The UNI-T family has added a new model with a 2.0T engine and an 8AT transmission, which is not only more powerful, but also has a new tuning of the chassis, so the track is the best place to test it.
Two months ago, also at the Xiamen International Circuit, I test-drove the 2022 UNI-T, but it was only a 1.5T model at the time, but the newly added sporty model not only has a more sporty appearance, but also improved the handling, and a compact SUV can also have a very driving pleasure on the track, which impressed me.
But last time also left a small regret, that is, every time when I stepped on the accelerator at the time of the corner and after entering the big straight, I always felt that if the car's power performance was better, it would be better, and it didn't take long for the UNI-T with the 2.0T engine to come, and the gearbox was upgraded to Aisin's 8AT. It's still this track, and you can run full lap on the track, it's a great opportunity to experience it.
2022款UNI-T 2.0T
Body: Compact SUV, length 4515mm, width 1870mm, height 1545mm, wheelbase 2710mm, fuel tank volume 55L, luggage compartment volume --L, curb weight 1570kg
Engine: in-line four-cylinder, displacement 2.0L, turbocharged direct injection, maximum power 171kW (233PS) / 5500rpm, peak torque 390N·m/1900-3300rpm, fuel label 92, emission standard national VI
Drivetrain: 8AT transmission, front-mounted front drive
Chassis: Front McPherson rear multi-link, electronic power steering, front ventilated disc rear disc brakes, tire size 245/45 R20
Driving performance: 0-100km/h acceleration--s, NEDC comprehensive fuel consumption 6.7L/100km, maximum speed of 215km/h
Guidance price: 13.79-14.99 million yuan
In fact, this UNI-T can not only replace the engine and 8AT gearbox with better power performance, its body size is somewhat different from the 1.5T version, and it also provides a sport version. The body length is 65 mm shorter than the 1.5T version, the width of the car is reduced by 35 mm, and the height is also reduced by 20 mm, so the 2.0T version of the body is more compact, the center of gravity is lower, and it is more conducive to better handling stability. The 20-inch oversized wheels take up almost half of the body height, making the whole look more sporty and aggressive.
Of course, these are not the points, the focus is on how the 2.0T engine and 8AT transmission perform, especially in the case of extreme driving on the track, whether the level of adjustment of the chassis can make the power performance work for the best results.
In the test drive session of the whole day, the morning track driving session is an appetizer, a team of 5 cars, led by a professional driver coach, it can be seen that the coach has only played 5 successful forces, the main purpose is to familiarize everyone with the track and the best driving route in each corner. Overtaking is not allowed during driving, so even if your driving level is high, if you encounter the driver in front of you driving slowly, you must close the accelerator and obediently follow him.
Even so, this car will still give me some new feelings, especially in the sport mode, the throttle response is faster, the push back feeling when accelerating is stronger, and the gearbox shift gap is smaller during the "slow and leisurely" driving process, and the gear connection is very smooth. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I also drove in Comfort Mode for a while, simulating the driving style of everyday city roads, gentle steering feedback and comfortable suspension support performance made me firmly believe that this is a very comfortable car to drive, as does the Sport version.
After lunch, the real big play is staged, everyone can run three laps on the track, of which the second lap is the time lap, the first and third laps are the appearance lap and the return lap, that is, the chance to really play the level is only one lap, which is higher than the requirements for F1 drivers to run qualifying. And in these three laps, there was no coach to lead the team, only me on the track, although the co-pilot seat sat the coach, if there was no hidden danger of loss of control. He hardly interferes with your driving.
I think that if you dare to let everyone run like this on the track, Changan Automobile still believes very much in the level of UNI-T this car and the driver, after all, 20 years of small industry, can let me run the track, and is one of the few brands in the flying circle. Although some of our peers rushed out of the track during the period and returned to the maintenance area with a thick layer of yellow mud on the wheels, it did not change the test drive process and continued to let us sprint at full strength on the track. Since there is such a rare opportunity to experience the excitement of running qualifying, of course, you have to do your best.
This 2.0T UNI-T has a new ejection start mode, but I think this is just a new addition, nothing more. Who would start with an ejection while driving on a normal day? Start with a red light turning a green light? Or the first foot of the throttle out of the parking lot? Even if Changan Automobile found that more than 60% of UNI-T users like big foot throttle and big foot brakes, I believe that more than 60% of people may not necessarily use catapults to start when driving.
Slowly driving out of the pit lane, for the first two-thirds of the time in the playing circle, I was very gentle to step on the accelerator, but also as little as possible to press the brakes, alternating between the direction of the straight, grinding a tire, so that the tread temperature rose a little, although the effect is not large, but the effect is better than nothing. When you enter the last two or three corners of the first lap, start accelerating at full strength, ensuring that the vehicle passes through the last corner with a higher tail speed through the starting point of the timing point...
The timing lap of the second lap is the time to really play the driving level and performance of the vehicle, and in addition to passing through the corners at the highest speed possible, I also try to focus on experiencing this car. After passing the last corner of the first lap, I pressed the throttle to the bottom, the engine did perform better, the gear changes were completely responsive, and the more intense driving style compared to the morning made the car completely different.
100 meters before entering the first corner, full force on the brake pedal, the effect of the 20-inch horse brand MC6 tire is obvious, the confusion of the first bend is very large, the route from the brake to the corner, and then to the bend before the bend is very long, you need to take the brake into the corner, in this corner, the grip of the tire is very important, and this time after the brake, I have more confidence in the braking effect of this car.
Xiamen track is very fun, the track ups and downs are very large, the types of combined corners are also very rich, including the "blind corner" that cannot see the corners and bends, the driver needs to grasp the brake points and the timing of the corners in advance, fortunately, two months ago I drove 1.5T UNI-T here, so the line is still relatively familiar, and I can feel the performance and handling performance of this car after sprinting at full strength.
One lap was short, I crossed the finish line with a time of 1 minute and 14 seconds, which was lucky, it was a number one result, but it was almost 4 seconds slower compared to the coach's performance, and I believe that if I had a few more laps, I could close the gap, but it didn't hurt.
Now let's talk about my feelings, obviously, the 2.0T version of the UNI-T power performance is beyond doubt, especially compared to the 1.5T version opened here two months ago, it feels very obvious. The second is the performance of the brakes, the braking force and the grip of the tires are excellent, a full circle of full sprinting, and do not feel the heat decline. Then there is the performance of the gearbox, in the process of repeated bigfoot throttle and bigfoot braking, the gearbox can be very positive, the time of upshift is very short, the gear connection is smooth, but the downshift reaction is slightly slower than I expected, of course, this is only the driving environment on the track, if placed in daily driving, the performance of this gearbox is impeccable.
As for the performance of suspension and steering, although the suspension was adjusted in a sporty style at the 2022 UNI-T, I think it is still more inclined to comfort. In high-speed corners, the suspension supports the body softly, resulting in a larger lateral centrifugal force of the body, but fortunately the tire has a strong enough grip.
In addition, the steering force is light, even in the setting of the sport mode, it is still very light, I think this setting still takes into account the ease of daily driving, rather than for the intense driving on the track. Another regret is that on the sport model, the steering wheel is wrapped in suede material, which feels great, and the steering wheel is also the right size, but the paddle shifter is missing.
In general, at the current stage of the general development towards small displacement and electrification, the addition of 2.0T engines and 8AT gearboxes has given the UNI-T better performance and is more in line with the sporty temperament of this car.
The author of this article is Kick Car Gang Jia Yuntao