E-car's original exploration is the driving force for the development of human civilization and an indispensable part of people's lives, and every achievement of life is the result of courageous exploration. Because of this, we who live in the cement forest built of rules are often full of yearning for the natural world without rules. As one of the greatest inventions of mankind, the automobile has become one of the important tools we have been exploring for nearly a hundred years, and in the era when there was no SUV concept, this type of model was simply called - off-road vehicle. Today we will test drive a model that can be called an off-road vehicle, which is the SAIC Maxus D90 Pro.
Before starting the test drive evaluation, let's briefly introduce this D90 Pro, the test drive is the 2021 2.0T diesel with a guide price of 276,800 yuan, and the 4WD 7-seat Alxa edition. It is worth mentioning that SAIC Maxus also has a set of platforms called "spider customization" to provide fully customized services, on the platform from small to the net style, interior color matching, to the engine displacement, drive form, there are nearly 100 optional configurations, truly realizing the concept of complete customization. Such services meet the personalized needs of consumers, but also provide a different car buying experience.
The appearance of the new car continues the tough style of the D90 Pro, and the maple orange paint and blackening kit make the new car look cool and sassy, very personal, in line with the current youthful design trend. The family-designed polygon grille uses a banner shape, of course, if you feel that it is not sporty enough, you can also choose the web shape on the "spider customization". The black hood, sandshiel block and wading hose are derived from the professional off-road kit and are one of the iconic designs of the Alxa edition.
The full LED headlights feature a dual-lens layout with automatic headlights and delayed shutdown. A red "eyeliner" in the lamp cavity is used as an embellishment, which enhances a lot of delicacy.
On the side of the body, the overall silhouette of the square is very much in line with the style of the hardcore off-road vehicle, and the rough black wheel eyebrows add a touch of wildness to this tough guy. The over 5-meter long, nearly 2-meter wide and nearly 3-meter wheelbase make it stand out from its competitors. "Hardcore parameters" such as proximity angle 28°, departure angle 25°, minimum ground clearance of 210mm, and maximum wading depth of 800mm have laid a good foundation for the car's off-road capabilities.
The Alxa edition features an 18-inch black multi-spoke rim, and the tires are fully off-road oriented, using Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus all-terrain off-road tires. The tire's deep tire groove maximizes vehicle traction in muddy and snowy road conditions, and the tire groove also contains a patented technology called the "Stone Injector" that prevents rock and other debris from accumulating on the tread and limits the vehicle's traction.
If you are a person who prefers road performance or likes large rims, then the original factory also provides three types of road tires, different shapes of rim options, sizes of 18 inches, 19 inches and 21 inches, optional prices are 0 yuan, 3000 yuan and 6000 yuan, respectively.
The rear part of the car adopts a fortress-style positive trapezoidal design, which provides more space for passengers in the third row, and also makes the D90 Pro look taller than its competitors. The bright red-embellished rear spoiler trim and the four-out exhaust shape all play a good role in setting off the sporty atmosphere.
Entering the car, the layered center console does not have too many wonderful points in the shape, but its material is extremely eye-catching, and the red stitching, Alcantara material and imitation carbon fiber trim that help to enhance the sense of movement fill the entire cabin, which is not a small attraction for young consumers.
In addition to the materials, there is also a point worth affirming, that is, the function buttons in the car all use the physical buttons, rather than blindly pursuing the trendy use of touch buttons. Because in the bumpy off-road process, the physical button can ensure the accuracy of the operation to the greatest extent.
Also for off-road reasons, the centre control platform also features handles and is covered with leather and soft padding. Not only can it play a role in fixing the sitting posture when off-road, but it can also be used as a cushion for the knee area.
The steering wheel is decorated with leather wrapping and red stitching, the larger disc diameter meets the needs of hardcore off-road vehicles, and the steering wheel is equipped with gear change breaks in addition to the multi-function buttons, as well as the rare steering wheel heating function of the same level. The instrument panel adopts a combination display of mechanical hands + 8-inch LCD screen, and all driving-related information will be displayed on this LCD screen for easy reading by the driver.
