When it comes to GM Buick’s new energy models, you may be a little unfamiliar with them. The Velite 5, which once appeared in the domestic market, was launched as a range-extended hybrid model. It was actually the Chevrolet Volt overseas, and it was also the Volt that was later imported into the country. However, due to various reasons such as cost-effectiveness and consumer awareness, Buick, which launched the EV1, the originator of new energy, as early as 1996, did not knock on the door of the domestic market early with the Velite?5.
However, after the warm-up of hybrids such as LaCrosse eAssist and Regal 30H, Buick’s Velite family has made a comeback, and has been specially given a simple and literary name "Weilan". At the just past Chengdu Auto Show, Weilan 6? PHEV and Weilan 7 pure electric SUV were officially launched, priced at 159,800-179,800 yuan and 179,800-199,800 yuan respectively.
The new face of light blue
As a model that is still relatively new to consumers, Weilan 7 has given us a unique three-dimensional geometric section and smooth body lines. It left a deep impression, neither obtrusive nor banal. Its most iconic feature is the through-type LED light strip that echoes from front to back, which is modern enough and has a very recognizable boomerang style.
Although Weilan 7 is positioned as a small SUV, its body size reaches 4264×1767×1618mm, the wheelbase is 2675mm, and the wheelbase-to-vehicle length ratio is close to 63%. Moreover, the rear floor is flat, making the interior space very spacious, and the riding experience in the car is no less than that of a compact SUV. The body of the Micro Blue 6? PHEV reaches 4648×1817×1491mm, the wheelbase is 2660mm, it also has a flat floor, and the headroom is larger than that of ordinary sedans.
In contrast, the design of the light blue 6? PHEV is closer to the familiar Buick family style. But its most eye-catching feature is its crossover-style body, which Buick calls MAV (Multi-activity vehicle), which means multi-functional sports car. It has the same driving experience as a traditional sedan, but provides more seating space and storage space. Compared with MPVs and station wagons, MAV's front overhang is more compact, and its completely different roof trend makes the body shape more attractive. More fluid and dynamic.
The bodies of both cars are made of elegant star blue, which is just right. The color has also formed one of the iconic elements of the Weilan family, and also highlights its new energy status.
Both Weilan 6? PHEV and Weilan 7 use a relatively simple interior design, equipped with an 8-inch full LCD instrument and a 10-inch central control screen. Weilan 7 also uses a streaming media rear view mirrors and a new push-button shift mechanism.
Based on GM's OnStar, the Buick eConnect intelligent interconnection technology installed in the car has Super ID personal account, Bluetooth key, cloud natural voice recognition and other functions, and supports Apple CarPlay and Baidu CarLife mobile phones. Mapping, iBuick? APP can also realize vehicle charging operations, remote control, smart home, AR smart car books and other car and life services.
Weilan 6? PHEV adds a card-style menu to the main interface, while Weilan 7 still uses an icon-based interface. Weilan 7 deeply integrates Baidu Artificial Intelligence Internet of Vehicles. In addition to Baidu Maps, Baidu Voice Interaction, and Xpress, we can also download commonly used applications such as Kuwo Music, Listening Partner, Himalaya FM, Feichangzhun, etc., and can Unified association and management through personal accounts.
We can also directly query violations, stocks, movie tickets, news information, etc. through the system. Of course, you will always have the backing of OnStar. When you buy a car, you will receive 100G of connected car application traffic every year.
An electric vehicle driven with one foot
Both the Weilan 7 and Weilan 6 PHEVs use the same BEV 2 platform as the Chevrolet Bolt, and use GM’s current eMotion Intelligent electric drive technology is also the most important application in the new energy field under the framework of the GM eMotion drive system.
On Weilan 7, GM equipped it with a high-efficiency permanent magnet synchronous motor integrated with a reduction unit, with a maximum power of 130kW and a peak torque of 360Nm. It uses LG Chem’s 55.6kWh ternary lithium battery, NEDC The battery life can reach 500km. At the same time, the system uses a dual-channel water cooling system. Through the cell-level intelligent temperature management system, the battery pack can be cooled/heated to maintain it at the optimal temperature. In addition, Buick also performed cell foam insulation, stamping ultrasonic welding, IP67 sealing and other treatments on the battery pack, and conducted more than ten extreme tests that exceeded standards.
In standard mode, Weilan 7 starts briskly, but is not too "impulsive". The acceleration and deceleration are very smooth, making it easier for you to get started without any abrupt feeling. But in sports mode, the entire throttle response is faster and the steering force is heavier, allowing you to fully experience the fun of electric vehicles. But these are all conventional. What Cheyunju likes most is its OPD single pedal mode.
As long as we press the button behind the shift area and the instrument panel gives a prompt, we can enter the single-pedal control acceleration and deceleration mode. Although we first saw this setting on the Leaf a few years ago, and many models now have this function, Weilan 7 can always brake the vehicle and stop the vehicle after you fully lift the pedal. With Autohold function, this is basically unique.
