SUV has been on fire in china's car market for so many years, and although it is not too much to talk about now, it cannot escape the fate of "thirty years of Hedong, thirty years of Hexi". With the younger generation (post-90s and post-00s) gradually becoming the main body of domestic automobile consumption, some car products that flaunt fashion personality and sports performance have begun to appear. Especially in the camp of independent brands, in recent years, the successive launches of Lynk & Co 03, GAC Trumpchi Shadow Leopard, MG 6 Pro and other models have really hooked up the "hungry worms" of young people who love sports performance cars.
Compared with the above-mentioned models, the first car product of the Changan UNI (Gravity) series, "Changan UNI-V", is a late descendant. However, it is said that good food is not afraid of late, in early August last year, The declaration chart of Changan UNI-V has attracted great attention in the industry. Only affected by the domestic new crown epidemic, Changan UNI-V, which was originally scheduled to appear at the 19th Guangzhou Auto Show, finally chose to complete its debut in the form of online live broadcast on the evening of November 21, 2021 Beijing time.
Although a month ago, Changan Automobile officially invited the automotive industry media to take a static real shot of UNI-V, but for Changan UNI-V, which is also the main sport and performance, the experience limited to static is obviously itchy and not painful enough. No, as soon as the New Year's Day holiday in 2022 ended, I embarked on a journey to Chongqing. The purpose of this trip is also very direct, that is, to conduct the first dynamic performance road test drive experience of Changan UNI-V.
※ What is special about Changan UNI-V in terms of power equipment and body hardware?
Since this time I came to Chongqing specifically to experience the dynamic performance of Changan UNI-V, it is better to start by understanding the power equipment and body hardware of Changan UNI-V.
In terms of power, Changan UNI-V will first be equipped with a specially tuned Blue Whale new generation NE1.5T high-pressure direct injection engine, with a maximum power of 138kW, a peak torque of 300Nm (1500-4000rpm), and a maximum speed of 205km/h.
Although from the perspective of book parameters, it seems to be no different from the blue whale new generation NE1.5T engine currently on sale in some Changan models, in fact, the engineers of Changan Automobile have combined the needs of UNI-V to make special adjustments to this blue whale new generation NE1.5T engine. According to the official, in the future, Changan UNI-V will also launch a power version equipped with a 2.0T engine.
Looking closely at the engine compartment of Changan UNI-V, this car is equipped with the original "top bar", which can effectively improve the handling performance of the vehicle
In terms of transmission system, the blue whale new generation NE1.5T engine equipped with the Changan UNI-V is matched by the blue whale 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, which integrates transient torque control and intelligent pre-shift technology. In addition, the electronic shift lever of Changan UNI-V adopts a flat shape similar to that of the fighter throttle pusher, which looks very new and personalized.
In terms of chassis, changan automobile engineers created an exclusive coupe chassis for Changan UNI-V, using a four-wheel independent suspension structure of "front McPherson + rear multi-link type", and adopted a new suspension hard point design based on genetic algorithms. At the same time, Changan UNI-V vehicles account for more than 70% of their height and steel and above, which can effectively reduce the delay when the vehicle is turned, and help to improve the response and directness of the vehicle.
The Changan UNI-V we test drove this time uses an 18-inch multi-spoke rim, and the pure black livery fits the positioning of the vehicle's athletic performance very well. Of course, the more important point is that the test drive is equipped with the 235/45 R18 specifications of the horse brand MaxContact MC6 tires, which is a tire that greatly improves the movement and handling performance, while taking into account the long-range use and silence effect, and the actual performance is very worth looking forward to.
Changan UNI-V offers a total of five driving modes including ECO (Economy), NORMAL (Normal), SPORT (Sports), SMART (Smart), and SUPER RACE (Track).
It is worth mentioning that Changan UNI-V supports one-click to open the "track" mode. By pressing the orange "SUPER RACE" button located in the lower left of the center console, you can let the Changan UNI-V immediately enter the track mode, at which time the electric rear wing of the vehicle will be raised, and the color of the interior atmosphere lights will also change to a more dynamic orange; and in the track mode, the Changan UNI-V also supports ejection start.
In addition, Changan UNI-V also designed an exclusive track UI for the track mode. When we switch the driving mode of the vehicle to the SUPER RACE (track) mode, not only the display content of the instrument screen is more dynamic, the driver can also view the G value, turbine pressure and output torque of the vehicle during the driving process through the central control screen, which fully satisfies the sensory enjoyment.
Compared with several known competitors of the same class, the electric lifting tail wing is undoubtedly a very eye-catching highlight of the Changan UNI-V. The Changan UNI-V is equipped with an electric lifting tail that can be automatically raised or lowered according to the different speeds of the vehicle, and of course can also be manually controlled by physical/virtual buttons.
According to official data, the electric lifting tail of Changan UNI-V can provide up to 25kg downforce when opened, and reduce the wind resistance coefficient of 0.007. It can help increase the stability of the body when driving, but also contribute to the reduction of fuel consumption, which can be said to take into account the aesthetics of sports and practical art.
