Since the release of Volkswagen's "golden power" 1.4TSI engine, overseas car companies have played with small displacement turbo engines. Independent brands choose larger displacement engines to fill the power gap, but the displacement is large, fuel consumption has become a disadvantage, and it is not a thing to have been so "misplaced competition".
In the past two years, the head of independent car companies such as Geely, Changan and Trumpchi have successively developed small displacement engines in the first line of the power level industry, and the "Mach Power" family of Dongfeng Group ranks one of them.
The Mach power family currently has two engines, a conventional power, a hybrid power, both 1.5L turbocharged engines, of which the conventional fuel version of the nose with 190 horsepower, to meet the national 6B emissions at the same time for 92 coarse grain can work well several major characteristics, become the domestic small turbine front row player.
Dongfeng Fengshen, the eldest son of dongfeng group, was given the priority of installing "Mach Power". The Yixuan MAX, which went on sale on September 1, became the first compact sedan under the Fengshen umbrella to carry new power, and the first SUV model to be tasted was the new Mach version of the AX7 that we experienced this time.
Note: This experience vehicle is still in the trial state, and the feeling cannot be completely equivalent to the actual commercial vehicle.
Greater power carries more demand
Dongfeng Fengshen AX7 (picture | configuration | inquiry) was officially launched at the end of 2014, and the top power was selected from the PSA's 2.3L naturally aspirated engine and 1.6T turbocharged engine. These two engines are only enough for a compact SUV to travel daily, don't have more thoughts, and blind a pretty good chassis. The new Mach 1.5T engine with a maximum horsepower of 190Ps/300 N·m of torque at full throttle opening of the new Mach 7th edition matches the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission of GETRAG and makes up for the shortcomings of the old AX7.
Although the power far exceeds the old model, the new Mach 7 version inherits the gentleness of the old AX7 in Normal mode. The positively upshift transmission logic keeps the engine speed at a lower speed in exchange for better fuel consumption. The new engine has a low torque and abundant, even if the gearbox is very reluctant to downshift in conventional mode, it can ensure sufficient power output in the city traffic.
The front suspension of the new Mach 7 version is slightly stiffer, so that front passengers can experience more road feedback, and the steering wheel is slightly larger, while the feel and openness adjustment are more day-use, which is a relaxed and pleasant driving style. The rear suspension is relatively softer and longer, the size bumps are softly resolved, and even the long-term rear passengers are more comfortable.
There are surprises for paved roads to drive at high speeds. The new car should be optimized with the sound insulation material of the front cabin and chassis, the engine and road noise are well suppressed at higher speeds, and more is transmitted to the compartment is the inevitable A-pillar wind noise brought about by the body shape of the SUV.
The empowerment of Mach Power makes the new AX7 Sport Mode a true "sport mode". In this mode, the gearbox will try its best to ensure that the engine speed is above 2000 rpm - this is the starting point of the maximum torque platform of this 1.5T engine, the maximum horsepower burst point of more than 5000 rpm under the condition of large opening throttle will not perform the upshift action, and the more sensitive throttle response makes the usually solemn car become very agile. The passion that cannot be found on the old model car, the Mach version is given.
If you are more demanding, the new Mach 7 Sport mode can make the transmission shift more impactful and the steering wheel point more accurately, which is even better.
Youth and technology are the theme of internal and external upgrading
The appearance of the new Mach 7 edition continues the overall design of the PRO edition, and it is more optimized for details to enhance the sporty feeling of the new car. The grille dimensions are larger, the new headlamps design is more connected to the grille details, and the red detail trim is retained. The optimized front face is more holistic and the style is more in line with the needs of current consumers. The rim shape has also been updated to better align with the radical new design language.
Less tail adjustment. The concealed D-pillar, through-line taillights and bilateral dual exhaust trim are all inherited from the AX7 PRO, and the more aggressive detail adjustments make the rear look more comfortable and more in line with the aggressive front face of the new Mach 7 version.
There is no change in the interior layout, and a more refreshing blue and white color scheme has been added to the seats. The active and passive safety configuration of the new model, the comfortable configuration of the whole car do not fall behind the benchmarking competitors, especially the main driver's seat, heating, ventilation, massage functions are readily available, and the C position in the car is clear at a glance. The dual 12.3-inch screen has become the visual center of gravity of the front dashboard, which sets off the interior's sense of technology more.
The visual effects of the central control car interface updated to the WindLink 6.0 system are much more modern, and the 5G cellular network is provided in the car, which is more convenient for daily use. In actual use, the interface logic and operational response level of the entire car machine need to be considered more, and the stuttering and delay will occasionally occur, and the field engineer said that in fact, the overall car machine will be optimized in the market.
Can a young heart regain its former time?
Dongfeng Fengshen AX7 also had a monthly sales of 10,000 units, but the volume of sound fell rapidly in the past two years. The reason is that in addition to the unusable power system, the too simple performance of the whole vehicle has also led to the wine aroma not out of the alley - the old owners have a good reputation, and the new car buyers rarely use it as an alternative list.
The blessing of Mach power once made up for the two major disadvantages of the old powertrain of Dongfeng Fengshen AX7 and the difficulty of finding dazzling highlights of the whole vehicle, and the overall product strength was between the first and second echelons of the independent brand compact SUV camp. Whether the new Mach 7 version of AX7 can help the Dongfeng veteran return to the mainstream vision, the actual price of the market at the end of September is a top priority.