This setting completely solves the problem of switching the right foot back and forth between pedals, and whether it is the smoothness of deceleration or the braking force after fully lifting, there is no difference from ordinary driving. Che Yunju almost never touched the brake pedal in OPD mode. The accelerator pedal alone was enough to control the vehicle in the city, and the passengers in the car did not notice anything strange at all.
In addition, the position where the paddle is placed on the left side of the steering wheel is the button for ROD to enhance kinetic energy recovery with one click. Just push it back to turn on the strong recovery mode. At this time, the vehicle's deceleration degree and recovery intensity will be There will be additional increases, which is equivalent to a disguised economic model.
Therefore, you can experience "standard mode", "OPD single pedal mode", "ROD one-button enhanced kinetic energy recovery" and "OPD single-pedal mode + ROD one-button enhanced kinetic energy recovery" on Weilan 7 "Four energy recovery modes, the recovery intensity is sorted from weak to strong, Standard mode The most high-quality PHEV in its class Buick Micro Blue 6? PHEV The same Buick eMotion intelligent electric drive technology is used, but the core components have become E-CVT intelligent electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, high-performance dual-drive motors, ternary lithium-ion power batteries composed of LG cells, and specially designed for hybrid power. Developed 1.5L DVVT four-cylinder engine. The double-row planetary gear set is a universal patented design. The two motors can participate in driving at the same time or generate electricity independently. It has 2 continuously variable speed ratio ranges + 1 fixed speed ratio, so both the engine and motor are in high efficiency under high-speed conditions. district. This 1.5L DVVT four-cylinder engine is specially developed for plug-in hybrid systems. It uses a large number of lightweight and low-friction new technologies to achieve more efficient and smooth power output, so power itself is not its strong point. , but with the blessing of the motor (LG ternary lithium battery capacity 9.5kWh), the comprehensive power of the system can reach 135kW and the comprehensive torque 380Nm, which is basically the mainstream 2.0T level. But more importantly, Weilan 6? PHEV adopts the best PS power split technology (Power? Split) in the industry, which continuously connects the engine power source and the motor power source under all working conditions. Make energy combinations. In actual experience, if Cheyunju hadn't been staring at the power indicator on the instrument panel, he would have hardly noticed any engine intervention in the oil-electric switch and the gearbox's gear shifting, which was smooth and natural. Moreover, its 60km pure electric range can satisfy most urban commuting, and its comprehensive range can reach 780km. The system logic is also more inclined to use electricity, so Weilan 6? PHEV can be said to also have the advantages of light, quiet and economical electric vehicles. . But on the other hand, it doesn’t look like an electric car. The Weilan 6 PHEV uses an independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and a multi-link structure in the rear. The initial section of the suspension is very soft, and all kinds of small bumps on the road are basically invisible, which adds a lot to the comfort of urban commuting. point. However, it is not just soft. When you corner quickly or go through big undulations, the chassis is stable enough and will not give you too much shaking. This is Buick’s advantage as a traditional OEM. In contrast, new car manufacturers and self-owned brand electric vehicles often have some minor awkwardnesses in some details, but GM's years of technology accumulation have made them more mature in vehicle tuning. In addition, the materials and sound insulation level of the entire vehicle are of the highest quality, so the driving experience of Weilan 6? PHEV is more advanced and textured, and it is more in line with our current expected feelings for a car. In addition to being too fuel-efficient, it is difficult to drive. There is no difference between an ordinary fuel vehicle. In addition, Weilan 6? PHEV and Weilan 7 also have three different charging modes. In addition to the most basic plug and charge, you can also choose delayed charging and money-saving charging. We can Set geographical location memory, target power, and low electricity price periods, etc. Weilan 6? PHEV also has a specially set up power lock mode, which can manually maintain battery power. If there is congested traffic behind, the power can be used in time. Cheyun Summary While independent brands and new cars are vigorously developing pure electric models, joint venture car companies have not yet achieved success in pure electric models. As the representative of the joint venture camp, Weilan 7 relies on its advantages in technology and experience to attract consumers who pursue maturity, quality and cost-effectiveness in addition to the other two. Although the application of many new technologies makes the cost of Weilan 7 and the selling price of 179,800-199,800 not low, more importantly, it is worth the money. The main rival of Weilan 6? PHEV is naturally Toyota's hybrid twin cars. The price of 159,800-179,800 is much more cost-effective than the Corolla/Ralink Dual Engine E+ starting at 200,000, not to mention There is also more space, stronger power, and greater battery life. Facing the following independent brands such as BYD, Geely, and SAIC, the quality of the products and the advantages of the Buick brand are even more obvious. To be honest, Buick's Weilan family really left a good impression on Che Yunji this time. The goal of the 6+7 combination is very clear, which is to reflect the value of the joint venture brand's new energy models. And we also see the advantages of combining new energy and traditional car companies in them, and believe that they have enough potential and room for growth in the market. This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.