Finally, the Changan UNI-V uses an organ-style throttle pedal, which is also a setting that almost all vehicles that pursue sporty performance will adopt.
※ How about the dynamic driving feeling of Changan UNI-V?
The route of this test drive covers urban roads, urban expressways, highways and winding roads, so whether it is following the stop-and-go state of the car in front of it, or interspersed in the busy traffic flow, or even freely increasing the speed to more than 100km/h, as well as navigating through one turn after another, the rich driving road conditions can be said to have laid the necessary foundation for fully understanding the road driving performance of Chang'an UNI-V.
The specially tuned Blue Whale new generation NE1.5T engine on the Changan UNI-V has abundant power reserves and the throttle response is relatively direct. Especially when the acceleration of the vehicle at medium and low speeds appears to be relatively light. In addition, thanks to the responsive power tuning, the vehicle's mid-section re-acceleration ability is also relatively satisfactory, and the on-call power fully ensures the driving pleasure it deserves, of course, it also plays out the advantages of the new generation of Blue Whale NE1.5T engine.
Relatively speaking, the feedback force of the initial stage of the brake pedal is light, but fortunately, the braking force maintains a relatively good sense of linearity throughout the release stage. Therefore, the driver can still grasp the force of the brakes relatively easily and relatively quickly, and at the same time ensure that the occupants of the car can get a relatively comfortable driving feeling, and will not affect the comfort because of poor control of the brake force.
Changan UNI-V's matched 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission is no stranger to us and has also been tested in sufficient markets. Whether it is the logic of the shift or the smoothness of the upshift, it is better to grasp. Although the vehicle can still feel a slight setback in the process of deceleration, it does not affect the overall dynamic performance of the vehicle.
Although the steering force of the Changan UNI-V steering wheel can be linked with the change of driving mode, in fact, the overall feeling is biased towards a relatively calm operation feel, especially in the sport mode and track mode, the steering wheel operation feel is very pleasing to the driver who likes to steer calmly. Even in the economic mode or normal mode, the UNI-V's steering feel is not noticeably lighter.
The chassis tuning of Changan UNI-V has been widely recognized by the media participating in the test drive, especially the setting of pursuing excellent handling as much as possible is very appetizing to the driver. Especially when driving on the winding mountain road, we can obviously feel that Changan UNI-V shows a good chassis rigidity; and from the actual test driving experience of this time, in fact, the limit of the Changan UNI-V chassis is far from being tested. The reason why I can feel this way is that I believe that the original factory's "top bar" and the set of Horse Brand MaxContact MC6 tires are also indispensable.
In addition, when the vehicle encounters a relatively large bump or pothole road, the suspension of the vibration avoidance stretch and return position are relatively crisp, there will be no excess longitudinal jumping; and the suspension for the road surface fine vibration filtration ability, only in this price of the independent brand car, is a good performance. At the same time, in the process of entering and exiting the corner, the rear of the Changan UNI-V also maintains a good tracking, which helps the driver increase confidence.
As we mentioned earlier, Changan UNI-V offers five driving modes. Through the actual test drive experience, we found that in fact, the driving experience of the vehicle in THE NORMAL MODE AND SMART Smart Mode is not very different. In the ECO economic model, whether it is the response speed of the throttle or the gearbox shift speed, it will be significantly delayed, and in the face of Chongqing's multi-curved and multi-slope urban road environment, the ECO economic model gives people a feeling of resignation.
In SPORT sport mode, the transmission will significantly delay the timing of the upshift during acceleration, and when the higher speed is reached and the smooth driving phase is entered, the 7-speed wet dual-clutch transmission will actively rise into the most suitable gear to ensure that it can still obtain better fuel economy. As for the most radical SUPER RACE track mode, in fact, there is no particularly obvious difference between the feeling and the sport mode at the power output level, and it may be the best environment to experience the closed field or track.
To add, the NVH performance of Changan UNI-V vehicles has also been widely recognized by everyone. Especially for the wind noise and road noise generated by the vehicle during the driving process, the noise control of the engine is relatively well suppressed, and the noise control of the engine is also relatively in place.
※ How does Changan UNI-V highlight its personality through its shape design?
From the perspective of appearance and styling, the front face of Changan UNI-V continues the classic borderless design concept of the UNI family, and the forward grille and the narrow headlight group are integrated with each other, with a strong visual impact.
The exaggerated shape of the diversion zone, which is arranged on both sides of the front surround, further enhances the sense of movement that can be reflected in the front face of the UNI-V locomotive.
It is not difficult to see from the side of the body that Changan UNI-V adopts a coupe-style body that is very popular with young people at present. The layout of the engine compartment is more compact, with a short front suspension, a long wheelbase, and a shaft length ratio of 0.59; and the center of gravity of the body is greatly reduced, so that the whole vehicle presents a more low-lying, more athletic posture, which well strengthens the sense of movement that Changan UNI-V can reflect in the shape.