The car engine system is the biggest change of the D90 Pro this time, the 12.3-inch central control touch screen is equipped with the Spider Zhilian 2.0 system. The new system is jointly developed by SAIC Maxus and Tencent in-depth cooperation, the operation logic and functions are like a smart phone, want to listen to music, or want to open Bilibili and other APPS, directly on the big screen operation, after the car basically no longer need to use the mobile phone, greatly simplifying the operation process. At the same time, the system also designed two off-road related applications specifically for the D90 Pro, they are "off-road ecosphere" and "off-road expert".
In addition, the D90 Pro is equipped with the JBL immersive stereo system, which has 12 speakers + independent amplifier, and with ANC active noise reduction technology, it further improves the NVH performance of the vehicle. In terms of driver assistance, the ADAS Intelligent Driver Assistance System, which includes functions such as ACC adaptive cruise, LDW lane departure warning, LKA lane keeping, AEB emergency braking, and FCW collision warning, is also equipped.
The black and red colored seats are wrapped in leather and Alcantara materials, the main passenger car is electrically adjusted, and has heating and massage functions, and the main driver has more memory seats and ventilation functions. The test drive is a 7-seat (2+3+2) layout, with three additional seating layouts to choose from, namely 5 seats (2+3), 6 seats (2+2+2) and 7 seats (2+2+3).
In terms of spatial performance, the experiencer who is 175cm tall adjusts the front seat to the lowest, and the head space is one punch + four fingers. In the case of the seat unchanged, the rear head space is one punch + three fingers, and the leg space is more than two punches. In the case of the second row remaining unchanged, the head space of the third row is a punch, the leg space is three fingers, and the longitudinal space is relatively generous, and the overall space performance is not bad.
The 7-seat (2+3+2) and 5-seater layout of the model trunk can be completely flat, when the rear two rows of seats are completely reclined, the maximum depth of the D90 Pro can reach 2100mm, width 1200mm, height 800mm, this size is completely competent for daily use, and even can lie down two adult men.
In terms of power, the car is equipped with a 2.0T twin-turbo diesel engine of saic π series Bi-Turbo, with a maximum power of 160 kW and a maximum torque of 500 N·m, which is still matched by CzerV's 8-speed manual transmission.
As a hardcore off-road vehicle, the four-wheel drive system must talk about it. The D90 Pro is equipped with a timely four-wheel drive system from BorgWarner, and the new generation of N356 reinforced transfer case has a maximum torque capacity increased by 20%, so that the 500N·m can be fully applied to the wheels, and the standard pre-lockable tooth-embedded rear differential lock and electronic slip limiting system further enhance the ability to get out of trouble in extreme road conditions. The all-terrain intelligent four-wheel drive system has 7 driving modes to choose from, including automatic, fuel-saving, sports, snow, mud, sand and rock.
The new car also adds a visual transparent chassis function. The principle is to upload and record the road conditions through the camera in the front of the vehicle, as well as the cameras on both sides of the vehicle, combined with the speed of the vehicle, through the special algorithm to achieve accurate imaging display to the central control screen, can make the body "invisible", to provide the driver with a 540 ° ultra-wide angle surround view system, that is, the bottom of the vehicle (180 °) and the road condition information around the vehicle (360 °), for the driver to open the "God perspective", for the daily parking in the city and off-road route selection and judgment has a great role.
In terms of chassis, the D90 Pro adopts the non-load-bearing body structure used by hard-core off-road vehicles. The suspension is a front double wishbone independent suspension, a rear five-link integral bridge non-independent suspension, and it is also one of the most commonly used suspension forms for hard-riding off-road vehicles.
Test drive experience Let's first take a look at how the D90 Pro's road performance is, the most obvious feeling after starting the vehicle is that the movement of this π series diesel engine is much smaller than many diesel engines, and it is almost difficult to realize that this is a diesel car. In terms of jitter, no matter what kind of operating conditions, its performance is no different from that of gasoline engines.
Thanks to the diesel's powerful torque performance, the D90 Pro doesn't feel bulky to drive, doesn't look like a hardcore off-road vehicle on paved roads, and road comfort isn't weighed down by the huge bodywork and non-load-bearing structure.
