Test drive the "hottest legal car of the year": the controversial Versailles, really understand the needs of the Chinese people?
Original Car territory without boundaries
This year, the frequency of new cars in the French system is really a bit high, in addition to the new Peugeot 4008 and 5008 that have been remodeled in the middle of 5 years, including peugeot 508L, Citroën Tianyi C5 AIRCROSS, Citroën C3-XR, etc. have also been updated. And such a battle has undoubtedly made the topic of "French car" come alive again.
Of course, the most popular of them is the new Citroen model - Versailles C5 X (hereinafter referred to as Versailles). From the beginning of the order to break through 10,000, to the recent controversy caused by the No. 38 car review, these have made it a focus point for everyone to discuss the "legal system".
Recently, Jiang Ge had the honor of test driving this French car on the cusp of the "wind and waves", so from the perspective of consumers, the core problem is actually only one, that is, has the legal system understood the needs of the Chinese people this time?
1, the shape: the cross-border design of "four unlike", a bit adventurous
The design of the French system originally gave the impression of being fanciful, and this time it did not build an SUV or sedan, but built a "four unlike" model, that is, it did not look like a car and a station wagon, nor did it look like an SUV and an MPV, which we called a "crossover".
According to the current diversified consumption concept of young people, crossovers full of personality like Versailles can indeed poke at certain needs. And in the early stage, relying on this outfit, it has indeed attracted a lot of attention.
Although the crossover is quite distinctive, from the perspective of market response, it is basically in the applause, such as Chevrolet Volando, Mazda CX-4, BMW X6 and so on. From this point of view, it is still a bit risky for the legal system to take the cross-border road.
2, tires: timely alternatives, learn to meet the needs
The problem of tires has also been boiling over before, the reason is that the Versailles series is equipped with 205/55 R19 tires as standard, that is, 19-inch large wheels, with 205mm tire width tires, in addition to the visual effect of "stingy", but also caused two concerns:
1. Safety issues, that is, the fear that the brake grip performance is insufficient due to the narrow width of the tires;
2, maintenance problems, this size of tires on the market is rare, worried that it will affect the subsequent maintenance and replacement;
In fact, this tire has gradually become popular in Europe. And from this test drive, or other third-party media tests, versailles tire brake performance is still good enough. However, the french system eventually learned to compromise and added the 225/55R18 tire specification for consumers.
It is worth mentioning that Versailles originally had no spare tires, and only provided tire repair tools. This point in the fermentation of public opinion, the same in exchange for a positive response, the manufacturer decided to provide consumers with optional services. Looking at the impression of some arrogant and stubborn legal car, can be so responsive, I believe everyone can still feel that it is eager to meet the needs of the Chinese people strategy.
3, the interior: in line with the taste of the public, the car machine system needs to be improved
If you cover the logo of the steering wheel, I believe that many people will not recognize that this is the interior of a French car, the overall bias is biased towards the design of most traditional models, the functional areas are clear at a glance, And Jiang Ge feels that this exquisite and simple style will be more in line with the taste of the public.
Of course, the details can still reflect the unique design thinking of the French system, such as the new paddle-type gear handle, a bit of golf electronic gear handle + Acura button shift "combination". I thought it would be inconvenient to use, but it was actually very convenient.
Another design that is more "controversial" is the height adjustment button displayed by the HUD head up, which Versailles integrates with the adjustment key of the exterior mirror on the door panel of the main driver.
We just need to use our fingers to flick up or down, and we can adjust the height. At first glance, it is indeed quite strange, but it is actually not awkward to use, and the two functions do not conflict.
Jiang Ge feels that the whole interior is a bit unpleasant, or its car machine system, first of all, its interface and menu classification is not so concise and clear, just started to find a way to return to the superior menu. Of course, taking a little time to operate, you can still understand its logic, or it may be a matter of habit.
There is also an interesting detail here, that is, after waking up the voice, its voice assistant is a mess of "mosaic" things, which is not a fault, but the engineer deliberately did it. We will not comment on this design, but Jiang Ge still hopes that its speech recognition and response speed can be improved.
4, configuration: no longer "beggars under the top match", look up to show stunning
In the past, French cars were often complained that they were "beggars under the top", but this time Versailles obviously broke this spell, and on the 143,700 entry-level models, they were equipped with 6 airbags, full LED headlights, 6-way electric adjustment of the main and co-pilots, leather seats, paddle shifters, four-window one-key lifting, panoramic sunroof, keyless entry/start, etc.