The Changan UNI-V engine compartment has a compact layout, short front overhang, long wheelbase, and a shaft length ratio of 0.59
The aspect ratio is 0.78, and the wheel height/height of the car is 0.47, which makes the body center of gravity drop significantly, and the whole vehicle shows a lower and more athletic posture
Since Changan UNI-V adopts fastback slipback design, the top line angle of the vehicle exceeds 150 °, of which the angle between the roof and the rear glass, the rear glass and the rear glass angle are even close to 180 °. It is thanks to this that Changan UNI-V has a smooth and dynamic body form. In addition, in terms of dimensions, the length, width and height of Changan UNI-V are 4680mm/1838mm/1430mm, and the wheelbase is 2750mm.
Changan UNI-V uses a hidden design of the door handle, which can help reduce the wind resistance to a certain extent, and at the same time, it can also enhance the sporty atmosphere of the vehicle's appearance from the visual level.
The overall shape of the tail of the Changan UNI-V feels very compact, so it is a good reinforcement of the sense of sport that the car has always emphasized. The tail light group adopts the popular through-line design, and the layering is quite prominent under the tail line of the uplift below.
It is worth noting that the ordinary version of Changan UNI-V adopts a bilateral exhaust layout of two out, while the sports version adopts a bilateral exhaust layout of four out, which once again strengthens the sporty atmosphere reflected in the design details of the vehicle.
The Changan UNI-V Sport model adopts a bilateral exhaust layout with a total of four outs
※ In addition to emphasizing the sporty performance attributes in the interior design of Changan UNI-V, are there other highlights worth paying attention to?
In the design of the interior, Changan UNI-V pursues the overall style of extreme simplicity and dynamics. Not only does a lot of tension lines and profiles are used to shape the sense of structure, but also asymmetrical design techniques are used in the dashboard, central control area, seats, and central armrest areas; and the partial use of jumping color embellishment techniques is a proper addition to the passion and vitality of the car. In addition, thanks to the newly designed A-pillar section, the obstacle angle of the A-pillar of the Changan UNI-V has been reduced to 2.88°, so the driver can get a wider driving vision.
According to the official, the cockpit of Changan UNI-V is based on human factors engineering methods, so it also attaches great importance to the creation of a scientific and technological atmosphere, and is committed to bringing a biased immersive car interaction experience to drivers and passengers. For example, the hidden air conditioner outlet with horizontal penetration design cleverly creates a floating visual effect, so as to look full of technology. In addition, it is interesting that the ambience lights arranged above the air conditioner outlet, including the interior panel area of the door, are integrated, and the visual effect after lighting up is also very dreamy.
The viewing angle area of the Changan UNI-V central control screen is adjacent to the viewing angle area of the instrument triple screen, which has a rich sense of layering; at the same time, because the central control screen is closer to the main driving side, it is also greatly convenient for the driver to control the virtual buttons on the screen and read navigation and weather information.
The multi-function steering wheel adopts a double D shape derived from the design concept of racing cars, which looks sporty with the combination of paddle shifters.
As mentioned earlier, the central armrest area of Changan UNI-V adopts an asymmetrical block design, and highlights its vitality and dynamic elements through the matching of color contrast.
In addition, Changan UNI-V also adopts a new design in the shape of the seat, and is divided by minimalist lines, and then matched with the design of contrasting colors, creating a rich atmosphere of science and technology sports in the car.
It is worth noting that Changan UNI-V has an infrared camera and RGB camera above the steering wheel and an RGB camera at the inner rearview mirror respectively, so users can automatically log in to the car-machine ecological APP through the FACE ID super account and switch to the exclusive vehicle settings.
An infrared camera located above the steering column of the Changan UNI-V steering wheel
RGB camera located above the inner rearview mirror of Changan UNI-V
Moreover, Changan UNI-V also continues the AI active service of the UNI family, which can actively provide users with services such as exclusive greetings to the car, line of sight bright screen, fatigue driving reminder, answering calls and reducing multimedia volume; users can also switch music through gesture recognition, or use functions such as navigating home. Interestingly, through button or voice control, users can also take photos and video recordings in the car.
In addition, Changan UNI-V is also equipped with an intelligent voice interaction system jointly developed by Changan and iFLYTEK, which can achieve 100% voice interaction in high-frequency scenarios.
※ Editor's Comments:
This dynamic test drive experience for Changan UNI-V actually left a lot of regrets. Of course, the regret is not that UNI-V's own product strength is not enough, but that the test driving experience is slightly shorter, so that we only experienced the driving experience of Changan UNI-V on the open social road. But for such a hatchback car that focuses on sports and performance, if there is a chance to drive it into a closed test field or track, and force its extreme performance out, it is the key to judging whether the car has enough playability.
Including the intelligent interactive cockpit of Changan UNI-V, as well as a wealth of active safety features, it takes time to conduct specialized test drives and experiences to get the most real feelings. Fortunately, the official said that after that, the media will arrange for a more in-depth test drive of UNI-V, and we are also looking forward to meeting with Changan UNI-V as soon as possible.
Oh yes, today is January 6, 2022, and in four days, that is, next Monday (January 10, 2022), the first car product of the Changan UNI (Gravity) series, "Changan UNI-V", will officially open for pre-sale. So, what are your expectations for the pricing of Changan UNI-V? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to discuss.