The ZF 8AT transmission has a clear transposition logic and can select the correct gear in the city's congested roads, without frequent ups and downshifts. When driving at high speeds, it is happy to upshift, often controlling the speed below 2000 rpm, which has contributed to fuel economy and cabin quietness. At the same time, thanks to the engine's fairly wide torque platform, the vehicle has a good dynamic response even in the low and medium speed ranges.
The D90 Pro brake pedal has less braking force at the beginning and a longer braking stroke than the average car, requiring time to adapt. The reason is that the setting is made for the needs of off-road, because such a setting can control the braking force more precisely when driving at low speed off-road, and the braking force in the rear section of the brake is very direct, even emergency braking can give the driver enough confidence.
In terms of steering, the D90 Pro's steering damping is calibrated lighter than many compact cars, but there is a certain margin in its steering direction. Although this calibration feels general for road driving, this blurred steering reduces the degree of competition between the steering wheel and the driver when off-road, and also reduces the probability of "thugs".
Compared with the road performance, I am more looking forward to the off-road performance of the D90 Pro in this test drive. So we quickly drove to a natural off-road area around Shanghai. After entering the site, due to the soft soil of the site, the driving mode was adjusted to mud mode for the sake of safety. The road surface is also more complicated, mud, gravel, shell craters and humps make the adhesion of the wheels in constant change, but fortunately, the D90 Pro's excellent limited slip ability and the 2.0T engine's good power performance, the whole process is still relatively easy.
After an initial bit of caution, I decided to turn the driving mode back to automatically feel how well it fits. The vehicle's judgment of the road conditions is still very accurate, and there is no difference from the driving experience of the swamp mode, which shows that the system is very intelligent.
After a small test, we decided to try a dirt slope with a large angle of slope, which was a great test of the vehicle's pass performance, four-wheel drive system and power reserve. Make a slight pause in front of the slope, lock the rear axle, and then control the throttle to start going uphill, surprisingly, the whole uphill process is extremely easy, basically stepping on the accelerator, the vehicle itself slowly ran to the top of the slope. It seems that the excellent low torque output of diesel engines is of great help for off-road.
The so-called up the mountain is easy to go down the mountain is difficult, since the success of climbing to the top of the slope, it must go down. When going downhill, I chose to use the steep slope slow down function, so that the vehicle shared the task of controlling the speed for me, so that I could control the direction more intently. It turns out that the system's control of the speed of the car during the downhill process is more precise than the artificial control, and it is not abrupt, which is the feeling that the speed can be handed over to it with full responsibility.
After going up and down this slope a few times, we were more confident and went to find a more difficult place to challenge. Since it had just rained the other day, there were several quagmire puddles in the site. This kind of road condition is actually the most important thing is the tire of the vehicle, the ordinary road tire, no matter how much horsepower or how powerful the four-wheel drive system, as long as the four wheels are in, it will definitely be "sucked" by the mud under the water.
As mentioned earlier, this set of Pirelli AT wheels has a strong grip in the mud, so let's test the strength of this set of tires. At the moment when the vehicle entered the quagmire, it immediately felt that the vehicle was sinking into the depths of the quagmire, but after increasing the throttle, the vehicle was easily relieved with the splashing mud, which showed that this set of tires played a role in adding wings to the D90 Pro.
After an afternoon of off-road play, the D90 Pro did not have any problems with trapped cars or overheating of the 4WD system, and the overall performance was satisfactory. In the end we decided to climb to the highest ground in the field before the sun set, but this "uphill" road is not easy to walk, the whole process is steep slopes and shell craters, and almost the suspension stroke of the D90 Pro is stretched to the extreme when passing through each pit. However, in the end, the D90 Pro successfully reached the top with its own excellent conditions, and enjoyed the sunset of Danxia in the irregular place of this regular city.
Editor's comments: The value of the experience from the D90 Pro during this time, the personalized "spider customization", the professional off-road kit, the rich configuration, the spacious interior space, the powerful four-wheel drive system and the proven off-road capability, these are the highlights and even the essence of the car. Looking around, there is probably no second product in the same price that can do such a comprehensive job, except for the D90 Pro.