If you configure the model further up, there are L2.5 level assisted driving, 360-degree panoramic images, electric induction tailgate, HUD head-up display, wireless charging, etc., of which the head-up display makes Jiang Ge feel amazing: not only the size is large, but also the use of 3D color projection, the visual effect is very tall.
Judging from the feedback on the Internet, most people are still relatively satisfied with the configuration of Versailles, but there are also other sounds, such as some people think that the panoramic sunroof is not practical, and it is okay to cancel it; some people also think that the version should add a reversing radar; some people hate that there is no automatic parking (in fact, french cars basically do not have this configuration).
It's not realistic to want to satisfy everyone's tastes, so it's normal to be controversial or questionable. However, it needs to be affirmed that compared with before, the legal system does have visible progress and sincerity in configuring this piece.
5. Space: The performance of the rear seat is acceptable, and the trunk is exempt from inspection
Versailles C5 X has a length, width and height of 4805×1865×1505mm, wheelbase of 2785mm, and the official positioning is B-class. There are many people who are struggling with whether it is an A-class car or a B-class car, in fact, it is not necessary, we can directly look at it from the actual experience.
The height of the experiencer is 172cm, the legs are left with a fist and a palm or so, although the head is limited by slipping back, there is also a distance of one fist and two fingers, with a soft seat, the overall performance is still OK. Of course, if the cushion can be a little longer, it will be better for the comfort improvement.
The trunk is exempt from inspection, after all, this is a crossover with the characteristics of a station wagon, the sneaky body brings a wide rear compartment opening, the base has 545L; if you put down the second row, you can get 1640L of large storage space.
6, power: sport mode is the best way to open
All Versailles series are equipped with a 1.6T engine, a maximum power of 129 kW, a maximum torque of 250 Nm, and are matched with an 8-speed manual transmission. Three driving modes are also calibrated: Sport, Standard and Energy Saving, and the mode selection is linked to power output and steering power.
Among them, the energy-saving mode is the least recommended by Jiangge, because in this mode, the entire steering feel is too light, and the throttle has become very lazy, unless you are driving mode, otherwise the driving experience in this state is not a very comfortable driving experience.
In the standard mode, the overall performance is actually similar to that of ordinary family cars. The sport mode is what Jiang Ge believes, which is most in line with the opening method of this car, at this time, the throttle will be more heeled, the steering agility has been significantly improved, and the overall driving is much more elegant.
In terms of gearbox, in addition to suddenly stepping on the throttle deeply, there will be slight channeling caused by the hesitation of downshifting, most of the time it is still based on smoothness.
7, the chassis: "torque beam" can also be very comfortable
Versailles' chassis featured front McPherson-style independent suspension and rear-torsion beam-style non-independent suspension, and the issue was the latter. Because in the eyes of many Chinese people, compared with independent suspension, non-independent suspension such as torsion beams will greatly reduce the comfort of riding.
However, as the saying goes: "There are only two kinds of torsional beam suspension in the world, one is the legal system and the other is the other." Many people know that the French torsion beam is not simple, and Versailles also comes standard with a PHC adaptive hydraulic system, which can achieve damping adjustment.
From the actual experience, the chassis dynamics of Versailles are still comfortable, fine vibrations or slightly larger obstacles, and its chassis gives people a soft and spongy feeling. That is, if you want to use it for a little movement or intense driving, then it will not achieve the effect you want.
8, fuel consumption: almost full load, measured fuel consumption of 8.1L/100km
The weight of versailles is about 1.5 tons, and the official comprehensive fuel consumption of 100 kilometers is 5.8L, and the data performance is quite good. From the perspective of this test drive, the fuel consumption obtained by JiangGe is 8.1L/100km, and the road sections are mainly mountain roads, urban areas, and highways.
The air conditioning was turned on the whole time, there were four people in the car, and there were also their own luggage bags, which was almost fully loaded. Such conditions can have such results, indicating that it is indeed quite fuel-efficient.
Write at the end
In general, although Versailles still has a lot to improve and upgrade, from it, we do see that the legal system is carefully listening to the needs of the Chinese people and making changes to this end. Compared with the sales volume in the short term, this is actually the most important thing for the revival of the legal system. After Versailles, I believe that many people will have more expectations and confidence in the legal system like Brother Jiang.
And to say that Versailles is the life-saving straw of the legal system, this kind of statement is really a bit exaggerated, and Brother Jiang is more inclined to say that Versailles is a new and good beginning of the legal system. As for the relevant remarks on the Internet, instead of following the crowd, it is better to find a time to experience it yourself. Feel free to follow "Car Frontiers" and leave a comment in the comments section below to share your thoughts on the Citroen Versailles C5 X