyue Tongyue is a subcompact sedan and hatchback that JAC Motors launched in 2008, originally simply as the Tongyue. It was the first fruit of a contract with the Italian design house Pininfarina, and it was sold in many markets as the JAC J3. After a 2014 facelift the sedan was renamed the Heyue A13.
JAC Heyue Tongyue at a glance
| Maker | JAC Motors, China (Heyue brand) |
|---|---|
| Also sold as | JAC J3 |
| Production | from 2008 |
| Class | subcompact sedan and hatchback |
| Design | Pininfarina, contract signed in 2005 |
| Prototypes | A107 hatchback and A108 sedan, Auto China 2008 |
| Engine | 1.3-litre Mitsubishi 4G13 16-valve four |
| Price at launch | 52,800–58,800 yuan for the sedan |
| Hatchback | Tongyue RS, from 54,800 yuan |
| 2014 facelift | sedan renamed Heyue A13, 1.3 DOHC of 73 kW |
| Electric version | Tongyue EV, later iEV4 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the JAC Heyue Tongyue.
History of the JAC Heyue Tongyue
The project began in 2005, when JAC Motors signed a contract with Pininfarina for a new family of compact cars. In 2008 the Italian studio’s proposals were shown at Auto China as the A107 two-box hatchback and the A108 three-box sedan, and the cars moved quickly into production. JAC developed a new front-wheel-drive chassis with a transverse engine and agreed with Mitsubishi Motors on the supply of the 1.3-litre 16-valve 4G13 four-cylinder engine.
The production cars arrived in 2008 as the JAC Tongyue sedan and the JAC Tongyue RS hatchback; RS was JAC’s badge for its hatchbacks. The sedan cost 52,800 to 58,800 yuan, and the standard Tongyue RS started at 54,800 yuan. The model was exported widely under the JAC badge, and in several markets it was known as the J3.
A later rearrangement of the range moved the car under the Heyue brand, and it became the Heyue Tongyue sedan and Heyue Tongyue RS hatchback. The facelift of 2014 changed the sedan’s name again, to Heyue A13. It brought a redesigned front with smoked lamps and a restyled rear with horizontal lamps reaching onto the boot lid, and it was powered by a 1.3-litre double-overhead-cam engine of 73 kW (98 hp) and 124 N⋅m.
Design and features
- Pininfarina body: the shape came from the Italian studio that JAC commissioned in 2005.
- Mitsubishi engine: the 1.3-litre 4G13 four was supplied under an agreement with Mitsubishi Motors.
- Two bodies: a four-door sedan and the RS hatchback, the latter also offered as the RS Cross.
- Electric offshoot: the same platform carried the Tongyue EV and later the iEV4.
JAC Heyue Tongyue versions
- Tongyue sedan (2008): the original four-door, from 52,800 yuan.
- Tongyue RS hatchback: the five-door version, from 54,800 yuan.
- Tongyue RS Cross: a crossover version with a 1.3-litre engine of 73 kW and 126 N⋅m.
- Heyue A13 (2014): the facelifted sedan with a new front and rear.
- Tongyue EV / iEV4: the electric version, with a 13 kW motor and a 19.2 kWh battery.
The Tongyue sat below the larger JAC Heyue sedan, and the smallest car in the range was the JAC Yueyue. More models are in the JAC collection.
Sources
- JAC Heyue Tongyue, English Wikipedia: development, engines, prices, versions
