Exeed VX 400T road test: Chinese SUV is cheap and cheerful

The VX is is sedate yet stylish, and a steal at Dh130k

The stylish Exeed VX is powered by a modest 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo motor. All photos: Gautam Sharma

The VX comes loaded with 19-inch alloys, LED headlights and driving recorder camera

The plush cabin wouldn’t look out of place in a premium German offering

The second-row seats are comfortable, but the third-row is best for children

When all seven seats are in place, boot capacity is just enough for one suitcase

Another week, another new Chinese SUV – or so it seems. The onslaught of new brands and models from the world’s second-most populous nation is frankly bewildering. Yet another recent addition to the UAE market is premium SUV marque Exeed – a subsidiary of Chinese car-making giant Chery Automobile.

Exeed’s local line-up comprises a quartet of high-riding wagons, the full-size VX, rakish RX, medium TXL and smaller LX, enabling the brand to target a wide cross-section of SUV shoppers in the UAE.

The National tested the hulking VX, which kicks off at a competitive Dh129,999, meaning you get a lot of metal and kit for your money. Even the bells-and-whistles-laden Black Gold range-topper is priced at a keen Dh149,999.

Measuring a tad under 5 metres long, the VX is offered solely in all-wheel-drive, seven-seat format in the UAE, so it could conceivably be considered an alternative to the likes of the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride and Mazda CX-9.

The conventionally styled Exeed VX is unlikely to alienate any potential buyers with its mainstream looks, and the same goes for the rest of the package. It’s a pleasant, if unexciting, wagon to drive.

Despite being a large chariot, propulsion for the VX comes from a seemingly undersized 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo motor. Outputs of 261hp and 400Nm are decent numbers on paper, but the F4J20 unit makes heavy weather of shifting the 1.9-tonne SUV. The engine has little in the way of lowdown grunt, so you need to get the revs past at 2,500rpm to get the VX moving briskly (or as close to brisk as it gets).

The seven-speed dual-clutch auto is also calibrated for lazy upshifts at relatively low revs, so you may opt to overcome this by using the manual shift paddles if your aim is to extract more spirited performance.

On the plus side, the Exeed VX lopes along in comfort and refinement for the most part, and the plush cockpit wouldn’t look out of place in a premium German offering. The 12.3-inch digitised instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment screen are both housed within a Mercedes-esque rectangular panel, and Exeed’s designers have made good use of faux wood and metal trim. The quilted leather seats also look good and are comfortable to perch in.

The second-row seats are comfortable, but the third-row is best for children. Photo: Gautam Sharma

The VX is an SUV that’s happiest when you’re trundling along in sedate fashion. Somewhat woolly steering and roly-poly handling are deterrents to hustling the big wagon across winding country roads, so it’s far better to cruise serenely and bask in the Exeed’s opulent and well-appointed living quarters.

The Exeed VX isn’t conceived as an off-roader and it doesn’t make too many pretences about this fact as there aren’t any gimmicky knobs with different terrain modes or any manual controls for the AWD system.

There is also the fact the range-topping model rides on 20-inch rims with road-biased 245/45R20 Continental tyres, so this vehicle is pitched squarely at urban warriors who won’t be doing anything more arduous than the school run, shopping expeditions and the daily schlep to office and back.

The second-row seats are comfy and adequately spacious, but the third-row pews are only fit for the junior brigade as they’re cramped and not easy to access. Luggage capacity is also not great for a vehicle that’s 4,970mm long and 1,940mm wide as you get a modest 461 litres to play with by folding down the third-row seats. Exeed doesn’t even quote a luggage capacity figure with all seven seats in place – it’s basically just enough for one suitcase.

The VX comes loaded with more standard kit than any of its rivals as even the base model is equipped with 19-inch alloys, LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, three-zone AC, leather upholstery, six-way power-adjustable seats, 12.3-inch digitised instrument cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment screen, head-up display, driving recorder camera, passive entry and start, eight-speaker Sony sound system, wireless phone charging and multifunction steering wheel.

All in all, the VX isn’t scintillating to drive, and nor does it set any class benchmarks for dynamics or refinement. That said, it’s acceptably good in these departments, and it compensates for any dynamic shortcomings via its superbly appointed cabin and overall fit and finish. It may not be the most accomplished seven-seat SUV out there, but you certainly do get plenty of metal and mod-cons for your money.