As SAIC Volkswagen wants to develop a new MPV, all kinds of news are discussing this MPV, and after the release of this real MPV, this car has triggered another wave of discussion. For better or worse, everyone wants to see this SAIC Volkswagen MPV directly facing Buick GL8, hoping that the two cars can make a round trip. But when I test drive, I was a little silly. I thought, "Huh?" That's it? " .
Don't doubt, as an MPV, Wei Ran is not bad, and even performs better than GL8 in some places. However, as a commercial MPV, some of its performances are not good enough, especially the platform is too high and the utilization rate of longitudinal space in the car is insufficient, which makes passengers not elegant enough and comfortable enough. After Volkswagen officially announced the price in Wei Ran, I found that I was wrong. This car doesn't want to be trapped in the extremely stable commercial MPV market with little room for growth. Its target is the undeveloped high-end home MPV market. If we consider it from this aspect, many designs in Wei Ran seem to be logical.
Huge and powerful, but not bloated.
When I first came into contact with Wei Ran, my first reaction was "big", with the length, width and height of 5366mm, 1976mm and 178 1mm respectively. What is this concept? Mercedes-Benz's full-size SUV——GLS low-profile model has only 52 14mm and 65438+ in length, width and height. If Wei Ran and the previous Odyssey are put together, then the previous Odyssey is as big as his younger brother.
Correspondingly, in the detailed design of the car body, there are many places that echo this big car body, such as the front of the car. The large-area air intake grille occupies most of the front of the car, and there are four horizontal chrome trim strips inside, which is stronger than other SAIC Volkswagen models.
However, the huge body doesn't feel bloated, because the overall body contour of Wei Ran is different from that of commercial MPV which emphasizes space. On it, you can find long front, inclined A-pillar, small slip back and other designs, so Wei Ran's body lines are very comfortable both at the side and at the rear.
However, at this time, a problem will also be found, that is, the ground clearance. Although it has not been measured, the ground clearance in Wei Ran is also very high, unlike MPV models, which is really incomprehensible.
Nothing new, but it's very useful.
I don't know if you feel deja vu when you see this center console. If there is, that's right, because this center console is very similar to that of Touran. Although it lacks some new ideas, it is actually quite easy to use, such as the central control panel, air conditioning control, shift lever and surrounding storage compartments, all within reach, and there is no problem with practicality.
The steering wheel is interesting. If you are familiar with Volkswagen ID series, you will find that Wei Ran's steering wheel is actually the one on ID.3, and the chrome trim strips winding down from the multi-dynamic buttons on both sides are more exquisite and more beautiful than the previous steering wheel. But other attributes have not changed, such as grip.
As for the configuration in the car, Volkswagen is quite willing to give it. Nowadays, the configuration of this top model has been very rich. L2 driver's assistance, 12 front driver and auxiliary driver with electric adjustment, ambient lighting, wireless charging of mobile phone, 12 speaker Tanner sound, etc. are all equipped. In addition to these, there are many air outlets, three-zone air conditioning, plastic brackets in the back seat and massage. You can basically think of all the configurations. As far as the configuration level is concerned, 600,000 and 700,000 models do not necessarily have these configurations. This is really exaggerated.
However, the configuration is not without slots, and the most obvious one is seat ventilation. There is no doubt that there is an awesome seat in the back row, but not in the front row. At first, I suspected that I couldn't find a place to open it. When I got back, I checked the configuration table. On the day of shooting, it was rainy and sunny, and the outside of the car was like a steamer, so when I entered the front row and tried to open the seat for ventilation, I felt very lost and helpless. This configuration is really a summer artifact. As a southerner, I sincerely hope that Volkswagen can supplement it when changing models.
Small compartment space and good storage space.
At the beginning of the article, I wrote that Wei Ran's goal is the family market, not the commercial market, and one of the reasons is space. One of the major attributes of business MPV is to ensure that the third row can easily sit with colleagues when the boss in the second row is comfortable, which Wei Ran failed to do. Wei Ran has a large body size, but the most used space inside is somewhat unsatisfactory. There are two main reasons for this problem. First of all, the space allocation is not appropriate. In the video of Chen Han's test drive (portal), it is also mentioned that the lack of space in the second row leads to imperfect leg rest and the small space in the third row, which is mainly caused by the lack of longitudinal space in the passenger compartment. If you open the trunk of Wei Ran, you will find that the depth of the trunk is much larger than the MPV of the same class, and this design will definitely occupy the space in the front passenger compartment, which is not suitable for space allocation.
The second is to spend money on design, thus losing the space in the car. Obviously, it is the lateral space of the third row of seats. As can be seen from the trunk, in order to put down the 20-inch wheel hub and the corresponding big tires, a lot of space is cut out on both sides of the third row for the wheel arch, so the third row of seats is not only short of longitudinal space, but also short of lateral space.
