It is an indisputable fact that pure electric vehicles will dominate the future automotive market, and with the continuous advancement of pure electric vehicle technology in recent years, the number of mileage is also growing. However, pure electric vehicles are greatly affected by ambient temperature, and after entering the winter, the mileage will even be cut off, so consumers still have anxieties about the long-distance driving ability of pure electric vehicles. In view of this situation, range-extending pure electric models came into being in the market. Driven by the ideal ONE, some car companies have begun to lay out in this field, and Lantu is the fastest moving. As a new brand, Lantu's first medium and large 5-seat SUV, Lantu FREE, has been listed in China in June 2021, and this time we want to test drive the extended range version of Lantu FREE.
appearance:
The lines are smooth and highly recognizable
Landu is a high-end new energy brand under Dongfeng Motor, Landu FREE is the first model launched by it, the new car is positioned as a medium and large SUV, the size is slightly smaller than the ideal ONE of the same level, but Landu FREE pays more attention to the body decoration effect, so it looks more slender and full of design. Landu FREE is divided into pure electric version and extended range version of two models, the main difference between the two is the right side of the body fuel port, the other parts of the difference is not large.
In the details, the front face of Lantu FREE has a strong recognition, and the straight waterfall middle net is matched with the matrix LED headlight group on both sides, and the overall shape looks very imposing. Moreover, China Net also adopts a folded angle design, thus creating a stronger sense of strength and lethality, and its iconic LOGO design is inspired by "Kunpeng Spreads Its Wings", which also has a strong recognition.
The body side design is very slender, the whole vehicle uses a large number of straight lines, with hidden door handles and slip-on roof, making the whole car look very sporty. In addition, the design of the wheel hub part is also quite dynamic, and the surface of the double five-spoke silver wheel has also added the same color as the paint, which looks more coordinated overall. In addition, the size of the 20-inch wheel is also very impressive, and it looks very domineering visually.
The tail adopts the popular through-type taillight group, and the internal shape looks very designed, and it is equipped with flow effect turn signals, which looks more advanced. The LOGO part is also replaced with english logos, and the tailgate opening button is set below the wiper. In addition, the C-pillar design adopts a yacht-like style, surrounded by black trim panels, with a certain suspension effect.
Interior:
The design and technology configuration are impeccable
Similar to the exterior, the interior of Landu FREE also has a strong sense of design. The interior of the car is a two-tone layout, and the blue-and-white interior is also unique to the top model. Among them, the biggest highlight of the interior is the through-line central control display system composed of three screens, and the center console can automatically lower after switching the sport mode, so that the front view becomes more open.
The size of the three screens is 12.3 inches, of which the instrument part can provide three different styles of display interface, users can switch freely according to their preferences, but no matter which interface, the display style belongs to the concise type, the menu logic is clearly divided, easy to observe.
The three-spoke multi-function steering wheel is avant-garde in shape, with two-tone sewn leather and chrome design on the button surface, highlighting the high-quality texture. However, when you actually hold it, the feel is slightly rough, and there is a stitch in the middle, and the fit is not very good.
The central control system is composed of two 12.3-inch LCD screens, but unlike the ideal ONE, the two screens cannot be interconnected, and the sense of communication is slightly poor. However, because the car machine system supports the car networking function, so its functionality is very powerful, in addition to our common online navigation, online listening to music, etc., the car can also play movies online, watch TV, query violations, check the weather, etc., the play is very high. Coupled with the 10-speaker Dana audio, the entire interior of the carriage creates the atmosphere of a luxury car.
The air conditioning part adopts an automatic dual temperature zone design, and the front row can be operated by physical buttons and instrument touch, which is also very convenient to use. Moreover, the air conditioner outlets on both sides of the front row are also designed inside the center console that can be lifted, which looks very classy. Although the rear row also provides two air conditioning outlets, it cannot be adjusted individually and can only be controlled by the front passenger.
In terms of comfort, the overall performance of Landu FREE is also satisfactory. First of all, the front main passenger seat of the car supports 12-way electric adjustment, and the leather seat is wide and softly padded, making it very comfortable to ride. At the same time, the front seats also provide three heating and ventilation functions, in addition to two different logic massage functions, the overall comfort function is rare in the same level. However, the car is not equipped with a sunroof function, using a canopy to replace it, the size is very large, through the central control system can also adjust the transmittance of the canopy, the actual experience is good.
impetus:
The hardware configuration is high enough to satisfy the NVH performance
In terms of power, the Landu FREE extended range version is equipped with a 1.5T four-cylinder turbocharged engine + dual motor extended range hybrid system, of which this engine is also specially optimized for the hybrid system, the compression ratio is as high as 12:1, which is also one of the most thermally efficient turbocharged engines at present, and the fuel consumption performance is far better than the ideal ONE. In addition, the Lantu FREE extended range version engine is not directly used to drive the wheels, only for power generation, the maximum power of the engine is 80kW, the motor is made of front + rear combination, the total power of the motor is 510kW, the comprehensive torque can reach 1040N·m, the traditional matching fixed gearbox, 0-100km/h acceleration only takes 4.5 seconds. The battery part is equipped with a ternary lithium battery pack, the energy density is 33kWh, and the maximum cruising range under NEDC conditions can reach 140km. In addition, the car offers 5 driving modes, namely Economy, Comfort, High Energy, Outing and Personalization.
