Auto Review: 2024 EXEED RX Flagship is a luxe ride

This Chinese SUV is taking the fight to the Japanese and German automakers in the battle for supremacy in the mid-size segment

By George Kuruvilla

Published: Mon 2 Dec 2024, 6:10 PM

We have about 25 Chinese brands in the UAE auto market now, with a new name being added every week. Today, we would like to introduce you to EXEED, the luxury arm of Chery Automobile. Our first taste came in the form of the 2024 EXEED RX, a compact crossover SUV available in three trims: Comfort, Luxury, and Flagship. The example we drove was the Flagship, featuring an impeccably finished matte grey exterior.

Design and aesthetics

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The EXEED RX follows the “Aesthetics of Light” design philosophy, rendering a large, sleek and almost monolithic bodywork, reminiscent of the Lexus RX, which coincidentally bears the same name. Like the Lexus it has an intricately designed grille with a collection of floating diamond elements and side air intakes that are reminiscent of Cadillacs. While the LED headlamps look simplistic, they are congruous; and LED DRLs have that Knight-Rider-like sweeping light signature, which is particularly cool. At the rear, you see tail lamps that stretch across the width and closer to the road, a set of sporty quad exhaust tips. The 20-inch multi-spoke wheels are an elegant addition too. This isn’t just another Chinese vehicle, it’s a very attractive one, one that I wouldn’t mind paying to have parked in my driveway. And I’m certainly not alone. The RX also won the gold prize from the International Design Award (IDA) for its innovative and emotional design style.

And there is so much going on with the doors. The heft of the swing, the quality ‘thud’ it makes when closed, fancy retractable outer handles and its Tesla-like door release buttons inside, all support its luxury cause.

On the inside, the RX has a modern design, typical of most Chinese vehicles, but with a distinctive flavour. Highlights include a two-tone architecture with dark soft touch plastics up top and lighter surfaces below, a giant digital slate with twin 14.3-inch screens and graciously sloping centre console with 3 knurled rotary knobs. It even has fancy dash-top tweeters. The seats are upholstered in smooth nappa leather and plenty of leather accents everywhere else.

The rare two-spoke steering wheel makes its appearance here, which comes with intuitive controls and is comfortable to grip. However, the centre console is too wide for the knees of taller individuals, the steering wheel has limited adjustability, and the front seat cushioning is good, not great. But the 10-way electrically adjustable does help to get your posture right.

The “Queen’s Seat” is certainly the party piece of the interior. It offers airliner-like business class seating for the front passenger, by reclining the backrest to an incredible angle and propping the footrest upward, making it the perfect place for a power nap. The rear seats are comfortable too, with about four inches of knee room, plenty of headroom, and the manual privacy shades further elevate its luxury claim.

Powertrain and performance

The RX Flagship is powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol direct injection engine paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission. The 4-pot pushes out 261 horses and 400 Nm—both commendable numbers for that displacement, roughly matching the VW Teramont. The base variant is a front-wheel drive, while the other two feature AWD.

The steering feels slightly vague but worry not. Despite its 4,775 mm length and 1,920mm width, you don’t feel its size in the city. Additionally, thanks to the 2,800mm wheelbase, it also rides smoothly, coasting over undulations with confidence, while maintaining a relatively quiet cabin at all legal speeds. Both of which are the qualifiers of a luxury vehicle, and it scores high. It is also surprisingly frugal, delivering around 10km/l.

The power delivery is slightly wonky though. Either the power comes on too strong or it feels like it’s stuck in a waiting room, undecided. You don’t really notice it when you’re coasting, but you do when you’re in a rush. A recalibration of the transmission mapping could help alleviate this problem. The good news is that it delivers good power once it gets going.

Features and functionality

The two-zone climate control runs well, with ventilation for the front seats and vents in the B-pillar for the rear like in an S-Class. However, the seat cooling/heating function is buried in the infotainment system, which is annoying.

The navigation system doesn’t work too well, and the voice control does not have the finesse you’d anticipate. You’re better off hooking up your phone via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and using Google. It also has a USB-A and USB-C ports upfront to help keep you charged and connected, but strangely, only one of the two phone pads has a charging function. The 14-speaker Sony audio system plays out tunes musically and the 64-colour ambient lighting works in conjunction to match the selected sound rhythm. It has speakers in the driver’s headrest allowing the driver to take calls separately, without interrupting the music.

Where safety is concerned, the RX comes fully stacked. It does come with Heads-up Display, eight airbags and an ADAS system. Speaking of which, the driver attention alert system is rather judgy and hence, hilarious. It wasn’t reminding me to keep my hands on the steering wheel but that I’d been distracted for too long. It also comes with a 360-degree camera.

As for storage, it does have a big central cubby, with a hidden compartment and some shelf space under it. Open the tailgate, and you get a big square boot. And if you’re wondering where the scent is coming from, it’s the in-car fragrance system.

Verdict

We are in an era where Chinese automakers have transitioned from being fringe to mainstream players, capable of displacing incumbents like the Japanese and German brands, thanks to vehicles like the RX. This compact crossover SUV is as stylish as it gets, It’s also spacious, with plenty of creature comforts and safety features too. However, the turbo 2.0L has usable power but is held back by temperamental power delivery, and the voice controls aren’t very responsive.

While reliability and residual value are still question marks, the seven-year/200,000km warranty does help sway one in their favour.