In addition, due to the high platform, the opening height of the sliding door after opening is not enough. Compared with competitors, the performance of "letting the boss get on the bus gracefully and decently" is also unsatisfactory.
But on the other hand, this kind of spatial expression is actually more suitable for home use. The second line moves forward to make room for the third line. If there are children, the requirement for vertical space is even smaller, and then the luggage of the whole family can be put down in the trunk. In addition, Wei Ran has set up corresponding storage compartments in the back row of the first row, the center of the second row of seats and the armrests of the third row of seats, which is quite convenient to use, and good storage space can be obtained at all positions under full load.
It doesn't drive like MPV.
The second reason why Wei Ran is different from business MPV is driving. Unlike MPV, which we usually imagine, Wei Ran performs very well in the attribute of "good driving".
First, motivation. Wei Ran provides two kinds of power, both 2.0T engines, but with high and low power adjustment. Today's test drive model is a high-power model with the tail label of 380TSI. The maximum power of the engine is 162kW, and the maximum torque is 350n·m, which matches the 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
This powertrain has been used in many models of SAIC Volkswagen, which is definitely too powerful for daily driving, and it also exists in Wei Ran. At first, the official 100-kilometer acceleration score was 9.3 seconds, which is actually in line with MPV positioning. At first, the power will be slightly limited, and then the speed will come up slowly. The whole is very stable, and there is even some feeling of rickety. This is what I expected after seeing the accelerated results.
But in fact, I don't think so. The probability of 9.3 seconds is very slow, because it is more refreshing than other models with similar acceleration ability. With the cooperation of the engine and gearbox, it is also completed in a short time from stepping on the accelerator to transmitting power to the tire. The start is faster than the same level MPV, and the related power reserve also gives the driver enough confidence. The speed from 60 to 80 to 1 10 is very confident. I don't believe this performance if it only accelerates for 9.3 seconds. Borrow another car for performance test in the future to see how much it actually accelerates.
In addition, this 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox is smart enough, although it has the characteristics of smooth shifting, weak presence and low engine speed, which conforms to the tonality of MPV. But when power is needed, it can also quickly adjust the gear, improve the speed and improve the power output. This is the traditional art of Volkswagen dual-clutch gearbox, so driving this car is not the adjustment of the vehicle itself, but you can freely choose the style.
In addition to this power system, "easy to open" is also the suspension support. The strength of suspension support is higher than expected. Whether changing lanes or cornering, there is an obvious feeling that the posture of the whole vehicle is very stable and there will be no unnecessary shaking of the body. In addition, when facing some potholes, the suspension can easily absorb vibration. The steering wheel feels soft and easy in the general direction, and the front of the car responds quickly to the steering wheel. Like other Volkswagen models, these settings are a bit provocative, which will reduce the driver's sensitivity to speed and will constantly tempt the driver to drive faster and faster.
And this time, Wei Ran and the killer, that is sound insulation. Even when driving at high speed, the noise transmitted to the car is less than expected, and the wind noise, road noise and tire noise are kept at a very low position. This performance can be said to be one of the best in the same level and price, and the sense of isolation in the car can be said to be the first-class level.
Therefore, in terms of "good driving", Wei Ran has high standards, but such adjustment is not necessarily a good thing for an MPV. The biggest reason is that the front row feeling and the rear row feeling are separated and not unified. Sufficient power heel suspension support means that the buffer space of the rear passengers is much less, and every operation of the driver will be clearly transmitted to the body, and the body will also be clearly transmitted to the rear passengers. In addition to the height of the platform, the height of the rear seat itself is higher than that of the front row, so when driving a little harder, the rear passengers will shake more than the front row.
In other words, if the front row drives according to their own feelings, the back row is likely to be uncomfortable, and if the back row wants to sit comfortably, the driver must have considerable restraint when driving this car. Compared with competitors, under the same conditions, Wei Ran has higher requirements for the flexibility of drivers' operation.
First Volkswagen, then MPV.
Judging from its various performances, Wei Ran has no intention of becoming the second GL8. It has a strong smell of German cars, beautiful appearance, enough space and luxury. It is the pursuit of Volkswagen or German cars. If you want to find a template for Wei Ran, you can think of Wei Ran as an evolutionary version of mercedes benz r, with sliding doors, more space and higher practicability.
However, in the domestic market, I think there is great potential. On the one hand, it doesn't emphasize tool attributes as much as Touran or Maitewei did before. In addition to the space of MPV itself, consumers who pay for it can get more satisfaction in design, interior materials and driving experience. On the other hand, the appeal of popular brands is still online, and the starting price is only 286,800, which is within the acceptable range of many people. From these aspects, Wei Ran does have it.
SAIC Volkswagen Wei Ran's first impression
Outstanding advantages: comfortable design, advanced interior materials, unlike MPV；;
Main Disadvantages: There is not enough seating space, and two seats will be sacrificed to enjoy the second row of tripods.
This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.