Although the car uses a range extender layout, because the engine is not directly used to drive the wheels, so the Lantu FREE extended range version is no different from the general electric car, the whole acceleration process is very smooth, even in the most power-saving economic mode, its start is not delayed, and in the subsequent experience process, in most cases I think the use of economic mode is completely enough.
In order to experience its 4.7-second 100-kilometer acceleration, I set the vehicle in high-energy mode, and in this mode, Landu FREE automatically adjusts the air suspension to lower the body, thereby enhancing stability. Pressing the acceleration pedal deeply, the speed value on the dashboard quickly soared to 100km/h+, and the whole acceleration process was not as fast as I thought, but there was no doubt about its 4.7-second acceleration of 100 km/h. In addition, although the car is equipped with 5 driving modes, the difference in the acceleration state of the vehicle between the various modes is not particularly large.
For a high-performance electric SUV, running fast is nothing, and it is reassuring to be able to brake. In terms of brakes, Landu FREE gave me full confidence, and the braking force release was very linear. With light braking, the vehicle can provide strong braking force, so it is necessary to carefully control the opening of the brake pedal, otherwise the vehicle is prone to noding. According to the official brake results, the car's braking distance of 100-0km/h is only 35.95 meters, and the performance of the same level is very good.
Compared to the power performance of this car, I was more impressed by the performance of the LandoFREE in handling. First of all, the front suspension of the car adopts a double wishbones structure, the rear suspension is a multi-link structure, and the control arms are lightweight cast aluminum materials, and the hardware configuration is not picked. At the same time, the top model is also equipped with air suspension, and the vehicle can adjust its height by switching between different modes.
With excellent hardware configuration, Lantu FREE feels very solid to drive, the entire suspension system can filter out most of the vibrations and road bumps very well, there will be no excess shaking, sitting in the driver's seat will make you feel very comfortable, and this driving quality is also very rare in the 300,000 level.
Whether it is fast steering or sharp braking, the body posture of the Lando FREE is very well controlled, and with Pirelli P Zero tires, it is very safe. Compared to the ideal ONE I had tested before, Lando FREE clearly outperformed its rivals in this regard.
However, the performance of Landu FREE in some places still has some slots, when the speed exceeds 100km/h, obvious wind noise will be heard on both sides of the A-pillar, and the comfortable environment in the car will be broken. Also in the intense driving process, when the battery power is insufficient, the engine will start to charge the battery, and the sound of the engine working is even louder than the wind noise in the A-pillar area, and the two noises appear at the same time, which has to let me release the accelerator pedal in advance.
space:
The whole vehicle space showed unexpected
In terms of space, the overall performance of Lantu FREE is quite good, the experience of 170cm in height enters the front row, after adjusting the sitting posture, thanks to the unique canopy design, the head space still has a distance of nearly three fists, and it is very easy for the experiencer to sit in with a height of 190cm. The storage space is mainly large, whether it is a door panel storage slot, or a storage slot under the center console or even a handrail box, the opening is very large, and the depth is also considerable, and it can be directly put into larger items. In addition, the front row is also equipped with a mobile phone wireless charging and USB/Type-C/12V cigarette lighter interface. In addition, both cup holders are equipped with a limit device, which can hold the cup well in place.
Keeping the front seat unchanged, the experiencer comes to the back row, at this time the head space still has more than two punches away, the leg is about four fists away, and the rear space performance is still very good. Moreover, the middle platform bulge is also very low, coupled with the body width of 1.95 meters, it does not affect the comfort of the intermediate passengers at all. In terms of storage space, the overall performance of the rear row is not as good as the front row, but daily use is also enough. In addition, the rear row also provides a USB and a Type-C interface separately, which can meet the power needs of different devices.
As for the performance of the trunk space, Landu FREE also has no problem at all, can place a number of large luggage, at the same time, the rear seats can also be reclined according to the 4/6 ratio, the rear seats are basically in a full flat state, and the space can be further expanded. However, due to the placement of an electric motor and battery management system under the trunk platform, the platform of the car was sealed. Surprisingly, the Landu FREE trunk is also equipped with a 12V cigarette lighter interface, two hooks, two anchor points and tire inflatable pumps, etc., and the small details are very thoughtful.
safe:
The active/passive security configuration is basically at the top
In the security part, the active/passive security configuration of Lantu FREE is very rich, and the basic configuration has been included. First of all, in addition to our common main/co-pilot airbags, head air curtains, front side airbags, tire pressure display and 360-degree panoramic imaging system. It is also equipped with three millimeter-wave radars, nine cameras for the whole vehicle, and 12 ultrasonic radars, which can work together to achieve L2 level automatic driving. In addition, the new car is equipped with a night vision function rarely seen in its class, which can identify pedestrians and animals within 150 meters ahead. Overall, Lantu FREE is not faulty in both active and passive security configurations.
summary