File:FAW Xiali N3 in China.jpg

English: Place: Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Chinese name: 一汽夏利N3 (yīqì xiàlì N3) Year of launch: 2004 (1988)

First Auto Works (FAW) is one of the four largest state-owned automotive companies in China. It was founded in 1953 and launched its first car, the Hongqi (Red Flag). One of its subsidiaries, Tianjin FAW, started producing cars in 1965. From November 1984 it started producing Daihatsu cars in license, starting with the Hijet, but followed by the Charade in 1986. This car, the Xiali (夏利), Chinese for Charade, would become one of the most successful cars in China in the nineties and can be considered an icon for the Chinese automotive industry.

It was soon followed by the localized version of the Daihatsu Charade G100 in 1988, which is known as the Tianjin FAW Xiali TJ7100-TJ7131 hatchback and TJ7100U-TJ7131U sedan. It received many facelifts. The facelift launched in 2001 was known as the Xiali Junya hatchback and Shenya sedan and had the TJ 7101A-TJ 7141A and TJ 7101AU-TJ 7141AU code names. It continued to be produced until 2011. Another variation on the Charade G100, the Xiali N3, was launched in 2004. It is an even more extensive facelift of the original. The N3 is currently still for sale as an extremely cheap sedan, with prices starting at 28,800 RMB.